The Blind Side has been marketed as an Encouragement movie in Asia, and many Oriental audiences clearly have this message received that the movie is praising USA for having the best education system that inspired equality, humanity, etc..
While in my opinion, this movie very much reminded me of the lyrics of Amazing Grace, that "through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come". Just like the beginning of the movie, this story is not about encouragement of success, but about the predicaments. Compared to his friends in the same block, Michael Oher is a rare case that he didn't bounce into others' surviving logics of violence and pride, though he's totally homeless and hopeless. Yet, I can't imagine if I were him when the Tuohy family accepted him into the house, how hard would I work and behave to win their approval. Very luckily, Michael Oher wasn't me. Out of some stubbornness of holding true to his own feelings, his heart leads him to choose otherwise again and again, thus unfolded this story beautifully.
Note that the Tuohy family wasn't the first family to shelter Oher. The P.E. teacher's beautiful reasoning got him into the school in the first place, and the warm-hearted Big Tony also gave him a place to stay. But, as the movie showed us, you can love but you can't enforce it. Both the decision of the school and the decision of Big Tony were pushed decisions. It can all end up "let somebody else be Christian about him". In 2 Corinthians 9:7, it says "each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Guess it applies here. Our actions, especially those in the name of charity, usually starts as a delightful little touch of love and mercy, and dies in the name of responsibility. Oher wrote a sad essay "White Walls", indicating that the stakeholders around him all did their parts pretty hard though their "hard" and "best" is not enough. Yet, God didn't knock on each of their foreheads saying "you are not treating Oher well enough!" Instead, God inspired a family that actually can do better and really have a vision for a life with Michael Oher. With 3 sentences, Leigh Anne Tuohy invited this unknown and possibly dangerous factor into their house. These 3 sentences are, "Why are you going to the gym?" "Do you have any place to stay?""Don't you dare lie to me!" They don't even sound kind enough as invitation, yet they are out of a woman's love, so personally, so honest and powerful.
And that started this marathon test for this woman's love. The first time, it was because the 10000$ coach has been ruined by Oher's massive body. But, Leigh Anne just said, "Do you want to stay here?" The second time, it was gossips from Leigh Anne's reference group, who are at least as rich as her. They questioned her generosity was out of some "white guilty thing" and pointing out Collins (the daughter of Leigh Anne) might become a sex victim of the massive Michael Oher. Mrs. Tuohy only said "shame on you" to those gossipers, but she didn't hesitate to ask about her daughter's feeling either. The third time was the car accident which Michael was mainly responsible. Again the pressure was on Leigh Anne as the public doubted her love for this boy, but she bravely ignored the public and comforted her boy. The fourth time ... It never ended, and it never will. That makes me envy the USA system and USA culture, but oops, if their system and culture are so perfect that love grows out of ground just by itself, why do Michael and Leigh Anne have to overcome so many prejudices and bitterness? I think, questioned to the end, system can't love, and despite many schools made biblical quotes their motto, system surely can't do anything in Jesus name. If a system can admit Oher into the school out of Christian duty, then this system can also dismiss Oher from the school logically, fairly, systematically in Jesus name. And anyone not completely ignorant would see the fact that nothing would be achieved in this way.
We are creatures living in a machine, but I believe we are not machines. "Don't you dare lie to me" again was heard near the end of the movie. In the name of fair and righteousness the system questioned all that Tuohys had done for Michael. This is a reasonable doubt that the Tuohys loved Michael so much only because they are boosters of their university. It's the toughest test for Leigh Anne so far, and for the first time in the movie she couldn't find a way to instantly cope with it. She feared that Michael can run away and never come back. Finally, it's Leigh Anne's leap of faith to tell Michael that "it's your decision, you life", that again allowed their love to triumph over doubts. See? The system has to stay neutral to be fair and functional. And, if the system has to assume we humans are also only machines, I guess it's our duty to prove otherwise. That would require a continuous dedication and courage to come through many dangers, toils and snares. And the only way to do that as I have come to know is to believe. I surely hope that my fellow audiences don't only draw their conclusions of this movie on Dale Carnegie's books and theories, but also listen to Amazing Grace, that "It is grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home."
