The Blind Side
Recommended
Release date: 26 March 2010
Running time: 128 mins
Director: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Kathy Bates, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon
The feelgood drama of the year stars Golden Globe-winning Sandra Bullock as a mother who transforms a homeless teenager into a star athlete - her go-getting performance also earned Bullock the Oscar for Best Actress.
Homeless and under-educated African-American teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) has precious little going for him. A gentle giant, he's isolated at school and traumatized by the gangsters in his run-down neighbourhood. A shadow of the person he should be, it's not until he befriends a young boy named SJ Tuohy (Jae Head) and gets taken under the wing of SJ's mother Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) that Michael gets the help he needs to reach his true potential. The gutsy matriarch of a well-off white family, Leigh Anne is determined to help Michael overcome the adversities he faces from his family, teachers and peers. With his new home environment and adopted family, Michael makes steady progress, and ultimately sets off on the road towards becoming an All-American sporting hero.
Screenplay: John Lee Hancock, Michael Lewis
You should see it because: Hugely successful in the States, it's a funny, moving and uplifting emotional rollercoaster that landed Sandra Bullock a Golden Globe for Best Actress In A Drama.
See it if you liked: Erin Brockovich (2000), Spanglish (2004), Grand Torino (2008)
