Reel Critic:

Nearly all sports movies tend to be overly sentimental. The very essence of sport is to overcome physical and mental challenges, naysayers and a worthy opponent. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of our favorite sports films can be tear-jerkers at times and tend to be a bit melodramatic.

Such films as “Rocky” can take a great deal of dramatic license because they are dealing with fictional characters and the audience does not know what to expect other than what the usually formulaic plot dictates. However, when dealing with true stories, particularly when the protagonist is very much alive, such liberties are very risky.

Because “The Blind Side” deals with an athlete who started his professional career just this year, accuracy is quite important. “The Blind Side” relates the story of Michael Oher (played by Quinton Aaron), a homeless African American teenager taken in by an affluent white family in Memphis.

Abandoned by his father and neglected by his crack-addicted mother, Michael is sleeping on the couch of a friend’s parents. The friend’s father, “Big Tony” (Omar J. Dorsey), takes young Michael along when he tries to get his son Steve into an exclusive Christian school. Appealing to the school’s football coach (Ray McKinnon), Big Tony convinces him to take both boys; Steve on merit and Michael due to his size and athletic potential.

It soon becomes apparent that Michael is in over his head and is floundering. Sleeping in a laundromat where he alternatively washes one of his two shirts, Michael is hopelessly behind his well-schooled classmates. The boy’s imposing size and innate shyness alienate him from the other students.

The one exception is the rambunctious S. J. Touhy (Jae Head). The diminutive S.J. takes a liking to Michael and seems to be the only student engaging him in conversation. One night after attending his sister’s volleyball game at the same school, S.J.’s parents Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean (Tim McGraw) spot Michael walking alone in the rain. Realizing the young man has no place to go, Leigh Anne invites him to their opulent home.

While helping Michael out starts as a case of noblesse oblige, Leigh Anne and her family soon discover there is another world outside their affluent bubble. The circumstances of Michael’s birth and upbringing force the Touhy family to face a side of Memphis they hardly acknowledged. Michael is from a blighted area known as Hurt Village, which is plagued by drugs and violence.

Eventually the Touhys become Michael’s legal guardians, and through their support and the hard work of Miss Sue (Kathy Bates), a private tutor, the young man is able to survive in school. However, it is on the gridiron that Michael makes his mark.

The title of the film refers to a quarterback’s vulnerability to injury due to not being able to see a rushing defender coming from his left or “blind” side. Accordingly, the left tackle on the offensive line is a critical component of every successful team. Michael’s performance on the field, and his vastly improved school work, render him a top college draft pick, and he is eventually recruited by Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi.

Because the Touhys both attended Ole Miss and had been active supporters, taking in this hulking black teenager who became a top recruit for their school was not without controversy. Additionally, shortly after Michael accepted a scholarship, his high school coach accepted a position at Ole Miss, which was seen by some as quid pro quo for his part in the recruitment.

“The Blind Side” is an effective sports movie and is particularly affecting due to the story being mostly true. Michael Oher finished his senior season at Ole Miss as one of the most highly regarded college offensive lineman in the nation. He earned his degree in criminal justice and finished on the Dean’s List for the second time. He was the 23rd selection in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft and now starts for the Baltimore Ravens.

Even though this is Oher’s story, this is really Sandra Bullock’s film. She plays Leigh Anne as a no-nonsense high-society matriarch with little patience for fools. Bullock, her dark hair dyed blond for this part, could have turned this role into parody. Instead, she gives a layered performance that fleshes out a remarkable woman. Real photos of Oher and the Touhy family show the real Leigh Anne to be nearly as glamorous as the actress.

“The Blind Side” is rated PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references. The scene in question is indeed brief and is not out of character with the rest of the plot. I would recommend “The Blind Side” to any football fan or anyone who roots for the underdog.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.