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Oscar®Oscar® Winner for Best Actress in a Leading Role / Nominee for Best Picture
MOVIE REVIEW

The Blind Side

also known as “Blindside,” “The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game”
MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references.

Reviewed by: Scott Brennan
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating: Better than Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults, Teens
Genre: Sports Drama Comedy
Length: 2 hr. 6 min.
Year of Release: 2009
USA Release: November 20, 2009 (wide—3,100+ theaters)
DVD: March 23, 2010
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Relevant Issues
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Mercy

Goodness

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Thankfulness to God

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Featuring Sandra Bullock (Leigh Anne Tuohy), Tim McGraw (Sean Tuohy), Kathy Bates (Miss Sue), Quinton Aaron (Michael Oher), Jae Head (S.J. Tuohy), Lily Collins (Collins Tuohy), Ray McKinnon (Coach Burt Cotton), Kim Dickens (Mrs. Boswell), Adriane Lenox (Denise Oher), Catherine Dyer (Mrs. Smith), Andy Stahl (Principal Sandstrom), Tom Nowicki (Literature Teacher), Libby Whittemore (Sarcastic Teacher), Brian Hollan (Jay Collins), Melody Weintraub (History Teacher), Sharon Morris (Investigator Granger), See all »
Director John Lee Hancock
The Rookie,” “The Alamo
Producer Alcon Entertainment, Zucker/Netter Productions, Timothy M. Bourne, Yolanda T. Cochran, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Gil Netter, Molly Smith, Erwin Stoff
Distributor Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures. Trademark logo.Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company

“Blind-sided” might well have described me this past June, when I slipped into a theater to catch Sandra Bullock in “The Proposal”—something I should never have done without having read some reviews on Christian Spotlight in advance. Like many “believers,” I was offended by several things in the film, not the least of which was the gratuitous nude scene that Sandra agreed to do for director, Anne Fletcher. Call me naïve, but it just didn’t fit with the girl-next-door image Miss Bullock had been known for in previous romantic comedies. That being said, I entered the theater today to see her newest film, “The Blind Side,” with my guard up.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to keep it up for long. It was clear within about 30 minutes that this was going to be a very different kind of film. That’s not to say that this is a family movie by any means. It earned the PG-13 rating it received, and, from a Christian perspective, there were a couple of difficult scenes laced with drugs, violence, and sexual innuendo to be endured during the film. Nonetheless, the director was well able to communicate the importance of family, and “doing good”—“Because it’s the right thing to do,” as Bullock’s character announced early on in the film. In addition to directing this film, John Lee Hancock (“The Rookie,” “The Alamo”) also wrote the screenplay as an adaption of Michael Lewis’s book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.

The genre is a familiar one: a sports-oriented spectacular that fills the screen, plays on the heart, and is often based on a true story—“Remember the Titans” and “Cool Runnings” come to mind. The good news for many potential viewers of “The Blind Side,” is that it’s about football, and I’m not just talking any football. I mean southern college football, which is a world unto itself. Fans of college football will love the appearances of coaches like Phil Fulmer, Tommy Tuberville, Houston Nutt, Lou Holtz and Nick Saban who play themselves in the film—all basically chomping at the bit to get the main character, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) to accept a scholarship with their school. But for those who aren’t even armchair quarterbacks, and really don’t know the difference between a field goal and a touchdown, you won’t feel left out. The movie isn’t really about football. It’s about choices. Often those choices are difficult, and they present themselves at the most unlikely times, hence “The Blind Side,” theme.

Don’t get me wrong, for the superficial viewers, there’s plenty of football, tackles, slow motion replays and an enthusiasm for the game throughout the film, and they won’t be disappointed. But let’s face it, if the only conflict in a film (or in life) is learning how to overcome your opponent on a football field while becoming a top offensive left tackle, then you don’t have much of a story, now, do you. Hancock takes us on a journey into the lives of a well-to-do, upper middle class white family (who loves football—nearly to the point of idolatry) and exposes us to situations that they are faced with as a Michael Oher emerges on the stage of their seemingly perfect life.

At the helm of the family is Sean Tuohy, Taco Bell owner and Tennessee businessman, portrayed by Tim McGraw, who seemed to adapt nicely into his role as husband and father. But it was Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) who was the tough, charismatic, and feisty southern belle who lit up the screen, and pretty much ruled the roost as the matriarch—pretending to acquiesce to her husband when necessary. On a surface level, her sassy, strong performance satisfies the audience, but her character runs deeper, and it shows.

That leads to the next level of viewer—one that looks for the subplots. I have already heard that some critics are talking about “white guilt” and how the movie seemed to exaggerate on that theme, detracting from the overall storyline. (I disagree with that characterization. I don’t think it was about white guilt at all. They missed the point.) Some liked the emphasis on education and its importance in maintaining good standing in both high school and college sports. But the more powerful insights for this level of viewer will be developed from watching Michael grow as a young African-American teen—one that was swooped up out of a life of homelessness and misery into a world he knew nothing about, and then be challenged to achieve his full potential.

This is done in with a superb performance by Jae Head, who plays SJ (Sean Jr.) Tuohy, and creates an inspiring, fun-loving, color-blind brother that the audience falls in love with in every scene. In addition, Quinton Aaron, newcomer to the big screen, seemed to find his niche and communicated a more than believable Michael Oher. Other supporting roles by the Tuohy sister Collins (Lily Collins), the high school coach (Ray McKinnon), as well as his tutor from Ole’ Miss (Kathy Bates), also helped make the film gel as a whole.