While in my opinion, this movie very much reminded me of the lyrics of Amazing Grace, that "through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come". Just like the beginning of the movie, this story is not about encouragement of success, but about the predicaments. Compared to his friends in the same block, Michael Oher is a rare case that he didn't bounce into others' surviving logics of violence and pride, though he's totally homeless and hopeless. Yet, I can't imagine if I were him when the Tuohy family accepted him into the house, how hard would I work and behave to win their approval. Very luckily, Michael Oher wasn't me. Out of some stubbornness of holding true to his own feelings, his heart leads him to choose otherwise again and again, thus unfolded this story beautifully.
Note that the Tuohy family wasn't the first family to shelter Oher. The P.E. teacher's beautiful reasoning got him into the school in the first place, and the warm-hearted Big Tony also gave him a place to stay. But, as the movie showed us, you can love but you can't enforce it. Both the decision of the school and the decision of Big Tony were pushed decisions. It can all end up "let somebody else be Christian about him". In 2 Corinthians 9:7, it says "each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Guess it applies here. Our actions, especially those in the name of charity, usually starts as a delightful little touch of love and mercy, and dies in the name of responsibility. Oher wrote a sad essay "White Walls", indicating that the stakeholders around him all did their parts pretty hard though their "hard" and "best" is not enough. Yet, God didn't knock on each of their foreheads saying "you are not treating Oher well enough!" Instead, God inspired a family that actually can do better and really have a vision for a life with Michael Oher. With 3 sentences, Leigh Anne Tuohy invited this unknown and possibly dangerous factor into their house. These 3 sentences are, "Why are you going to the gym?" "Do you have any place to stay?""Don't you dare lie to me!" They don't even sound kind enough as invitation, yet they are out of a woman's love, so personally, so honest and powerful.
And that started this marathon test for this woman's love. The first time, it was because the 10000$ coach has been ruined by Oher's massive body. But, Leigh Anne just said, "Do you want to stay here?" The second time, it was gossips from Leigh Anne's reference group, who are at least as rich as her. They questioned her generosity was out of some "white guilty thing" and pointing out Collins (the daughter of Leigh Anne) might become a sex victim of the massive Michael Oher. Mrs. Tuohy only said "shame on you" to those gossipers, but she didn't hesitate to ask about her daughter's feeling either. The third time was the car accident which Michael was mainly responsible. Again the pressure was on Leigh Anne as the public doubted her love for this boy, but she bravely ignored the public and comforted her boy. The fourth time ... It never ended, and it never will. That makes me envy the USA system and USA culture, but oops, if their system and culture are so perfect that love grows out of ground just by itself, why do Michael and Leigh Anne have to overcome so many prejudices and bitterness? I think, questioned to the end, system can't love, and despite many schools made biblical quotes their motto, system surely can't do anything in Jesus name. If a system can admit Oher into the school out of Christian duty, then this system can also dismiss Oher from the school logically, fairly, systematically in Jesus name. And anyone not completely ignorant would see the fact that nothing would be achieved in this way.
We are creatures living in a machine, but I believe we are not machines. "Don't you dare lie to me" again was heard near the end of the movie. In the name of fair and righteousness the system questioned all that Tuohys had done for Michael. This is a reasonable doubt that the Tuohys loved Michael so much only because they are boosters of their university. It's the toughest test for Leigh Anne so far, and for the first time in the movie she couldn't find a way to instantly cope with it. She feared that Michael can run away and never come back. Finally, it's Leigh Anne's leap of faith to tell Michael that "it's your decision, you life", that again allowed their love to triumph over doubts. See? The system has to stay neutral to be fair and functional. And, if the system has to assume we humans are also only machines, I guess it's our duty to prove otherwise. That would require a continuous dedication and courage to come through many dangers, toils and snares. And the only way to do that as I have come to know is to believe. I surely hope that my fellow audiences don't only draw their conclusions of this movie on Dale Carnegie's books and theories, but also listen to Amazing Grace, that "It is grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home."