John Lee Hancock's The Blind Side

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John Lee Hancock’s The Blindside (2009) illustrates a remarkable true story of the proverbial All-American football star Michael Oher. The film can be best described as a comprehensively conventional take on ‘The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game’ a fact based book by author Michael Lewis. The movie follows the struggle and success of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) as he transitions from a boy encompassed in the depths of poverty and lower class society, to a mature, successful man aided by a ‘white savior’; the tough-as-nails Southern wife and mother, Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). Despite the film being perceived as your typical inspirational sports movie, the sporting aspect of it takes the backseat over the course of the film. Visions…show more content…
After a period of sleeping on a friends couch, Michael or Big Mike, as he was otherwise known as, was presented with the opportunity to attend a well-reputed Christian School, despite being significantly distant from he required academic requirement. However, it isn’t surprising that a young black boy virtually raised on the streets of Memphis would accustom to a high class, private Christian school with a majority of white people. Eventually, Mike was kicked out of the home he was temporarily fostered in, left to the streets of Memphis. On one fortunate night as Michael ambled through the streets on a cold rainy night, with nothing but the ragged clothes on his back he was encountered by Leigh Anne. Leigh Anne, who learns that Mike is a fellow student of her daughter Collins (Lily Collins) and son SJ (Jae Head), graciously yet assertively, offers Michael a place to stay for the night. The one night stay transgresses to a long-term scheme as Michael breaks the conventions of societal boundaries and learns to adapt to his new…show more content…
The camera angles continuously transition, capturing the scene in different perspectives as Leigh Anne Tuohy narrates to us. As she narrates there are several statements she makes, that subtly foreshadow future incidents that occur in the film. For example in the opening line “There's a moment of orderly silence before a football play begins. Players are in position, linemen are frozen, and anything's possible.” The terminating words of this line ‘anything’s possible’ may be in reference to the story of Michael Oher. From growing up in the Memphis projects, to playing in the NFL, is a keen example that is indicative that indeed, anything is possible. Shortly after this scene ends, we are brought to a new setting. A street anchored by project housing and littered with broken down cars. Lots of people are out, engaging in various activities, but our focus is on a teenager in the distance, moving towards the camera in slow motion while everyone else is at normal speed. He's extremely large, six and a half feet, but he carefully steps instead of strutting. His name is Michael Oher. The introduction of Michael Oher, walking through the deteriorating setting around him is indicative of the society he comes from, so straight of the bat, we are established with one segment of society. The camera focus on Michael indicates that he is a standout in his society; he is
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