The Blind Side

Movie review by S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media
The Blind Side Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Syrupy sports drama uplifts but glosses over deep issues.

PG-13 2009 128 minutes
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Parents say

age 10+

Based on 68 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 227 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Blind Side is a formulaic but uplifting family sports drama based on the true story of football player Michael Oher. It centers on messages of empathy and inclusion, the benefits of perseverance and hard work, and the importance of family support. That said, it sometimes feels as if it glosses over many of the challenges that Oher and his "rescuer" (socialite Leigh Anne Tuohy, played by Sandra Bullock) must have faced when building their relationship. And while the movie alludes to the racial prejudice Michael dealt with (some scenes depict characters who are blatantly racist), it skirts the topic instead of truly tackling it. For example, many of the movie's Black characters -- including Michael's mom -- are portrayed as impoverished, drug addicted, or both, and Black men are seen as dangerous and threatening. Still, Oher's life story is inarguably encouraging. While language and sexual content are quite mild, you can expect a couple of brief violent scenes, references to drug use, social drinking, and words including "ass" and the "N" word.

Community Reviews

karinO
karinO Adult
January 1, 2016
age 13+

heart-warming story with too many swear words for young kids

This is a great story with the right messages. My husband and I loved it but it has a lot of swear words which my kids didn't like (nor did I like the boys hearing them), and it had touches on really big issues like racism. My 7-year old asked me questions about the movie for days afterward, indicating to me how hard he was working to process all the themes he was exposed to. I asked him how old people should be when watching the film and he said 21, note, he is really sensitive, but still. Great movie for families with young teens, not young kids.
1 person found this helpful.
Eddy P.
Eddy P. Adult
February 27, 2023
age 8+

Great Examples

The movie "The Blind Side" is packed with positive messages and has such a great story. Overall, the movie was skillfully made and had a very interesting plot and the acting was great, but it also had such a positive impact on me when I watched it. Based on a true story, a young man named Micheal Oher who is struggling to find a home finds one with the help of Leigh Anne and her family. Despite a difficult adjustment for Micheal and the Tuohy family, they continued to be loving and patient with him, and eventually, Micheal started warming up to the family. It was very motivating and inspiring that the family would bring in a random person to your home and eventually treat them like one of your children. Such great virtues of love are presented in the film. Micheal eventually became a football star and was noticed by universities for his skills, but he never received a proper education and was presented with a tutor to help him with grades. The tutor as well showed such love and patience with Micheal when assisting him. Of course, it shows the hardships and realities of Micheal's journey, but the film is truth-filled with the message of patience. With this film, I absolutely recommend watching this, it creates an attitude of care for others when watching it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
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What's the Story?

THE BLIND SIDE is about Michael Oher's (Quinton Aaron) life as a brawny-but-tender teen before becoming an All-American college football star and an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens.While attending a Christian school in Memphis with no roof over his head or family to support him, Michael is befriended by S.J. and Collins Tuohy (Jae Head and Lily Collins), the children of wealthy decorator Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and her fast-food franchise owner husband, Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw). Leigh Anne makes it her mission to care for Michael, inviting him to live in the Tuohys' home and, later, become an official member of the family. A real future for Michael appears on the horizon in the form of football, a sport for which his build and protective instincts seem perfectly suited. But first he needs to get his grades up -- and his head in the game.

Is It Any Good?

Based on a book by journalist Michael Lewis chronicling the real Oher's experiences, this film manages to inspire despite its broad-strokes approach to characterization. Bullock's winning effort paves the way; her Leigh Anne disarms both Oher and audiences despite a sassiness that edges on caricature -- there's real vulnerability behind Leigh Anne's type-A facade. Aaron's take on Oher is a little bit more textbook, but when he smiles, you forget for a moment that he's playing a role and really imagine him as the young Oher, quiet and thoughtful but not lost.

Director John Lee Hancock could have explored the challenges that Leigh Anne and Michael faced as they tried to meld their divergent backgrounds with more complexity. Did Oher have any doubts? Was everyone at the school really that embracing? Instead, Hancock goes for the superficial. But The Blind Side has plenty of heart, something Hancock appears to have a knack for (he also helmed The Rookie, an even more heartwarming drama based on a real-life athlete). Still, he's in danger of too much sentimentality here -- that and condescension about racial prejudice and economic barriers. The result is a straightforward and entertaining film, if you can ignore, yes, its blind spots.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what motivates Leigh Anne to welcome Michael into her home in The Blind Side. Was it a purely selfless move? Why does she later say that he changed her life (and not the other way around)?

  • Why does Michael trust the Tuohys? What appeals to him about them? Does the movie adequately address the skepticism and prejudice that Michael and the Tuohys faced when they became a family?

  • How accurate do you think the movie is? Did the Tuohys "rescue" Michael, or did he change his own life? Why might filmmakers have changed certain parts of the story?

  • What are some problematic aspects about how wealthy vs. poor people are represented in the story?

Movie Details

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