Can't Buy Me Love: The Blind Side Movie Review

If you think that The Blind Side is just another sports-related movie about what society deems as a “nobody” turning into a “somebody,” I beg you to reconsider your opinion. There are not a lot of movies that will make you cry right off the bat, just by looking at a face, but for some reason Quinton Aaron is able to convey such sadness that your heart begins to ache for him and his devastating situation.

The film is based on the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless teenage boy, haunted by the ghosts of his past, who is trying to just figure out where he will sleep from night to night. Sandra Bullock plays the role of Leigh Anne Touhy; a devoted mother/wife/career woman, who takes Michael under her wing to transform his life into something that he never thought was possible. However, even with a promising future ahead, Michael’s fate as a pro-football star is put on the line, as he battles with the feeling that he was chosen to be part of the Touhy family for the wrong reasons.

The Blind Side is one of the most memorable and uplifting films that I've had the pleasure to watch. Seeing Michael’s smile light up is like the beacon of hope for humanity.

There are many scenes that are really touching, especially the first time that Mrs Touhy shows Michael his new room.Being naive because of all the luxuries that she has been blessed with, the simple words uttered “ I've never had a bed before” bring a tear to your eye. Surrounding him with all sorts of materialistic things, you could tell that Michael would give it all up, just to be loved.

The film has a serious side, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for some laughs too. Although the son and daughter are clearly educated and wealthy suburban white kids, they possess unconditional love and support for Michael in every aspect. They were raised right and can look beyond the colour of a person’s skin.

As the movie went on, you could see the change in attitude as they witnessed Michael excel in his studies against all odds and began playing like a rock star on the football field. Maybe it wasn't done in a way that everyone else could follow on the team, but the bond that developed between him and Mrs Touhy proved that learning takes on many forms with successful results. Instead of belittling comments, he was finally part of something, bigger than himself.

I also liked the role of Kathy Bates, as Michael’s personal academic tutor. She was strict but underneath the rough exterior, she saw his potential and a friendship developed.

This was one of the best roles for Sandra Bullock. She was so confident with the right amount of feistiness to really play up the seemingly perfect All-American supermom. Realistically, I don’t think the average family would be able to bend the rules and slide through the red tape so easily, but when you have wealth and power, this is a prime example of what little random acts of kindness can be done.

In the end, you can take so many valuable lessons from this film. The most important one I took away was that when you make the decision to change someone else’s life for the better, you end up changing yours as well.