Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡
If You Liked This Movie, you’d Like: When the Game Stands Tall, Remember the Titans, A League of their Own, Moneyball (it has Brad Pitt!!!), Bend it Like Beckham, Little Giants, Race, Bring it On,
If you didn’t cry like a little girl at least three times during this movie, you’re not human. Just kidding. You’re just a stronger person than I am. This movie, which is based on a true story, is a classic example of an inspiring sports movie.
For those of you unbeknownst to this treasure, here is a brief summary. Michael Oher is a large black teenager without a home. However, Leigh Anne Tuohy sees him one day, and asks her son about him. After finding out he has nowhere to go, the Tuohy invite Michael to live with them. It is then that the football loving family gets Michael to try the sport out himself. Michael then struggles to learn a new sport, keep up his grades, and avoid his past all while living with a new family.
I first want to talk about Sandra Bullock, who is the role of Leigh Anne. Don’t get me wrong, I love Sandra Bullock and can watch Miss Congeniality on repeat, but I was always surprised at this choice of role for her. However, after watching the movie just once, it is hard to imagine anyone else living up to the role. Sandra Bullock won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for her performance in this movie.
A perfect pick for casting was that of Michael Oher. The football player is played by Quinton Aaron. Although not known for many other films, he is well-known just because of this sole performance.
Other interesting acting choices are Lily Collins and Tim McGraw. Lily Collins coincidentally plays Michael’s “sister” Collins. She struggles at first to be comfortable with Michael being a part of the family, but she holds her head high and goes against her friends’ opinions. Tim McGraw, famous country singer, also makes an appearance. He plays Leigh Anne’s husband. Although he is not known for his acting, I still think he does a great portrayal of his role.
VERY SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD
I think one of the most powerful scenes of the movie is when Michael is struggling to learn football. Even though he may be the ideal body type for his position (FYI I know nothing about football), he is not good at hitting people. The coach is coaching him as he does all his other players. The coach yells and screams at the players and Michael to get better. But Leigh Anne knows better. She goes over to Michael and creates an analogy that Michael can understand. The phrase that she repeatedly uses is “Are you going to protect the family?” This is a double meaning because she is comparing how he protects the Tuohys to how he should protect the football team. The comparison works and helps Michael improve his football skill.
I watched this movie for the first time in high school, and almost everyone in my class was crying. I didn’t cry but it was still a really good movie. It was very nice to watch and I do believe that it’s based on a true story? I love Sandra Bullock she’s an awesome actress, have you ever seen the movie The Proposal?
Awesome post and another awesome movie.
Love this movie! I agree, it’s a perfect example of an inspiring sports movie. I also think this movies shows how sports can be so much more than just a game. They can help people learn life lessons, like how Michael learned how to protect not only the Tuohy family, but also his team. I also think the racial dynamics in this movie were interesting. There is not too much overt racism, but some people in the Tuohy’s family clearly feel uncomfortable with they adopted son, but the Tuohy family truly treats Michael like one of their own, which is my favorite part of the whole movie.