This leads to my final comments for the believer. Woven throughout the film is an ongoing sense of “thanksgiving”—one that we as believers should always have running in the background on our spiritual hard drives (1 Thes. 5:15). There were a few really great moments in the film when Leigh Anne truly took stock about how much God had blessed her and her family, and she communicated those moments with just a look or a touch, subtly yet powerfully. But the amazing part was that she didn’t really see it, until she had stepped out of her comfort zone and acted as the Good Samaritan did in the biblical parable of the same in Luke 10. And Jesus asked “who was the righteous one?” inferring the Good Samaritan. And the man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” The tipping point for me (in terms of deciding whether or not this film was worth the price of admission) came when Leigh Anne (Bullock) met with Michael Oher’s mother in the film to ask for permission to do something (won’t spoil), and showing mercy just like Jesus commanded in that parable. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. That’s the kind of moment you look for in every film.

Objectionable issues

Those positives aside, there were a few spots that could have been edited out, and it wouldn’t have made the film any less powerful or believable. The use of the words “Mother of God” as a response from the coach (sure to offend some Catholics), the arbitrary use of the words: “ass” (1) “frickin’, (2) “fat a_s” (1)—although they built into the script Leigh Anne saying, “We don’t use that word in this house,” bit_h (2) and “dam_” (1 time). In addition, Leigh Anne said a couple of things that seemed out of character for her role—like the “b” word and “I’m packing’” along with, “Michael, if you get any young woman on this campus pregnant, I’m gonna come down here and cut your pen_s off!” And finally, when she made the comment about Nick Saban, “I find him extremely attractive,” and did so right in front of her husband. It may have happened in real life, but I didn’t buy it, and it still played poorly on screen. The other sexual innuendos and drug scenes were short and important for the storyline, but may be objectionable for some viewers. And finally, the length of the film was a bit much, although, I so appreciate the work of artists—that I wouldn’t have known what to cut either.

Positives

With those negatives out of the way I’d like to end on a more positive note. For the mature Christian, you can’t watch the film without being challenged as to whether or not you are really “walking the walk.” And even after you “do what is right,” you need to check the motives of your heart, just like Leigh Anne and Sean did in the film. Not wanting to reveal the dénouement, I won’t say more than that. But what I will say is that Christians will be known for what they do, and how they love one another—far more than for what they say. The Tuohy’s actions were not fiction, and their story will be told around the world, and let the praise go to God. I caught a recent clip of Sandra Bullock sharing about how she’d finally seen someone in her life (speaking of getting to know Leigh Anne) that really lived what she believed and didn’t just preach about it. This ordinary event had an extraordinary outcome, simply because one person made a “choice” to do the right thing in the “valley of decision.” There is always someone hanging by the sidelines saying things like, “why can’t something like that ever happen to me?” Leigh Anne Tuohy has an answer for that:

“I am telling you there are Michael Ohers everywhere—wonderful kids who need a home, who want a family. It doesn’t take much searching out, because they are right under your nose. And they don’t need to be brilliant at football. They don’t need to be someone who excels at anything other than loving you and wanting love in return.”

Do you need to see this movie to get these insights? Probably not. Should you? That will have to be your decision. But I will say this, if I had to spend time with my teens in a movie theater over the holidays, it would most certainly be watching this film instead of one about ungodly attractions between vampires and humans. Besides, not since the movie “Crash,” has Sandra Bullock demonstrated this kind of artistic talent on screen. I’m hearing the Oscar buzz already. For the rest of you, pop your popcorn and wait for the DVD. But for all us, this line from the film applies no matter what we do: “Life—It’s about to be defined by what you cannot see.” That is “the Blind Side.”

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Mild / Sex/Nudity: None

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—My wife and I went to see this Friday morning. I didn’t see any of the advertisement for this movie I just happened to learn about it while reading a blog here in St. Louis. While this movie is not one I would recommend to take small children to, I highly recommend it for adults. It will tug at your heart strings! I can’t imagine anyone being dry eyed through this entire movie. I can’t make it through the trailers. This movie highlights so much the Christian values of charity. There is a contrast, though subtle, between government “assistance” that destroys families and the human spirit and personal loving help by a loving and generous family.

In addition there is also a contrast between a kind gentle spirited person who is willing to take the help available to make themselves better and those with a chip on their shoulder because of their situation who are unwilling to work themselves into a better one. I was most upset at the scene where Michael was being questioned by the women from the NCAA but I was calmed down when he set her straight in a later scene.

I think the best line of the movie is when one of Leigh Anne Tuohy’s friends says to her “You’re changing that boys life” and she replies “No, he’s changing mine”. I wouldn’t say that it changed my life but it sure made my day!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Tom, age 50 (USA)
Positive—I’ve been planning to see this movie for 3 months. Unfortunately, because of it’s length and a previous engagement, I had to leave the movie 10 minutes before the end. However, I left a close friend who viewed the end of the movie and informed me of what I missed. If you want to see a movie that challenges you to live out your faith, this is a good one to choose.

The movie is not for children, and the PG-13 rating is appropriate because of language, adult situations, violence, and some sexual references; however, the film is real-to-life and inspirational, something that so many films lack these days. The makers do acknowledge the value of the Christian faith but do not present the Gospel, instead referring to “what is right” in reference to caring for others. Regardless, the film values family, marriage, friendship, education, and the value of looking past what might create bias and loving people because they are people. As an educator, I appreciate the emphasis on good scholarship, even if the motive is athletics.

***SPOILER*** The value of children, even the unwanted, is woven throughout the story, as Michael is the son of a drug-addicted mother and no one knows who; even he doesn’t recall who his father is and cannot respond when he learns that his father has died. But his “new” family wants him, regardless of his less-than-stellar school performance and before they know of his abilities as a football star. They love this boy because he needs them, and they come to realize they need him, too. ***END SPOILER

All in all, the inspiration of this movie and the message that those who have so much in America can share, give to others, love others, and yes, break the barriers of economic background, skin color, etc.

