A Theme of The Role of Decisions in The Film The Blind Side

The Blind Side movie is a film of a teenage boy of African American descent who was adopted by a white family. The adapted boy named Michael Oher of “Big Mike” had been homeless for a while and had learning disabilities. Moreover, the coach at Big Mike’s new school discovered that Oher had football skills but lacked confidence and skills. Oher had to meet a specific academic grade to receive the American football scholarship following. The Caucasian family supported Oher by helping him overcome the learning difficulties by using alternative learning methods identified by the school educators. The main issue tackled by the film is homelessness and illiteracy that affects a significant number of minority communities. The movie wanted to educate the audience that with the right support system, a person facing homelessness or education illiteracy can overcome these challenges and excel in life. For example, despite having economic issues that led to his homelessness, the Caucasian family that adapted Oher admitted him to a school that could provide him suitable educational tools to excel in his academics. One of the teachers discovered that the student had difficulties reading and writing and used an alternative teaching strategy, which helped him excel in his academics.

Similarly, persons facing homelessness and education illiteracy can overcome these challenges if they work hard and remain focused on achieving their goals. Oher new that his new family was an opportunity for him to grow and succeed in life. For this reason, Oher studied harder and practiced longer with the help of other people to secure the American football scholarship. The main character’s goal was to secure one of the prestigious American football scholarships in the USA. A significant number of universities scout for young footballers who can represent their institutions, and in return, they support the player with full scholarships. In this case, different universities noticed his football prowess and offered him several deals. Overall, Oher was obligated to decide without the influence of his family.

As stated earlier, Oher had the responsibility of choosing one university among many that wanted to offer him a scholarship. The athlete had to make a personal choice without the influence of his new family. Oher undertook a rigorous decision-making process to select the University of his liking. The university representatives had to present their proposals to Oher to persuade him to join their respective institutions. Oher considered different factors during the decision-making process such as the scholarship package towards making a rational decision. The primary roadblock was Oher’s GPA. The athlete had not received the final test score that would determine if he would secure the scholarship or not. Finally, the athlete had to make decisions as an individual without involving other people to avoid disqualification.

The story of Oher’s success from an unstable family faced with economic challenges should be a learning experience of many individuals living in poverty or underprivileged in different aspects of life. The disadvantaged should accept help when offered genuinely. Additionally, people who render assistance should not expect anything in return. Instead, their goal should be to help their beneficiaries succeed in life. Educators should understand their students learning needs and apply suitable teaching approaches to help them excel. Finally, the movie proves that the American dream is still valid for everyone who works hard and concentrates on overcoming their challenges by trusting the system.

References

1. Johnson, B., Kosove, A., Netter, G. (Producers), & Hancock, L. J. (2009). The Blind Side [Motion picture]. United Stated of America: Alcon Entertainment.
2. Chaffee, J. (2003). Thinking critically: A concise guide. Boston, MA: Wadsworth.