The Blind Side: a story of compassion, family and love

For most of his life, Michael Oher couldn't have thought of himself as much of anything. With a mother high on drugs or drunk out of her mind so often that she could not even remember how many children she had given birth to over the years - nevermind who the fathers were of these various children - Michael's life was nothing much at all.

When he was still young, he and his brother were taken from his mother, split up and put into foster care. He moved from one foster home to another . . . running away many times to try and find his mother again. He often slept in a chair in the laundromat when he didn't have anywhere to go.

Okay, wait - this story is getting to sound pretty depressing at this point, don't you think?

No, you don't. At least, if you know Michael's story at all, or have at least seen a preview for The Blind Side, you know it is not depressing in the end.

You see, Michael doesn't sound like much from this perspective, with just words. But Michael LOOKED like something quite different. Especially if you put him in a uniform and stuck him on a football field. At a height of 6' 3" and just over 300 lbs, Michael is one of the best you'll ever see.

But even that is not what makes Michael different. Because the way Michael's life started out coupled with his athletic ability was not what made him a member of professional football. It was one woman, and one family, who opened their home to him and gave him something to believe in: himself.

The film, The Blind Side, which arrived in theaters this month is a beautiful journey into Michael Oher's life. Quite frankly, I have no idea if the details I gave above are completely accurate to the true story, but they are how the movie portrayed it. Whether it is the truth or not is irrelevant because this movie should stand as an example for us all.

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy took Michael into their home during his junior year of high school. However, the true charity in this decision was taking this homeless boy into their hearts. He became part of their family and, more than that, they grew closer as a family. Michael gained a brother and a sister and the family of four became five. Michael continually showed them what family life was about, though he'd never had a good home life before.

On thanksgiving day, after serving up the food, the family hops quickly back to the couch to continue watching football. When Leigh Anne can't find Michael, she discovers him sitting politely at the dining room table. This prompts her to turn off the TV and corral the rest of the family to the dining room to sit down for a proper "family-time" meal.

The entire story was wonderfully acted as well. I've always thought of Sandra Bullock as a mediocre actor (though she is my husband's favorite movie actress) but she did a phenomenal job as Leigh Anne. I found one reviewer who said:

I sure wish Sandra Bullock would get out of the business of making crappy rom-coms and make more movies like The Blind Side ..

I couldn't agree more.

Leigh Anne was a woman with money, a loyal husband and two beautiful children, she had no good reason to pull Michael out of the rain and give him a place to sleep, except that she cared deeply for him. All the same, she had a hard time showing him how much he meant to her. When she drops him off at college at the end of the movie, she gives him a quick squeeze and then hurries away, leaving the rest of the family to say their goodbyes. Michael decides this isn't enough and goes to the car door, opens it, and finds her trying to turn her head away to hide the fact that she is crying.

The dynamic of this women is beautiful because she a stunning example to all women and of so many women. We want to be beautiful, successful women with good families. We want to reach out to those in need. We want to feel a deep sense of belonging, of love, of LIFE. But how many times do we try to push away our tears of joy . . . ? How often do we shy away from revealing to others how much we care? Leigh Anne gave Michael everything. Michael knew she cared for him. But she still couldn't reveal to him how much Michael had touched her heart.

I would like to add one negative aspect about this movie. This is truly the only thing I wasn't fond of and should not stop you from going to see it. One review I read about the movie was that it was a conservative, Christian story but still seen through the eyes of a liberal Hollywood. This statement was never more evident than in how Leigh Anne and Sean's marriage was portrayed. Whether it was accurate or not, I do not know, but I was disappointed by how controlling Leigh Anne was in their marriage. They took a light tone with this concept, Sean was making jokes constantly about how he really had no say in anything and that she did whatever she wanted whether he liked it or not. (This is not to imply that Sean didn't want to help Michael - he did.) But I felt that this was yet another example of Hollywood undermining the marital state and the husband's role as the leader of the family. It just left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth.

The final verdict: this is a MUST SEE. If nothing else, it will remind you how precious your family should be to you.

I hope it also inspires more lower class young men and women to remember that they have abilities to do things that perhaps their society thinks they could never do. Michael was lucky because the Tuohy's reached out to him. But that doesn't mean other young men and women can't find similar opportunities in different ways. Reach for your dreams . . . they aren't far away, but you have to go after them.

NOTE: This movie contains no foul language, no sex and very little violence. There is one brief fight scene but it is pushing and punching only, no blood. There are a few guns in the film but they are portrayed in appropriate light as being abused (as in the case of a young man threatening someone) or for protection (Leigh Anne proudly admits that she is always "packing"). There are a few references to extra-marital sex but they are perceived in a negative light. Oh, and there is one scene at the very beginning that is a little gross as you watch a football player's leg snap.