The Blind Side (2009)

The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

Director:

John Lee Hancock

Writers:

John Lee Hancock, Michael Lewis (book)

Stars:

Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw

Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 30 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sandra Bullock	...	Leigh Anne Tuohy
Tim McGraw	...	Sean Tuohy
Quinton Aaron	...	Michael Oher
Jae Head	...	S.J. Tuohy
Lily Collins	...	Collins Tuohy
Ray McKinnon	...	Coach Cotton
Kim Dickens	...	Mrs. Boswell
Adriane Lenox	...	Denise Oher
Kathy Bates	...	Miss Sue
Catherine Dyer	...	Mrs. Smith
Andy Stahl	...	Principal Sandstrom
Tom Nowicki	...	Literature Teacher
Libby Whittemore	...	Sarcastic Teacher
Brian Hollan	...	Jay Collis
Melody Weintraub	...	History Teacher

Storyline

Based on the true story of Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.

---

Plot Keywords:

american football | rapping in a car | singing in a car | football star | high school football | 

---

Taglines:

Based on the extraordinary true story

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Official site [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Blind Side

Filming Locations:

Agnes Scott College - 141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$29,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$34,119,372, 22 November 2009

Gross USA:

$255,959,475

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$309,208,309

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alcon Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment, Left Tackle Pictures

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sandra Bullock dyed her dark hair blonde for this film.

---

Goofs

During the 1st dinner together, Michael heads to the dining table and sits alone. Sandra looks at him and you instantly know she's about to close the TV and that's the whole beauty of the scene. A little too convenient and mood breaker to put the remote exactly at her arm length, despite the fact that 3 other people, including two men, are sitting on the couches 2 meters away watching the game.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Leigh Anne Touhy: There's a moment of orderly silence before a football play begins. Players are in position, linemen are frozen, and anything is possible. Then, like a traffic accident, stuff begins to randomly collide. From the snap of the ball to the snap of the first bones, closer to 4 seconds than 5.
[video rewinds]
Leigh Anne Touhy: One-mississippi - Joe Theismann, the Redskins quarterback takes the snap and hands-off to his running mate. Two-mississippi - it's a trick play, a flea-flicker. And the running back ...
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

Family, school and sports photographs of the real Michael Oher and of the real Tuohy family are shown during the initial credits.

---

Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies That Make You Feel Grateful (2016)

---

Soundtracks

The Way It Was
Written and Performed by Daniel May
Courtesy of Marc Ferrari/MasterSource

User Reviews

The Blind Side's motivational, yet no character study.

The inspirational story of Michael Oher, the performance from Sandra Bullock, and the good camera work, so why did it not come together? I think the blame is on the screenplay. The overall portrayal of Michael Oher seems stylized in a way that never really shows the true grit or sentiment of the character. It is all so glamored up. Yet the messages of the movie still stay true and the performances are finely tuned, especially Bullock's. The racism displayed is reflective and correct. Ther are lots of things the filmmakers got right, but there are plenty they got wrong as well. The results are a serviceable portrait of a very honest and fortunate man that never adds up the way it should have.