Take Kleenex and be prepared to realize that you, who just paid $8 to see this movie, really are very spoiled. We’ll go see this several times in the theater and purchase this one when it comes out on DVD. And yes, Sandra Bullock deserves an award for her part in this film.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Carie, age 40 (USA)
Positive—My husband and I just returned from seeing “Blind Side” and were very happy we went. Due to another current movie’s popularity, it is sad that this excellent movie isn’t getting the attention it deserves. I agree that it’s not “good for the whole family” because it deals with adult issues. However, it is a fantastic movie to see with your teens or another adult. It makes you think, cheer, laugh, cry and much more.

What makes it an even better movie is that it is about real people and about things that really happened, and despite bumps along the way, it has a happy ending. I applaud this family for doing what they did. Fortunately, God blessed them with the resources to do so… and they were good stewards of God’s blessings. While I may have made this sound a little “preachy”, the movie is not. It’s a great movie, period.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Kris T, age 50 (USA)
Positive—This is a really neat film.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Mega Tron, age 23 (USA)
Positive—I loved this movie. We went as a family and it was thought-provoking and special to me. Loved it. Having attended a Christian school, worked in a neighborhood like Michael’s, and having lived in the south where football is a BIG deal, this rang true with me on many levels. There are some crass words in it, as mentioned. But I think they are pretty realistic. There is a powerful scene when he confronts his past that may be frightening. But the message of the movie was powerful and motivating and I would take teens to it. Sandra Bullock did a great job, too.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
J.T., age 39 (USA)
Positive—I didn’t know much about the film at first, but after I heard that it was based on a true story of a current football player, I was excited about it. Aside from some language, it was a very clean movie and it goes right alongside “While You Were Sleeping” as my Sandra Bullock movies. A great story with great acting. SJ was absolutely fabulous and hilarious and Quinton Aaron did a great job as Michael Oher. Hats off to Sandra Bullock as well for pulling off a southern accent pretty well. Overall, great film, and I can’t wait to buy it when it comes out on DVD!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Kurt, age 18 (USA)
Positive—This is an EXCELLENT movie and by far the best I’ve seen all year. Great story with superb acting by the whole cast. Don’t wait to see “The Blind Side” on DVD; patronize clean, wholesome and heartwarming movies in the box office and maybe Hollywood will produce more inspiring movies like these.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Darlene, age 49 (USA)
Positive—I watched this movie aware of the rating and why. The story plot was touching and almost brought tears in several scenes. The bad language was appropriate because of the life Mike was in, but I thought they put to much emphasis on it. They could have done without most of it and still carried the plot. There is a bed scene [between McGraw and Bullock] which should have been cut short, and I’m disappointed that they threw that in there. Also, at the very end, when they take Mike to college, they over do telling him to “have fun,” and Bullock tells him she’ll cut off his private part if he gets a girl pregnant. Really? Did that have to be said??? So, if you can overlook these flaws, the movie can be really heartwarming. Definitely NOT A KID MOVIE. Bullock plays a great part, and I really enjoyed her attitude!! Tim McGraw was also cast very well. Overall, I really enjoyed the movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Ellie, age 19 (USA)
Positive—A well-made, moving, and well acted film with little to nothing objectionable. I brought our 11 year old daughter to the movie and I’m glad I did. The family in this movie showed true Christian love to the poor, just as Jesus commands us to do.

Regarding “objectionable” elements: only 2 naughty words were spoken by the good guys and the speaker in the first instance was reprimanded for doing so. The hoodlums were the source of the rest of the language and either directly or indirectly were the source of the violence as well. The bad guys were bad and the good guys were truly good. Evil conduct was never portrayed in a positive light. Way to go producers!

I will say that Sandra Bullocks dresses were sometimes a little immodest but not horribly so. The line of “cutting off your penis” was spoken in jest to her college age son. I did cover my daughters ears for that and my daughter thought “arm” was spoken of instead.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Guy, age 41 (USA)
Positive—To be sure, “The Blind Side” is better than I had anticipated. It has a wonderful blend of humor, reality, and under-dog courage. This movie definitely gives examples of how we are to show love and kindness to those around us who have needs. (As the character of Leigh Anne discovers, it is not always giving money to charities—but giving of yourself that is true kindness and generosity).

However, “The Blind Side” is not without its faults. What my family and I found the most offensive were the clothes worn by some of the female characters in the film. Almost every style that the character Leigh Anne wears is short, tight, and low, so I am embarrassed that Christian women were portrayed as “stylish” sluts. There are also several words that the movie could easily have done without. As someone already pointed out, this film does not at any time give the gospel message… it simply presents Christians as “good” people. In the end, I still say that I enjoyed seeing “The Blind Side.” And DO bring some Kleenex!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Cara, age 23 (USA)
Positive—I found this film to have an amazing story and example of what Christ has asked us to be. There are a lot of reviews that rate this movie as “un-Christian” based on a few profanities. I do not agree with the use of profanity as it is a stumbling block to others, but I also think there are a lot of Christians who do very little for the cause other than “be good” and then there are people like the family who took in Michael Oher and SHOWED their faith. Everyone stumbles and makes mistakes, we all have our faults, but this is a true example of the great commission to it’s fullest and shows that we as humans make mistakes, each and everyone of us.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Erinn, age 24 (USA)
Positive—…the ones who thought it was “negative” and very non-Christian… it was not made as a “Christian Movie”. IT’S A Hollywood MOVIE, and it was made to tell the TRUE story about a really nice thing that a family did for someone. It was not made to promote a great message from God, but to tell about something that someone did RIGHT for once, and we can say… AH, that was so nice.

