*** Official THE BLIND SIDE Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "The Blind Side". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.

All HTF member film reviews of "The Blind Side" should be posted to the [COLOR= #44708c]Official Review Thread[/COLOR].

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Crawdaddy

 

[Robert Crawford]

Wow, this film actually received a "B" grade from Patrick, now I know I must see it.






Crawdaddy

 

[Mike Frezon]

I don't venture out to the theaters much. Thusly, I don't venture into the "Movies" section of the HTF all that much either.

But this weekend my wife, 19-year-old son and I went to see The Blindside and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'll go so far as to say I wouldn't be surprised to see Sandra Bullock nominated for an Academy Award for her role in a film which falls into a rather predictable category of a heartwarming, feelgood, inspirational tale. But it's a tale well told. One which satisfied all three members of my household and we're usually pretty critical of the various elements that go into movie-making and their impact on the final product.

Personally, I was surprised that Tim McGraw's presence in the film never took me out of the experience. He handled his role capably. But it was Bullock's performance that carries the day. I can only hope that she really captured some of what the real-life Leigh Anne Tuohy is like. But, in the long run, it doesn't really matter, I suppose...because the result of a satisfying story is what really counts.

Missing from Patrick's review is an underlying theme of Christian responsibilities which I personally think is handled surprisingly well by Hollywood in this case and, for me, is one of the selling points of this film. The story doesn't shy away from the fact that it is important for people to break out of their comfort zones and care for each other and to point to God as a model for that. As the story takes place in the Deep South where the passion for religion is challenged only by a passion for college football it is not surprising to see these worlds intertwine in this tale.

The transition to the real-life footage and still photos at the end was sensational and really hammered home the depth of feeling these characters have (in real life) for each other, reinforcing the notion that the feelings as dramatized in the film were true-to-life.

I went into this experience expecting a by-the-numbers story and while, in its essence, that was what was delivered, the performances and script took it to a much higher level than I expected. The packed audience that shared that experience with me also enjoyed the film--laughing out loud at many points and giving a warm round of applause at the beginning of the credits.