The Blind Side (2009)

This movie was a lot better than I thought it would be, and definitely better than it looked. It really was an inspirational story about someone who's come so far after being born with so little.

This is the true story of current Baltimore Raven Michael Oher. Quinton Aaron plays Oher as a teenager, growing up on the wrong side of Memphis. He's a big kid, who hates being called big, and has always had to overcome adversity to get anywhere. He's spent his life living on couches and in gymnasiums. One day, a friend helps him get into a very privileged Christian school to get Mike an education and possibly into a sports program. It's there where Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) finds him and takes a special interest in getting him the life he deserves. His grades start to come up, and so it's on to the football field. He begins to excel on the gridiron, but the demons of his past begin to come back into his life.

This was a touching story about getting past poverty lines and racial barriers and coming to know and love a person. While I did find a few parts a little too sappy or overplayed, this movie still made me feel good after watching it. Having never really been a fan of Bullock's acting, I was very surprised by how well she did in this movie. As did Tim McGraw and, especially, the kid who played SJ. I recommend this.