Sandra Bullock is playing against type in the new film The Blind Side which just released its trailer yesterday. Check out this trailer; you will probably need to grab a Kleenex, it’s that touching.
The film is based on the story of Michael Oher, a homeless teenage African American man who was brought up in a broken home in Memphis, Tenn. He is taken in by Sean and Leigh Anne Touhy, a wealthy white family who give him a base and shelter so that he can become a stronger student and later play for his school’s football team as an offensive left tackle. Not only do the Touhys change his life, they make discoveries about their own. The title is a reference to Oher’s left tackle position — the main function of which is to protect a quarterback’s blind side.
Michael’s story was both lauded and criticized, but the chance Oher and the Touhy family took by bringing him into their home that evening when Lee Anne Touhy found him cold and bleeding on the side of the road has paid off. Oher was a first round draft pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and selected by the Baltimore Ravens as a first-round offensive tackle. His five year deal includes over $20 million in compensation and a nearly $1 million signing bonus. He began his first practice as training camp last week at McDaniel College in Westminster, Md. The latest report from the Baltimore Sun calls his camp debut “impressive.”
Awesome.
Even if Sandra B. or the young man, Quinton Aaron, are dismissed by the Oscar nominating committee for these performances, the real Michael Oher still has a bright career, a nice hefty paycheck and the adoring support of his adoptive family to lean on. Oscar, shmoscar!