Top 50 Actresses, #49 - Sandra Bullock: "The Blind Side" (2009)

Movie Stats:
Released 2009 (USA)
American, in English
Director - John Lee Hancock
Stars - Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw

Plot Summary:
Based on a true story. When homeless teenager Michael Oher (Aaron) is taken in by a well-to-do family, he begins his journey to a career in the NFL. Bullock and McGraw co-star respectively as Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, Oher’s adoptive parents.

Warnings:
Violence (mostly football-related); minor gore; minor blue language; implied sexy times.

Bad Stuff:
It comes across as a little too-good-to-be-true. The “good” guys are always good at all times and never seem to make bad decisions or say the wrong thing. The “bad” guys are seemingly antagonistic out of nowhere (although easily taken down a notch by a well-placed verbal barb). It sort of felt naive, like the writer has a very black-and-white view of the world.

If one isn’t into football, I can see how this film could be boring in parts.

It definitely seeks to tug at those heart strings & it’s quite effective at it.

Good Stuff:
I liked how they portrayed the relationship between Leigh Anne and Michael. I thought it was very nuanced and well done. For two people who came from the opposite side of the tracks, they seemed to accept one another in a way that I’ve rarely seen portrayed in film.

All the acting is very good. In addition to the main actors, I quite enjoyed the performance of Jae Head as SJ, the Tuohys' youngest child.

I found it deeply moving. While I’m sure it’s highly dramatized, the idea that someone would open their home in the way the Tuohys did touched me.

About the Performance:
Bullock was fantastic. I am comfortable with her Oscar win. As I was watching, I reflected on the fact that she often plays spastic characters. This comes out more frequently in her comedic roles, but even in her more serious ones, it’s still there. For example, in Gravity, her character is nervous and clumsy even before the action begins. There’s none of that in this performance. I liked how steely her character was, especially since it masked a soft interior. I was impressed by her.

Other performances of Bullock’s that I’ve reviewed: Gravity; Crash.

The Verdict:
I liked this film a lot more than I was expecting. I thought it would be overly simplistic and sentimental. Most of the movie, I was bothered by whether or not Michael actually wanted the things the Tuohys offered him. He speaks little, and rarely expresses his emotions or opinions. But then the film actually addressed that point, and I was both relieved and impressed. I do still think it’s a bit simplistic, and it’s definitely one of those Oscar-grab type movies, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. In the end, I was really glad that I finally watched it.

I give it 4.25 stars.