As far as the scenes and language, I was glad to see a SECULAR movie made with much less junk than it could have had. MEN being wimps… that’s how they were… IT’s A TRUE STORY…so now we get into how real men should act. This is how they did… You could not ask for a person that loves the Savior anymore than me, but sometimes we think everything that the world says and does is suppose to be just for Christians. This attitude is what turns others from wanting to be a Christian.

Personally, I did not feel that my Lord was victimized by this movie only that Hollywood had to stick in some kind of curse word or skin scene in there to make it not too nice!!

The overall message was excellent. Maybe a non-believer will see it and see Christ through this family’s mercy for others, even though none of them were perfect themselves. If I had younger children at home, they could not watch it, but older children, I would review the movie and let them know what to expect as far as language etc. But the biggest thing I would tell them is how loving and showing mercy to others is what God wants us to do in this “world.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Linda, age 60 (USA)
Positive—Just saw this movie with my best friend. Overall, I found it a very good story, and I was deeply moved by it. From a Believer’s perspective, however, I found that the use of drugs, language (frequent use of the word “tits” “titties”) was TOTALLY uncalled for and ruined the movie.

Other things that concerned me: The drug scene where Michael is asked if he’s “tapped that” referring to the young girl he is living with. The drug using could have been implied without showing that… ; When the mother says… IN FRONT of her daughter AND husband that she thinks another man is attractive; The bedroom scene with Bullock and her husband; and; finally, at the end—about cutting Michael’s pen_s off if he gets some girl pregnant.

This was a good story, but because of the stuff I just mentioned, not edifying in my opinion. It’s a shame that movie makers, feel they have to inject filth in order to appeal to the people.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Claire Guthrie, age 40 (USA)
Positive—First, I would like to start out by saying that I believe this movie is so inspiring. It shows how much love can affect the lives of those who should have received love from people in their own life. I cheered on the family throughout the movie; I loved how the whole family took Michael in as one of their own.

I must STRONGLY disagree with the portrayal of the mother being the head of the house in the movie. Yes, the husband is the head of the house, and the wife is submissive. But the husband is commanded to “love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” In my view, the husband in this film loved his wife so much that he allowed her to have what she wanted; he knew it was what would make her happy. I did not see a wife who just got whatever she wanted because she was bossy. In the film, she talked with her husband about having Michael stay permanently before anything was done. It was obvious he knew his wife completely, and knew what makes her happy. It’s not a bad thing, nor is it submissive for a husband to put his wife’s happiness over his own. After all, Christ sacrificed himself for the church, so shouldn’t a husband be able to sacrifice what he wants for his wife.

Myself, unless I am strongly against something, my wife at times gets what she wants even if it’s not exactly what I want, simply because I love her and want her to be happy; THAT is my place in my marriage. If it is something I don’t want and believe it should not happen; trust me, it won’t happen. Furthermore, the film doesn’t show the actual day-to-day life of the family. How are we to know that the husband “put his foot down” on other occasions? It is unfair to make an assumption about how a family operates daily with only a small taste of what they do daily.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Troy Mendez, age 35 (USA)
Positive—I decided to rent this movie because everyone was telling me, “The Blind Side” is such a great movie. I figured, “Sure why not? I’m a football fan.” Well I am pleased to say that I made the right choice in choosing this movie. The Blind Side is a phenomenal film. The acting was incredibly well done. The music was just right for this film. The plot kept me interested, even though the movie was long. This story pushes the idea of how Jesus wants us to treat others. Though this is not a Christian film, it was nice to see a movie where the family followed God and showed the love of Jesus to Big Mike. I would highly recommend this film to parents and teenagers. There are a couple of questionable things, such as a drinking scene, gang-related settings, language (minimal), and a brief car accident. Other than that this a movie worth renting and/or buying. Good job Hollywood, another step in the right direction!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Alexander Malsan, age 20 (USA)
Positive—It is a movie easy to recommend to others—good for all ages.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Linda, age 69 (USA)
Positive—The clothing could have been a lot less revealing, unless the one being portrayed really dressed like that.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Ruth Chryst, age 61 (USA)
Positive—This was the best, most positive and uplifting movie I have seen in a long time. I think it is unfair to go into a movie thinking that it is going to be void of all “worldliness” because that is unrealistic. The world is around us everywhere we look. There is NOTHING in this movie that the average ELEMENTARY school child hasn’t encountered at school. I suppose that if you are a parent that home schools your child you MAY be able to shelter them for a time, but the real world is going to have to hit them at some time.

That being said, the characters in this movie acted well, the script was uplifting and left me thinking about what I can do for others. It gave me a different perspective on how I should live my life as a christian and challenged me to think about how I can use the resources I was blessed to have in order to help others. Whether “stated” or not, the family portrayed definitely showed the love of Jesus to this poor boy, and changed his life for the better. If you go into the theater with the expectation that not everyone in our world is a believer, and even Christians are not perfect, you will probably be ready to purchase this movie afterward. I know I did.

One last comment—I think it is unfair for the commenters… to rudely criticize movies with positive messages. To me, if you can’t even see good in THIS movie, you may as well never see another movie—because this kind of positive movie doesn’t even come around but once in a blue moon.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Jeff, age 20 (USA)
Positive
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Nancy, age 32 (USA)
Positive—Seen this movie five or six times—I just love it. There are words that could have been left out and would not have changed the movie plot at all, or the end of the story, but I am thankful for such a great inspirational movie. All accounts of characters as a Christian. I worked in the medical field; you never heard such bad language at times. But we do have to live in this world. Just set an example; give it to God and keep on going. I love this movie. I am grateful that someone did care enough to be involved in this young man’s life, and I praise God for them and for him. God bless. I think this is the true Spirit In which Jesus would want us to be involved with. As far as the drug scene, that’s the real world—violent as it seems; it’s real. You got to admit there’s a problem before you can solve a problem.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Theresa Rupert, age 62 (USA)
Neutral
Neutral—I would say that, overall, this was a pretty decent movie. I was surprised to see that immoral sins were not glorified, even sex out of wedlock. I did have a few objections though. I didn’t like the fact that the “rednecks” were portrayed, as they often are, as black haters along with the other white folks. And even though there are some, it is often applied to them all.

