By Matt Brunson
THE BLIND SIDE
**1/2
DIRECTED BY John Lee Hancock
STARS Sandra Bullock, Quentin Aaron
Precious is different in that it allows an African-American character to tell her own story, never ceding the camera to anyone else and remaining the focal point throughout. The Blind Side is more typical of the sort of racially aware films Hollywood foists upon middle America, purportedly focusing on a black protagonist but really serving as an example of the goodness of white folks. The only reason this young black boy exists, it seems to hint, is so that a Caucasian woman can feel good about herself.
The fact that The Blind Side is based on a true story dispels much of this criticism, although it still would have been nice if writer-director John Lee Hancock had thought to include the character of Michael Oher (Quentin Aaron) into more of his game plan. Instead, he’s a saintly, one-dimensional figure — although he (like everyone else in the film) seems like the spawn of Satan when compared to Leigh Ann Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), the feisty Southern belle who decides to feed, shelter and eventually adopt this homeless lad after spotting him one dark and stormy night.
Bullock’s a lot of fun to watch in this role, and the movie itself contains enough humor and heartbreak (though next to no dramatic tension) to make it an engaging if undemanding experience. But its true intentions are revealed in its ample self-congratulatory dialogue. “Leigh Anne, you are changing that boy’s life.” “No. [insert dramatic, Oscar-friendly pause here] He’s changing mine.” You can almost see the filmmakers patting themselves on the backs before heading home to their maximum-security Beverly Hills mansions.
This article appears in Nov 17-23, 2009.
The white woman DID do a great thing in taking care of the black kid. Why should that not be the focus of the film?
Thats the story!
Is Precious a true story?
The Blind Side is a true story.
This is a dumb article. “The Blind Side” is a great film that portrays Michael Oher as much more than a one-dimensional character. The white family that took Oher in did a great thing in a place where they (Mississippi, the most racially-backward-thinking state in the U.S.) were surely scrutinized by many of the people they knew. What’s wrong with showing the good of Oher and the family, especially if the story is true. If the film accurately portrays what really happened, what is the problem? Ridiculous criticism of this film.
This is an example of why race relations between whites and African-Americans will always be strained, and when I say “this,” I’m referring to this racially-biased review of what is a beautiful film about a beautiful real-life event. Did Jesse Jackson write this thing?