The Blind Side (2009)–**1/2

There’s an argument to be made to whether The Blind Side, an unsentimental tale of inspiration, should have been made into a movie at all. There isn’t much conflict. There’s very little drama. And the protagonist, a young man from the wrong side of Memphis, isn’t someone you find yourself rooting for, but rather casually wondering what may derail him from making it.

He does make it, of course. Anyone who has caught a recent Baltimore Ravens game may have seen Michael Oher, the real-life inspiration for the film, on the team’s offensive line. What’s inspiring about Oher’s tale isn’t his dramatic rise out from the projects. It’s how that rise became as undramatic as possible. That’s where Sandra Bullock comes in.

Bullock plays Leigh Anne Tuohy, an upper-middle class interior designer who decides to take the homeless Oher (played by Quinton Aaron) into her privileged household. Leigh Anne, her husband (Tim McGraw), and their two children embrace him, a quiet giant who at first sleeps on their couch temporarily until it becomes clear that he’s going to be staying with them for good.

The Touhys discovered Oher at the private school where they send their children. Brought into the school because of his athletic potential, Oher shows he has promise in the classroom as well. But it’s not until the Touhys provide a stable home that Oher can begin to develop into the person he never dreamed he could become.

My description may sound sappier than the movie actually is. I have a feeling that the two lead characters, Oher, who wanders through the world with his eyes closed, and Leigh Anne, who remains emotionally distant if only to protect her powerful image, are the reasons the film feels so unencumbered by this seemingly saccharine story.

That said, Sandra Bullock was born to play the role of Leigh Anne Touhy. While this type of role isn’t new to Bullock (she’s played a more camped-up version in both The Proposal and Crash), Leigh Anne Touhy’s soft heart combined with her hard exterior is instantly engaging. We find ourselves drawn to Bullock’s Leigh Anne from the first moment she appears on screen, through her encounters with racists friends, and right up until the moment she meets college football coaches that want to recruit Oher.

Much like the real-life Leigh Anne must be in her household, Bullock’s performance is the rock that holds this film together. While Aaron performs admirably, especially in the film’s final scenes, he coasts through the role much like the quiet, introverted character requires. McGraw isn’t the center of attention here and he’s happy to play second fiddle to Bullock. Only the Touhy’s youngest son, played by Jae Head, makes any impression outside of Bullock’s performance as Leigh Anne. If that wasn’t the only way this story could have been told, I’d rail more passionately against it.

It’s not surprising, though, that this review lacks a passionate response. The film, with its subdued emotions and weak dramatic archs, doesn’t offer much to respond to. Director John Lee Hancock isn’t known for making his motion picture more dramatic than they have to be. His 2002 film The Rookie was exceptional because he handled such an impressive story with emotional restraint. Unfortunately for Hancock, the film Precious, which is also in theaters now, offers up a similar story with the drama and depth of character his motion picture lacks. If I had to choose between the two, I’d see Precious again in a heart beat.

The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock and directed by John Lee Hancock, is in theaters now.