The Blind Side: An Inspiring Football Movie

Less than a month after he begins his first regular season game in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens, Michael Oher’s life story showed and has had been nominated in Oscars. Though it's hard enough being a rookie offensive tackle in the NFL- mastering complex blocking schemes and dealing with lightning-fast 280-pound defensive ends - without bracing for the opening of a major motion picture based on an adopted African football player Michael Oher story. This one's about a football prodigy, Michael Oher played by the well-cast Quinton Aaron a homeless African-American teenager who was taken in by the Tuohys, a wealthy, white Memphis family which they became his legal guardians.

Sandra Bullock which won recently in an 82nd Oscars as Best Actress is a natural in the tricky role of irrepressibly bossy Leigh Anne Tuohy, who easily convinces her amused husband and 2 kids to provide and african boy with a place to stay. Those that are die-hard football fans know about the player, but will now have the chance to learn about the man through his story.

Like many of these inspirational films, The Blind Side is based on real events. Michael Oher played by Quinton Aaron, who looks like a walking refrigerator, is recruited into private Wingate High School on a scholarship at the urgings of its football coach despite the fact that his grade point average is basically nil. His imposing size makes him appear to be a natural for the football team, although in his debut practice sessions it’s apparent that he’s not designed for confrontational sports. “Looks like Tarzan; plays like Jane,” the coach sighs. Michael is later compared to Ferdinand, the bull of a famous children’s story, who would rather sit under his tree and watch the flowers grow than charge wildly across the pasture as other bulls do.

But The Blind Side is much more than just a young man and a football dream. It’s about coming to terms with the wide disparities between the haves and the have-nots in America. It’s about how one family, prodded by a dynamic whirlwind who is the mother, not only made a difference in the life of one person, but in their own lives as well.

The Blind Side’s harsh realities shatter Leigh Anne’s played by Sandra Bullock illusions about an America of equality and brotherhood. Rather than accepting that, however, Leigh Anne sets her mind to changing things in her own small corner of the universe. Conversely, Michael Oher’s expectations of his own possibilities grow by leaps and bounds, nurtured by the loving family who surround and encourage him, giving him a family life that he never knew.

The story from The Blind Side was also a book written by Michael Lewis in 2006 called The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game. It was at that point that the many people became enamored with the story of Michael Oher, and now the incredible true story is being turned into a story of hope, courage, and survival that is definitely going to be one of those inspiring films this fall. Don't be fooled into thinking that the story of The Blind Side is just about football, and as a football enthusiasts, you could come away loving the story of Michael Oher.