The Blind Side (2009)

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references.
The Blind Side is probably the best sports movie to come out in years, and it does not focus on the sports, but uses it as a basis for this emotionally uplifting story. It does a great job of captivating your emotions and I would say it is the feel good movie of the year 2009. The fact that it is a true story makes it even more special, as at times it is bit melodramatic and cliche ridden, it is somewhat pardoned by the fact that it is all true. It is a movie that the whole family will fall in love with.

Let me tell you why The Blind Side is such a good movie. First off, it is Sandra Bullock's best movie in years. She always gives great performances and I admire her, but this one is truly special. I honestly think she deserves an Oscar for Best Actress. When she is given the right material, like she is in this movie, she executes her performance perfectly.

The screenplay is another fantastic thing about The Blind Side. John Lee Hancock is great with sports movies. The writing was very well done. To be a little negative, at times the dialogue was a bit on the nose, and sometimes it tried too hard to be melodramatic and put loads of emphasis on how bad it was for Michael Oher, but other than that the script is excellent. Their is much more humor than you would expect and that keeps you not feeling too sad for Michael Oher, and keeps The Blind Side light hearted and family friendly. The way he characterized Michael Oher was the strongest point of the script. You feel very, very sympathetic for him and throughout the movie you are dying for him to succeed. Their are not very many sports movie cliches, as it is not truly a sports movie. It's a triumphant rags to riches story that bases his success on football, but focuses more on his real world, every day triumphs. In this way, John Lee Higgins very successfully adapts this movie into one of the best movies of the year.

The directing is not a huge plus, but it is nothing to comment on really. It is framed well and the camera work was creative at times, but other times the directing is a bit amateur. Unfortunately, he succumbs to some sports movie cliches that he didn't really need to use. Also, the supporting cast is a bit better than average. Quinton Aaron falls flat sometimes, but most of the time he gives an emotional performance that keeps the movie going. Tim McGraw was the weak point of the cast, but that is not saying too much. He is decent comic relief, but shows little emotion. Their is a little bit of bad though. The things I disliked were the fact that it was at times too melodramatic and trying to jerk a tear out of you. It at times tries too hard to be a crowd pleaser and doesn't take any risks. Still, it will please the whole family and is released perfectly for the holiday season.

Overall, The Blind Side is perfect for everyone. It is one of the best sports movies of the year, has a great script, one of the best performances of the year from Sandra Bullock, and is released perfect for the holidays. I reccommend you see it over the rest of the crap that is recently coming out. It is way better than the piece of crap movie New Moon and I think it is one of the best movies of the year. See this movie over the holiday weekend over any other movie.

I give this 90% fresh!