"The Blind Side" tells a nice, human story about a family that takes in a homeless teenager and helps him realize his dreams - "realize" in both senses of the word. At the start of the movie, this young fellow is so pressed by the demands of daily existence that he has no ambition except to stay warm and survive. But once he has a home, he starts looking at the world and discovering what he can do and how far he can go.
This is the real-life story of Michael Oher, who in 2009 was a first-round NFL draft pick. It's a good story. If someone were telling you this story, you might say, "Wow. That's something." Even so, the narrative is not quite big enough to bear the weight and significance that writer-director John Lee Hancock tries to attach to it. "The Blind Side" runs 126 minutes - there are versions of "Hamlet" that are shorter - and lingers over every nuance of this young man's journey. And though the movie engenders a fair amount of sincere emotion, at times the hearts and flowers feel pushed.
Seven years ago, Hancock made a terrific movie called "The Rookie," another real-life tale about the redemptive power of sports, but what Hancock had going for him in that film was a grown-up protagonist who knew he had to succeed, that his life depended on it. In "The Blind Side," Hancock has at the film's center an unformed teenager, who doesn't want much or know much, and who is thus in no position to drive a story forward.
That responsibility falls to Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy, a well-off Southern woman, a full-steam-ahead type with lots of guts, highly developed protective instincts and complete self-confidence. When she meets Michael and realizes his circumstances, she impulsively invites him into her home, and gradually this African American teenager becomes a member of this white, Republican Mississippi family.
Bullock is most of the fun here. As a Southerner herself, she gives the impression of knowing Leigh Anne inside out - her sense of justice, her resourcefulness and her willful lack of sentiment, which is a cover for a vulnerable inner life. Bullock brings wit and incisive observation to the role, a familiar combination for this actress, whose charm sometimes causes people to overlook her skill. Tim McGraw offers warm support as her husband, a fast-food magnate who somehow isn't 250 pounds.
"The Blind Side" is never dull, but it's rarely more than gently entertaining. As Michael, Quinton Aaron lumbers through his performance with a look of sensitivity and bewilderment, which is right for the character but problematic in terms of the movie's energy. In directing the film, Hancock takes his time, which is a good thing, but then after a while he starts taking your time, and that's not so good. Still, this filmmaker is too talented to ever drop the ball.
College football aficionados may find more to enjoy here - inside jokes, riffs on the rivalries between various teams and cameo appearances by famous coaches, including Nick Saban, Tommy Tuberville, Houston Nutt, Tom Lemming and Lou Holtz.