The Blind Side

‘The Blind Side’, another Oscar contender this year, tells the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American teen who becomes the most sought-after college footballer ever. As the ‘token black student’ at a Christian High School in Memphis, Tennessee, Michael has nothing but a practically zero grade-point average, the shirt on his back and the spare one he keeps in a plastic bag. Found roaming around on a cold winter’s night, Michael is taken in by the Toueys, an affluent white family who have never even been to his side of town, for what was supposed to be one night. One night turns into the remainder of Michael’s High School career, where, under the protection and support of his new family, he excels as a footballer and dramatically improves academically. He is now a professional football-player for the Baltimore Ravens.

As the big, but vulnerable and heart-warmingly naive Michael, Quinton Aaron encapsulates the term ‘friendly giant.’ His performance as a humble, unjaded and hopeful child of a broken home demonstrates the fact that violence and hostility are not synonymous with a bad childhood. I absolutely loved Aaron’s portrayal of Michael, and felt instant warmth from his character, despite his initial lack of dialogue. On the other hand, Sandra Bullock, as Leigh Anne Touhy, dominates the screen and story despite her diminutive size beside Aaron; a comical juxtaposition which actually works. Bullock plays Leigh Anne with the type of maternal pragmatism necessary to be an efficient and effective working mum. She fights and cares for Michael as she does her own children, and her genuine love for him is unquestionable in her pursuit to help him fulfil his potential.

This movie was excellent, and made all the more poignant and inspiring by the fact that it is based on a real person, who is actually my own age.
[Image from www.daemonsmovies.com]