Beware ‘The Blind Side’

“The Blind Side” was all the buzz this award season. Was it the populist film that could go the distance? Would Sandra Bullock finally snag the Oscar? She won her award, but the question everyone should have been asking was: Is this movie any good?

The film is based on the book about Michael Oher, who was adopted by Leigh Anne Tuohy and went on to play college and professional football. The film’s racial sensibilities are troubling, and it falls prey to two popular myths: the compassionate white person will rescue the underprivileged black person and that same underprivileged person will go on to accomplish amazing things. All fine and dandy, but what about the poor teenager who doesn’t happen to be built like a football player? And what if there isn’t a wealthy white person nearby to save the day?

“The Blind Side” will tug at your heart strings, hoping you don’t realize how much you’re being exploited. The only things worse than that are Tim McGraw’s hair plugs.