Chattanooga Pulse

It has become almost a Hollywood cliché, the feel-good sports movie.  At least once a year, one of the major studios trots out a sports-themed film featuring an athlete (or a team) overcoming the odds to emerge triumphant in the end, preferably with a stirring score to send you out of the theater feeling good about life in general and the triumph of the human spirit in specific.

The vast majority of these movies are as forgettable as a late summer baseball game between two teams with no hope of making the playoffs.  Unless you’re a fan of the team or a certain player, no one really remembers what happened during the game.

Then there are the films that transcend the triteness and merge into the collective movie consciousness, such as Bull Durham, Breaking Away, Brian’s Song, Rudy, Hoosiers and the immortal Rocky. These films take the standard sports-film formula and delve into the deeper relevance of inner personal strength, never giving up, and overcoming all odds to become a success both on and off the field.

So I can be forgiven for approaching the new Sandra Bullock star vehicle The Blind Side with a bit of skepticism.  The trailers, although promising, did not give me much hope that it would be more than a way for Bullock to move from reliable rom-com star into Oscar bait.  Add in the casting of country superstar Tim McGraw and the inner cynic that resides in the hearts of most film reviewers was thinking, “Nice way to market to middle America”.

Then I watched the movie.

The strongest sports movies all tap into the oft-derided desire to believe in the goodness of our fellow man.  The belief that hard work and sacrifice actually mean something, even as so many of us toil in cubicle-filled offices moving pieces of useless paper from one stack to another in the vain hope that someday, somewhere, we will be able to make a difference in the world. That maybe we, too, if only for a brief moment, could overcome our own odds and bask in the adulation of an adoring public (or at least the jersey-clad fans in the stands).

The Blind Side taps into all that and delivers at a level that makes the Oscar talk for Bullock not mere fodder for the People Magazines of the world, but a worthwhile discussion among serious film fans.  Taking on the role of the already larger-than-life Leigh Anne Touhy (who has become a celebrity in her own right with her delightful, no-nonsense promotion of the film) Bullock makes her not only believable and relatable to audiences, but convinces us that we, too, can become as good and as strong-willed as the real-life Touhy.

The film is based on a true story (and, from all accounts, stays very true to reality), centering on young Michael Oher, a teenager from a broken home with a troubled past who dreams of one daying playing in the NFL.  He ends up being taken in by the Touhys and given the chance to enroll in a private school in Memphis. Oher, portrayed with great skill and believability by Quinton Aaron, has no real family, no friends to speak of and is extremely introverted.  In fact, for most of the film, Aaron barely speaks at all, which works very effectively.

I won’t spoil the film for you by telling you that, yes, the love and support of the Touhys help him achieve his goals, along the way helping them become better people.  That much is obvious from the trailers.  What makes the film worth watching—even if you aren’t a sports fan—is the deeply emotional performances by Bullock, Aaron, and—McGraw.  The list of country musicians who have successfully made the jump to Hollywood is sadly quite small (with the glowing exception of the amazingly talented Dwight Yoakam), but McGraw embodies the role of father figure and back-seat husband with surprisingly ability.

Is this movie a tear-jerker?  You bet.  Is it an uplifting tale of the triumph of the human spirit?  Absolutely.  Will it touch on all the clichés of past sports movies?  Not only yes, but in doing so reinforce why those themes became clichés in the first place, because when they work, they work beautifully.  Will you remember this film after you leave the theater?  Certainly.  But whether it will enter into your consideration as being added to your  list of the best sports movies of all time is something that remains to be seen.

Just as long as you also include Caddyshack on your list.  That’s all I ask.

The Blind Side
Directed by John Lee Hancock
Starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron
Rated PG-13
Running time: 2 hours, 8 minutes