A quiet, homeless black teenager (Quinton Aaron) is taken in by an affluent white Memphis family, who eventually push him into football where his sheer size becomes an advantage. This reality-based story about NFL star Michael Oher and his remarkable history with the Tuohy family is polished and somewhat undernourished. John Lee Hancock (of The Rookie fame) knows how to make entertaining sports movies, but rarely manages to dig deeper emotionally. Sandra Bullock is good as the religious, no-nonsense Leigh Anne and brings a large share of humor and warmth to the party.
2009-U.S. 129 min. Color. Written and directed by John Lee Hancock. Book: Michael Lewis. Cast: Sandra Bullock (Leigh Anne Tuohy), Tim McGraw (Sean Tuohy), Quinton Aaron (Michael Oher), Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon… Kathy Bates.
Trivia: Several real-life college football coaches play themselves. Julia Roberts was allegedly considered for the lead.
Oscar: Best Actress (Bullock). Golden Globe: Best Actress (Bullock).