Another thing, is the fact that in just about every movie of this kind, it is mostly a black or Hispanic who is the beggar and the white as the one who is to blame. There are tons of white beggars and rich blacks and Hispanics. I’m not a racist at all, and if I were black or Hispanic, and it was the other way around, I’d say the same thing. This comes off as a propagandist message, that whites are to blame for the woes of the others. I am NOT against them AT ALL!!! I do think that something NEEDS to be done for all those who are troubled and come from such neighborhoods, whether white, black, Hispanic, or Chinese.

One other objection, is the idea of the “Christians” in this movie. If these are Christians, then why are they not acting like Christ and obeying His laws?!!! The women wear pants (Deut. 22:5), the women dress gaudy and flaunt their wealth (1 Pet. 3:3 just to name one), and Leigh Ann (Sandra Bullock) is not submissive to her husband, acts like the head of the home, and is a busybody (Titus 2:3-5; 1 Tim. 2:11-15, 5:14; Prov. 31; 1 Cor. 7:34). All scriptures are located in the KJV. Other than that, the movie was good, whether you like football or mission work. GOD BLESS!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Maureen O'Hara, age 18 (USA)
Neutral—Overall, I found that this movie really challenged me in my walk with Christ and had a lot of really good messages and things that can challenge Christians to do. This movie really promotes a view to love others as yourselves. The way that Leigh Ann acts as a good Samaritan and reaches out to help one who is in a really hard time and has gone through a lot and has lots of hurt in life--and how she realizes and is aware and reaches out with gentleness and understanding to him is really neat. As Christians we are to treat others as ourselves and sacrifice and take up our cross to do His will and put others first. We are to stand up for what’s right--which Leigh Anne does many times throughout the movie and says words that are true yet hard for the people that have to hear it--such as when she’s talking to her wealthy friends that aren’t going along with her decisions to take Michael in and they sort of mock and gossip about it.

It’s also really neat when Michael stands up for what he believes when he goes back to visit the friends or acquaintances that he used to have and grew up around. He doesn’t choose to run in or fall into the way of sexual immorality and lusting and going after immorally the Touhy daughter. I think we see a good biblical anger in this movie against things that are wrong, hypocritical, and sinful--yet at least in the case with Michael-I feel that he took it into his own hands and didn’t leave that part to the Lord.

Sacrifice is portrayed as being very good and what we should do--one such instance is when Michael covers Sean and takes the hit of the airbag to protect him. The story is just really neat how Christ turned things upside down and used people to reach out to others and totally work through that. There are so many people who need him and who need care and love and Christians need to be doing it and showing it and sacrificing. Many times the characters in this film had to persevere and continue to seek and go after love and keep with it even though there were problems or doubts and complications that came up. This is really true in the walk of a Christian.

I drive a school bus for children that go to special ed school due (I think) mostly for disobedience problems and not behaving--and I can say that this is really needed as a Christian--ask God for the perseverance that only He can give. There are so many people who need Him and His love.

That being said, there are also quite a few negatives and the biggest one being that of not the true woman and mother role in the household and a totally bad portrayal and portrayal of it being okay and/or normal the role that men play in this film. Mrs. Touhy is the one in charge it seems of the family and makes the ultimate calls--as the husband sort of steps aside and lets it happen and doesn’t think or realize that he must be evaluating and making the ultimate decision or being okay with it. This is not okay--for the man is to be the spiritual leader and head of the household and the wife is to be submissive. The man is to respect and love his wife even as Christ loved the church. There should be equality yet different roles. Yet that is not portrayed as the way it should be in this movie and the former is totally promoted and accepted as okay and normal. Men need to step up and lead their families in a godly way that pursues Christ and His will and challenges the family to go that way and to follow Christ. He should be a servant leader. See Ephesians 5, Mark 10:45, Colossians 3:18-25, 1 Corinthians 11:1-22, Titus 2, and 1 Peter 3:1-7.

Many times too Mrs. Touhy seems to do good things and sacrifice out of pride and wanting to be in control and seems to do things in a very worldly and ungodly way and in a way as wanting to be in charge. There is lots of lusting that occurs for Mrs. Touhy such as when she is walking through the poor neighborhoods and other times also I think--yet it is portrayed as not good and seems to be portrayed as being bad and wrong. I would say that the violence and lifestyle that is portrayed by Michael’s old friends seems accurate and that the lifestyle and ways that many of the wealthy people who are also going to the Christian school or send their kids there (but many may not be true Christians) are portrayed accurately as self-righteous and not willing to reach out to people who are different in appearance or background then them and not being surrendered to Christ. It’s hard to watch some of the things that the Touhy’s as a family do because of those things being unbiblical and not seeming to be in surrender to and obedience to Christ.

Overall-there are some messages in the movie that are wrong and unbiblical (the biggest one in my opinion being that of the role of men/women) and the way in which Mrs. Touhy goes about doing what she knows is the right thing to do. However-I think that the movie has some values that are excellent and that are really challenging as a Christian and encourage us to love others as ourselves and promote reaching out and being a good Samaritan and being willing to sacrifice and do what God asks of us to do.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Skylar, age 22 (USA)
Neutral—I read the comments before watching the film, and, at first, the negative comments disgusted me. The people commenting on the woman’s “take charge attitude” actually offended me. Christian women ARE NOT robots, we are supposed to be dignified and take charge of our families and responsibilities. We are not to be controlled or walked all over by our husbands; there is nothing wrong with a woman taking charge of what she wants. But, when I watched this, I found her over the top controlling. That wasn’t “take charge for what I want/need,” that was controlling. And as much as she had a good heart, I found her rude and rather degrading towards the men. I found her character annoying, and I couldn’t believe how she would talk to people.

