DVD Review: The Blindside

Rated PG13 for some language, mild violence

Starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Kathy Bates

Teenage Mike Oher has lived a rough life, having grown up in the projects with a drug abusing mother and has recently been crashing on his friend's couch. His friend's father is a janitor at a Memphis Christian school and pleads with admissions to allow his son and "Big Mike" to attend due to their ability in sports. Impressed by "Big Mike's" size, the school let's him under the condition he gets his grades up so he can play football the next year. Mike has trouble in school though and we soon learn that he often spends his nights at the school's gym where it's warm and his only spare clothes are t-shirt he carries with him in a bag.

One night, Leigh Anne Tuohy (whose children attend school with Big Mike) and her family spy him walking in the rain and offer him a ride and a place to stay. Realizing he has nowhere to go, they decide to extend his stay and get him the help he needs to succeed in school (also helping is the school's science teacher who learns that Mike, who may appear dumb, has been paying attention all semester and while he can't pass written tests, he excells when given the chance to take them orally). Soon Mike becomes part of the Tuohy family, with the Tuohy's requesting for guardianship of him from the state and Mike qualifies for football - with the help of the Tuohy's he is able to become a star linebacker, gaining the attention of major state colleges.

While the movie comes off at first as a football film, it really is more of an autobiographical film about the life NFL linebacker Michael Oher who was a first round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. While Michael's story of rising up against the odds and succeeding is inspirational in itself, the Tuohy's also serve as a fine example of what we as people should strive to be, providing help and love to those in need regardless of their background.