Sentimental and tear-jerking, The Blind Side takes its audience by the heartstrings. Based on the nonfiction novel, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis, the movie depicts the late high school life of Michael Oher, who is portrayed by actor Quinton Aaron. Michael is a homeless, colored teen whose mother has various drug and drinking violations that caused a separation of brothers from mother. After being admitted to Briarcrest Christian School on the prediction of being on the football team, Michael meets SJ Tuohy, a tiny, outgoing boy played by Jae Head. Michael is welcomed into SJ's family once they catch him walking to the school gym for a warm place to stay.
At school, Michael's grade point average and inability to learn were not of the high standards as the school wished. His teachers however, at the insistence of Mrs. Smith, Michael's science teacher, began to see hope and guided him in learning. One teacher in particular, the English teacher, didn't move an inch and continued to give challenging work to Michael. But as his grades improved, Michael was allowed to try out for football, where much to the coach's disappointment, Michael less than excelled. After a brief talk with Leigh Anne Touhy, played by Sandra Bullock, however, Michael soon became immersed in the sport and played to his highest potential. He gained notice and attention from various colleges and universities around the state, from which he made the decision to attend Ole Miss. Along the way, Michael and the Tuohy family had to over come several bumps and bruises in the road, one involving a car crash, but in the end they resolved these issues with aplomb.
Filled with emotion, The Blind Side may be figured for cliched and sappy, but overall brings for a heartwarming story about racial discrimination, homelessness, and poverty. Actress Sandra Bullock contributes her best to the film and wins the Best Actress award for the 2010 Oscars. The strength and determination she adds are clearly seen throughout the movie as she braves the harsh streets of Michael's childhood. And Quinton Aaron is no slacker either. Playing a quiet, sad teen, he transforms into a happier, hopeful young man with the help if the Touhy's love and support. His pithy lines about his childhood strike home the starkness of foster care life.
Though some may say the movie was filled with cliches and superficiality about racial discrimination and rising above homelessness, the movie still qualifies as a wonderful story. The strong acting and uplifting subtext conquer the hackneyed plot, making The Blind Side an emotional and touching chronicle of a real teen's journey from living on the streets to becoming a player for an NFL team. A feel good story about how people can surmount the countless obstacles and harshness of life with the support and care of people who believe in them. Any audience will cry along with the little boy forcibly removed from his mother and cheer as he struggles to rise about his past and trust in his new family.
Work Cited
"The Blind Side-Movie Reviews-Rotten Tomatoes." Web. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1212694-blind side/>
I love your movie review! I think it is effective and the use of strong diction makes it very opinionated and it reads more like an evaluation. I think you included the perfect amount of plot within the evaluation because I could get a clear sense of the movie without feeling like I was reading a summary. Although I felt it was similar to a real movie review I would elaborate more on the criteria. For example, the quality of the acting, plot sequence (what it effective and help the storyline?), scenery, emotional impact, music or first impressions. A little more elaboration could really strengthen your argument.
ReplyDeleteI think you did a very nice job supporting your ideas and including a counterargument to the fact that some people may find the movie to be corny. To improve it, I would suggest generalizing the plot (into a few sentences) and focusing more on the underlying ideas about racial discrimination, homelessness, and poverty. You could write about how well these ideas are presented by the movie and more importantly, the effect they have on the audience. This might make your argument stronger, as people tend to remember emotions and the way they felt about things more than specific details.
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