Other than that, I found the movie very well done good story and good moral value.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Ella, age 24 (Canada)
Negative
Neutral—The story is very positive—but I was put off by some of the unnecessary language, the bedroom scene and Sandra Bullock’s distracting wardrobe. Don’t go to this movie expecting it to be the high Christian caliber of “Facing The Giants,” and it should—in no way—be considered a family film (only if your children are mature enough to understand different lifestyles or you are willing to explain). It should be noted that Michael Oher DID completely finish college with Honors and a degree in Criminal Justice before drafting into the NFL.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Wendy, age 47 (USA)
Negative—Was I the only one who noticed the men in this movie were are limp noodles? A husband who defer’s to his take charge wife. A coach who cant get it right, but our heroine comes in, and shows him how its done. So confident is she, that she can drive up in her expensive car, in the “hood” and talk back the ghetto blacks… pretty realistic. Yeah, its a feel good movie. Oprah may like it. It reeks of political correctness, and I didn’t like it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2
Graham Keech, age 50 (USA)
Negative—We did not enjoy this movie as a Christian couple. The cardboard cutout men in this movie are portrayed as weak and vacuous, blacks are generally portrayed in a pandering manner as ignorant and/or as drug addicts, southern whites are seen as stereotypical racists and Christians are portrayed (as exemplified by Sandra Bullock’s character) as foul mouthed and worldly. The language was unacceptable, the acting was cartoonish, and the overall tone was mawkish and pedantic. We will not be recommending this to our family and friends.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2½
Jimi, age 40 (USA)
Negative—I didn’t really feel like it was a Christian movie, and I was surprised that Christians actually enjoyed watching it. There were racist and hillbilly jokes, and she was kind of a rude person. I mean, of course, some parts where good, but overall the characters got to be annoying and didn’t really represent how Christians are suppose to be. I didn’t really see Jesus in the movie, only a little bit.

The best character was the guy and the kid. And Sandra Bullocks supposed friends in the movie were horrible, I got really annoyed hearing the script. On the school building it says “With men things are possible” or something like that, they kind of twisted Scripture. It says With men its impossible but with God anything is possible. Or something like that.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 1½
Ashley, age 19 (USA)
Negative—Any enjoyment and positive message I might have gotten from this film was utterly ruined by one scene in which the lead makes fun of President Bush. Okay, I know that sounds very shallow, but that’s the bitter aftertaste I had in my mind after viewing this movie. Disney’s “Remember The Titans” and “Glory Road” are much better choices.

Sandra Bullock did an excellent job, as did all the other actors, but that one scene in which Leigh Anne pokes fun at the President should have been deleted, regardless of whether it occurred in real life.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Extremely Offensive / Moviemaking quality: ½
D, age 24 (USA)
Negative—I agree with many of the commentators who consider this film to have a negative impact, especially on children. The aggressive and sharp-tongued Sandra Bullock is NOT an appropriate model for young women. At the end of the film she threatens to cut off Michael’s penis if he gets a young co-ed pregnant without first marrying her. Tim McGraw is not much better as a role model. He plays the typical passive American male, very much concerned with his hair and clothes. Michael (played by Quinton Aaron) is cast as a rather ignorant black athlete, incapable of making decisions without the constant intrusions of white women. Hollywood has twisted a true and compelling story into something profoundly unremarkable.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 2
K Fraley, age 46 (USA)
Negative—The story line and the acting is good. I was told that this was rated as a Christian family movie. The movie would have been more enjoyable and earned this rating had it not had the unnecessary language.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
Don Knutson, age 52 (USA)
Negative—Many people believe this was a wonderful story. And the real story is a wonderful story of self-sacrifice and big-heartedness. But the movie story was superficial and lacked any believability. That was because it was poorly written, and the acting and direction were, well, mediocre.

As far as Sandra Bullock goes, I was shocked that she was even nominated for an Oscar, because she showed no depth of character, nor did the director or the writer try to develop her character. She was a comic book version of the real mom. Yeah, she had serious frowns and a sad face now and then, and even got mad and had a good southern accent—but her role was flat and reminded me of every other movie she’s been in.

There was, also, no depth to the film—no real tension or drama. It seems that Hollywood thinks that people who want wholesome films don’t care about the integrity of art and are satisfied as long as there is no sex, violence, and the kids don’t say “whatever” to their parents. Thus, Hollywood, in order to give this audience (Christian and non-Christians with solid values), a movie they think they’ll like—they give us a film depicting a perfect family, one that none of us have or could hope to have. Hence, they give the unbelieving world, yet another reason to see us as hypocrites, because we don’t live up to that model. As Christians I think we ought to train ourselves to appreciate art that is excellent and that glorifies God. Not just accept any old thing because it is merely inoffensive. Really beautiful art reflects the beauty of God and his creation and should be something wonderful that has integrity and is true.

Now, it is laudable and refreshing that a film should avoid graphic scenes of people committing the most heinous sins, but the reality of life is that we struggle daily in our hearts and aren’t kind to each other, at all. You can show that drama without graphic scenes. Just because we want to see wholesome movies doesn’t mean we want to see movies where people are painted as perfect. That’s a lie.

