The Blind Side Movie Review and Analysis

“The Blind Side” is the movie I chose to write a review essay about. The reason I chose this movie is because it deals with various sociological concepts, such as, being a non-traditional family, being an upper-class family taking in someone who was considered lower-class, and being a family that wasn’t all the same race. This movie is about the Tuohy family, who decide to take in a teen who is homeless, named Michael. In the movie, Michael comes a from a broken home, where his father is not in the picture and a mother who is a drug addict. He is given the opportunity to play football and to get an education at a private school that the Tuohy’s son and daughter go to. The family later comes to find out that Michael has some serious educational delays which they end up hiring him a tutor to help him on his studies, they could give him things that his biological family was not able to provide for him, they were able to open doors to many colleges and universities that wanted him to play on their team, and they even gave him a family to call his own.

The first sociological concept is the movie portrays a non-traditional family. Non-traditional families include adopted family members. In the movie, the Tuohy’s were a traditional family, a father who works to provide for his family, a stay at home mother who did everything for her kids. They were considered untraditional once they took Michael in. In the movie, the mother would always get stares because she adopted did not fit her stereotypical rich white family.

The second sociological concept in the movie is socio-economic factors. Michael came from a home a lower income household whereas the family who took him in come from a upper income household. You see the differences in the movie, when the guardian of Michal must approach his biological mother in giving up her parental rights. When they got into the neighborhood, Michael warned his guardian not to get out of the car because he knew the neighborhood he grew up in was bad. Michael came from a home where his mother was a drug addict and his father wasn’t even the picture which is, what we talked about in the class as the African American myth, where fathers are hardly home, and the kids come from broken homes. Sometimes this is the situation but not all cases. In Michael’s case, his education was of importance because he was being bounced from school to school since being in the foster system. These various factors affect a persons’ socioeconomic status in society. Another example of this, was when they bought Michael a car for passing his driver’s license test, this is where his guardian economic status was able to provide him with a car whereas if he wasn’t with her he would have to continue walking to school.

The third sociological concept is the interracial family. Michael was an African American male who could live with a white family. This is important because race plays a part in families in society because if he wasn’t able to live with them he would probably still be flunking school and wouldn’t be able to get the same opportunities if he stayed with his biological mother and being in the foster system. In the movie, once living with this family he was able to get the proper help he needed with his school assignments, he was able to attend a private school, and he was able to receive scholarships to some top universities because they fought for him to be on the football team. Some of these opportunities would not be available to him if he stayed bouncing around in the foster care system. Since he received a good education and was able to pull his grades enough in school, he was able to apply and chose from different universities that wanted him.

In conclusion, this movie gives a good insight into the various concepts we talked about in class in regard to family and their places in society. Some of these families are non-traditional and they come from various backgrounds. These differences make us who we are and is what can allow us to make the family that we want to be in.

The Blind Side, written and directed by John Lee Hancock is a must see for mature viewers. The movie brings to life the heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, true story of National Football League (NFL) player, Michael Oher who played by Quinton Aaron. Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw play the brave married couple, Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy while Lily Collins and Jae Head play their two biological children, Collins and S.J. Tuohy. The production was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2009 but the actual happenings took place in Memphis, Tennessee. The directors picked a specific home in Atlanta to film in because the home greatly resembled the Tuohy’s actual family home in Memphis. The fact that they already have two children of their own before adopting another truly sets the scene for a great story and film. The Actors and actresses in this film really bring it all to life. This movie is extremely well casted and is a main reason it did so well. It cost Warner Bros Production $29,000,000 to create and produce the film. On the other hand, it grossed $317,000,000 worldwide at the box office earning $288,000,000 in all. This could not have been possible without the enormously talented actors and the portrayal of deep subjects that touched viewers hearts.

The film starts out with the Tuohy family before they adopt “Big Mike” (Michael Oher), to be a part of their family. The Tuohy’s are a southern, white, wealthy, football loving bunch who truly exemplify what it means to be a selfless. In the society we live in, it is unfortunately seen as strange for a person of color to join a white family. The Tuohy’s knew Big Mike from the school Collins and S.J. were attending at the time, Briarcrest Christian School. They knew he was poor, lonely, and did not come from a stable home. After Leigh Anne and Sean talked it over with the children, the family decided to take Big Mike in their home and have him join the family as one of their own. However, it was not all sunshine and rainbows for the Tuohy’s. In an interview, Leigh Anne Touhy states, “We knew people were going to have issues with it (taking Michael in) because we have a daughter the exact same age as Michael… You just need to mind your own business. You worry about your own life and I’ll worry about mine.” Not only do the Tuohy’s allow Big Mike to live with them, but they get him the help he needs in the classroom and on the football field. It is a long struggle to get him to graduate, and when he does the only decision left is where he will attend college and play football in the Fall. After much hardship and controversy, he makes a decision and the Tuohy’s are both proud and humbled by all that he overcomes.