And that brings me to my last—and I think most important point; the film was spiritually heretical and dangerous, in a way. It was a redemption story, and that is very good. Most films have redemption themes that point us towards our Savior. Michael (in the film version of the story) had his life redeemed. God uses instruments, us, to do His will and lead people to salvation. In this film, there was only physical redemption. We didn’t see anyone in the film sinning big time or even a little bit, except poor Michael’s mother, and she didn’t get redeemed. The boy’s life was redeemed, but he was portrayed totally as a victim (in the movie version); you see him only as a figure who has been sinned against. He never does anything sinful in the movie; he is totally good. I have a problem with this, because it is the new message in churches that says: “We are all broken by the sin in the world and need a Savior. The Bible tells us that others may have hurt and maimed us, but we are broken by and responsible only for our own sin. We can’t save ourselves or find excuses for our sin; that’s why we need as Savior. If we can save ourselves or aren’t responsible, what’s the point of Jesus’ life?

Having said all that, who was the boy’s redeemer? You could say God used Sandra Bullock, but wait! Sandra Bullock was portrayed as a perfect person. So Sandra, though she didn’t die for the boy, was (in the film only) a perfect person, and, as such, his Redeemer. But worse, she was a female Redeemer. This makes her appear to be something like a pagan goddess, the worship of which is prevalent in our society today. The husband, who should have been the leader in God’s economy, stepped back and let her make all the decisions, which is, also, a prevalent theme, and deemed good in our society.

I heard it said that there are five gospels, and that most people have never read the first four. The fifth gospel is us. I don’t think we should let Hollywood make caricatures of us which show us as perfect. That takes away our witness. We sin, our kid’s sin. It’s one step forward and one step back on a daily basis, but we have the victory in Christ , and that’s our real and only witness. What makes us beautiful is that we are full of sin, but redeemed and stand beautiful before God only through Christ and repentance.

If the mother had been portrayed as someone flawed, yet who was able to stand by that boy and love him despite all the difficult and sinful problems that she must have encountered with her husband, and kids and Michael himself, I would have loved that film.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 1
Diana Meyreles, age 62 (USA)
Comments from young people
Positive—Really great movie, really great values in place. While it is just another football, I believe it’s a very well made one. Far better than the weak Facing the Giants, and definitely better than “Invincible,” “Radio,” and “We Are Marshall.” Whether or not it’s better than “Remember the Titans” is debatable, but still an excellent movie, better than any of the others I’ve seen in theaters recently. It shows that a movie can be realistic and still support fantastic Christian values.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Joel Dugard, age 17 (Canada)
Positive—This is the best movie I have seen in a long time, both as a football player and a Christian. Having read an article in World magazine about the family in real life, I can say that they are true Christians who practice what they preach. They are a successful, conservative Republican family but one that shares what God has given them and uses it to bless others. In my opinion, they are a great example of what a Christian family in America should look like. In fact, after meeting the family, Sandra Bullock said her entire opinion of Christians changed for the better. The movie fairly accurately portrayed the real story. The acting was excellent (especially by Sandra Bullock). It was both humorous and moving and had very little objectionable content that wasn’t necessary to portray the story in a realistic manner. Go and see this movie!!!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Tyler, age 17 (USA)
Positive—This movie was absolutely outstanding. I loved it! I went to see it with my mom, and she said that she thought this was the best movie that she’s ever seen. I agree. It had a great message, and it was beautiful. It also had some funny parts to!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Gloria Smith, age 13
Positive—This is such a great movie! I went to see it with my whole family and just loved it! It was very heart-warming, with only a little objectionable content. It also has a few Christian messages. A very great family movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Addison E., age 13 (USA)
Positive—Before I saw this movie, I thought it would be a serious movie, but we were laughing all the way through it. I enjoyed the movie a lot. I love how the movie is about family and how compassion on people can change your life and theirs.