This production was all around fantastic, but one worthy attribute were the phenomenal actors and actresses casted. With Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw as the main characters, the viewers should expect greatness. Sandra Bullock embodies all that a caring mother should- intense, nurturing, and selfless. With the role that Bullock was playing, she needed to be able to fight for what was right and for her children. She exemplified a strong-willed and determined woman, which is exactly who Leigh Anne Tuohy is. Although Tim McGraw is usually wowing us at a concert and not on a film, he absolutely took the viewers breath away. He states that he was nervous at first about acting in the film after the movie aired. “I didn’t think I would be interested, but I read it and it stuck with me.” McGraw plays the role of a patriarchal leader of an extremely close-knit family. He is a humble sports commentator and restaurateur. He is the main provider for his family of 5, and although he is more laid back, he is a strong voice in deciding to take Big Mike into their home. Both Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw make the movie that much more of a success and the viewers heavily enjoyed seeing them get to play the role of a married couple.

Another strong aspect of this film is the portrayal of racism and how to react to it in a respectful manner. In a southern town, it is no secret that an interracial family is looked at differently than a monoracial family. People in communities can be prejudice and quite frankly, it is pathetic that this is still something families are dealing with in the 21st century. However, the Tuohy family is a prime example of how to react to such racism and ignorance. The movie shows a scene where Leigh Anne is being interrogated by her friends about letting a large, black boy join their family while having a daughter the exact same age as him. Leigh Anne acts with pride and poise when she lets her friends know that she does not care about his race. She then gets up from the table and leaves knowing that Michael’s race or genetics does not determine if he is her child or not. However, this incident prompts Leigh Anne to ask Collins how she truly feels about having him live with them to which she says that she is happy he is safe with them. The film does a great job of showing the family reacting to racism and how strong they are while dealing with it. As I left the movie theater I left with a new sense of respect and admiration for interracial families. The Blind Side teaches all viewers to treat all people with love, respect, and selflessness no matter how they differ.

Although viewers were nervous going into the movie, The Blind Side exceeded all expectations. It touched hearts all around the world and made an impact on people of all ages to do good in their community. The actors truly brought the film together and reacted to racism in such a positive and inspiring light. This film will go on to be viewed for years to come. Although we are not all called to do what the Tuohy’s did, this film shows that we can all make a difference in our own way and we are making a huge impact on those around us and in the world.

Works Cited

1. Hancock, J. L. (Director). (2009). The Blind Side [Film]. Warner Bros.
2. Bullock, S., McGraw, T., Collins, L., & Head, J. (Actors). (2009). The Blind Side: The Real Story Behind the Movie [Documentary]. Warner Bros.
3. Hall, L. (2010). Sociology on the Screen: The Blind Side. Teaching Sociology, 38(3), 203-209.
4. Hooks, B. (1995). Killing Rage: Ending Racism. Henry Holt and Company.
5. Johnson, C., & Clelland, J. (2012). Race and Social Class Issues in the Media Representation of the Adoptive Transracial Family. Journal of Family Issues, 33(1), 58-79.
6. King, C. R. (2015). Non-Traditional Families: Adoption and Surrogacy. In Modern Families: Stories of Extraordinary Journeys to Kinship (pp. 41-74). ABC-CLIO.
7. Kunzel, R. (2013). Struggling for Legitimacy: The Institutionalization of Adoption in Twentieth-Century America. Oxford University Press.
8. Oher, M., & Yaeger, D. (2011). I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond. Gotham Books.
9. Sanders, J. R., & Milan, S. (2016). The Blind Side: Considering Popular Culture as an Educational Tool. Youth Theatre Journal, 30(1), 40-55.
10. Sanderson, K., & Cheyne, R. (2010). The Blind Side: An Examination of Stereotypes and Narratives in Sport Films. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 34(3), 336-361.