This movie was a real PG-13 movie. There were words that little children should not hear. This movie is a great movie to see with teens and parents. It is definitely worth your money.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Elizabeth, age 14 (USA)
Positive—WONDERFUL!!! movie loved it. Best movie I’ve seen in a long time!!! All actors did a wonderful job
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Elisa, age 14 (USA)
Positive—This was one of the best movies I have ever seen hands down! It had its funny moments but it was also truly inspirational. The acting was beyond amazing. I think this is an Oscar worthy film. Its message was so strong and really hit me. I could watch it again and again!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Rebecca, age 15 (USA)
Positive—Why is it that when a woman is passive in a relationship, and agrees with her husband it is natural, but when a man agrees with his wife and is quiet, it is offensive? I read at least two reviews where men said that the men in the movie just let Sandra’s character do everything. Well, it’s not that they were afraid of her, she had good ideas, and maybe her husband actually agreed with her. There is nothing wrong with that. There was some swearing, and it especially offended me when they were said by so called “Christians”. Overall, this was a feel-good movie, and it had a great message. I would recommend that everybody see it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Jessica, age 17 (Canada)
Positive—I went to see this movie in the theater with my grandma. It reminded me a lot of the movie “Radio”—also another one of my favorites (it was biased on a true story also). It was a very heart warming movie biased on a true story. It was a pretty awesome movie, I really liked it! I would definitely recommend it for all ages. My favorite character is the mom (Sandra Bullock, who takes in the 17 year old boy) because she did such a great job on her role. She had the attitude and voice down perfectly! :)
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Tori, age 14 (USA)
Positive—This movie was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.!!! …It was one of the best movies ever and it is so worth seeing it… there is a very good story. But, for most people it is a tear-jerker. There was some profanity including bi***, f** a**, and d***, oh, yeah and there is one line t the end where Leigh Anne says, “Michael, if you get any young women on campus pregnant, I’m gonna’ come down here and cut your pen_s off!” But, overall it is a great movie that you want to see over and over again… so, I suggest you see it.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Lauren, age 11 (USA)
Positive—WOW!! My parents saw this movie before me, and they said that I would loooveee it, and that there wasn’t anything bad in this. I went in, expecting it to be a very good movie, and came out going “WOW—it was!!!” I was kept on the edge of my seat for most of the movie. Although it did have a few words in it—and deserves its PG-13 rating. I loved it, and it is one of the best movies I’ve seen recently.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 4½
Emily, age 13 (USA)
Positive—This film was the best of the best. As an black kid adopted by a white family, this movie offers a view of adoption that doesn’t portray the child as a charity case. Plus there is an extremely positive rebuke of racism. The family is the picture of what we as Christians should be about. Acceptance without question! No they are not perfect, and in all don’t really live out there faith in all ways possible, but still they are Christ in the life of Michael. Yes, there are things in this movie that could have been edited out(i.e., language, innuendo) but in the whole this is one of the best movies this year. You shouldn’t show this film to kids who aren’t 13 for sure and definitely base your decision on maturity level. But for everyone else this movie is strongly recommended! I give the Blind Side a 5 out of 5 stars!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Liya, age 14 (USA)
Positive—I thought this was a great movie for young adults and teens. It was such a touching story and really moved your heart. There were a couple of cuss words in this movie but there hardly is a movie without any. The drug references were showing that people actually live that way. I thought this was a great movie and it is definitely my favorite move now.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Madison, age 13 (USA)
Positive—This movie was absolutely great! You watch horrible movies are getting with everything, and this one was just awesome. It was so good, I instantly went and saw it again after seeing it the first time. And people with negative or neutral comments, ease up, when are you gonna get another good, clean movie like this to come out besides a Disney Pixar movie.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Lauren, age 15 (USA)
Positive—“The Blind Side” is a good, uplifting movie that is very entertaining to watch. There is not a lot of language and just a bit of sexual content. The violence is mild and so are the drug references. Overall, this is one of the best movies of 2009.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Caleb, age 11 (USA)
Positive—Wow, that was an AWESOME movie!! That ranked in to my 1# one movie!!! Me and my family were going to see it in theaters, but my sister didn’t want to see it. I just got that movie for Easter, and I loved it!!!… I have left one other comment on this Web site for “Knowing,” and that movie was nothing compared to this movie!!!… They only said the “a” word a few times and the “b” word once; that’s it. Five stars for me!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Austin, age 11 (USA)
Positive—Loved this Movie!!! This film is one of the best films I have seen in a long, long, long, long time!!! I don’t understand why some people have compared this film to other great films like “Facing the Giants” for one, they were both great! And to note Leigh Anne Tuohy is not a busybody, and the husband isn’t weak (some people just need to get out more)! Seriously go see this movie, I highly recommend it! Although there is some language in the film, it’s quite alright and goes with what’s happening in the scenes. It’s good to see that having premarital sex isn’t tolerated! All in all very good movie, but not for kids under 13 years old. Have fun!
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5
Ian, age 16 (USA)
Positive—“The Blind Side” is an amazing movie. When I watched it with my family, I was truly moved. I loved it! It was so amazing… so real! It touched my heart when Big Mike saved SJ’s life. I am amazed at this movie. Throughout the movie, I cried, laughed, and cried some more. If you want a movie that touches your heart, and one you will always remember, watch “The Blind Side.”
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Grace, age 11 (USA)
Comments from non-viewers
Negative—This past weekend, my college girlfriend and I went to see the movie. We were excited because we heard that this was a good moral movie with limited profanity. Much to our dismay, there was much more profanity than anticipated. We realized that this was due to make the movie more realistic, but as a Christian couple we thought it was absolutely unnecessary. This movie had a great plot/story, but was stained by the use of profanity, etc. As a young man trying to live for Christ, I find it deeply disheartening that many Christians say this was a great movie. Yes it may have had some moral points, but does that excuse the excessive profanity? I certainly don’t think so. Has today’s Church been numbed so much to worldly ways that we can’t recognize that sin is sin no matter how it is formatted (James 3:9-12). It is quite disappointing there is such a limited amount of “Christian” movies that are legitimate. My girlfriend and I left about 3/4 of the way through the movie and we won’t be recommending this movie to others. As Christians, we are supposed to bring the world to Christ, not soil His name by excusing sinful behavior on behalf of a few moral points. God bless.
Bart, age 19 (USA)
Negative—I quickly scanned through this movie to get a quick rundown on the contents. The reason for this is we have three teen boys (and a younger son) who we have raised to work towards purity of mind and abstinence from all kinds of immoral and promiscuous lifestyles, behavior. We do come to this website, and our boys use this website to get an overview of movies. From the reviews of other Christians the movie appeared fine to watch, but I did a quick go through myself also. Basically, there is promiscuous suggestive behavior throughout this movie. There are scenes that single people shouldn`t be watching AT ALL, let alone teens.

Perhaps there was a good message, but the message would be lost for the place of promiscuity. How can we hear a good message from a bad root. We are commanded in the bible to abstain and make no provision for the flesh. Please keep your teens away from this movie.

As to the actors in the movie, I pray that you know the power of God`s loving grace in your life. It saddens me that you have to resort to cosmetic surgery to have an acceptance. I assure you that God loves you with all wrinkles and blemishes, and I urge you to receive Jesus Christ`s FREE gift of salvation and know the power of forgiveness of sins. Such amazing peace and joy will fill your heart and your life, and you will be changed forever and your eternity will be sure. Jesus says that He came not into the world to condemn, John 3:17 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Therefore, come freely to His throne of grace, God is not ashamed but waits. With deep and sincere love, Sarah
Sarah, age 45 (Canada)