REVIEW: ‘The Blind Side’ is a Winner
by Pam MeisterBy now I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of other reviews about “The Blind Side,” currently in theaters, including this one by BH’s own Cam Cannon. I hope you can stand to read one more.
I saw “The Blind Side” last Friday evening with my younger daughter. Arriving half an hour before showtime, I was surprised to see that the theater was already about three quarters full and we ended up sitting down near the front, where my daughter usually begs to sit and I reply, “No, let’s sit somewhere near the middle.” Sure it was a long holiday weekend and people were looking for something to do, but as it was the second weekend, I took this as a positive sign. Word of mouth has a way of killing films that deserve to die quickly, especially in the age of Facebook and Twitter.
Not having read the book, I could judge the movie on its own merits. As BH readers already know, “The Blind Side” tells the true story of football phenom Michael Oher, then a fatherless black teen from the projects of Memphis with a crack-addicted mother and who, despite being accepted into a tony Christian school, ends up homeless. He is seen wandering out in the cold by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, a well-to-do couple from the other side of the tracks, who take him in and eventually make him a part of their family.
With their love and support, Oher goes on to raise his GPA from 0.6 to 2.5, which makes him eligible for school sports and – the rest, as they say, is history.
It’s an incredibly inspiring story of one family’s Christian charity making a difference – one person at a time. And Oher isn’t the only beneficiary, as star Sandra Bullock, who plays Leigh Anne, notes. She says that while it is obvious how much the Tuohys did for Michael Oher, “it was not that one-sided. They certainly did a good deed in taking in this young man in such a loving and generous way. But, in turn, he brought out a side of their family that they didn’t even realize was missing. The family seemed to have all the success and joy in the world, but when Michael showed up, it was as if he was the final piece to the puzzle.”
One thing that seemed to pop up frequently in the commentary about this film was from certain liberals bemoaning the “disturbing patriarchal nature” of a wealthy white couple taking in a disadvantaged black kid, and the “racist” overtones of the film.
Well one, it’s a true story. And two, would it have been better for the Tuohys to leave Oher wandering in the cold with nowhere to turn so that they would avoid being “patriarchal?” Perhaps these critics would prefer that the movie change the white couple to a black one to make it less “patriarchal.” Or perhaps the director should have avoided showing where Oher came from – the projects, populated by some very unfortunate people – in order to be more “sensitive.”
Oher was already a ward of the state. Obviously the state wasn’t exactly doing a stellar job in making sure he had a shot at life. Star Parker points out the obvious:
Our wake-up call should be that the factors that saved and transformed Michael Oher’s life stand in stark contrast to the government solutions we hear from Washington about dealing with our problems relating to poverty and education.
Oher’s story is about private individuals, about personal choices and responsibility, and about Christians.
Perhaps that’s what’s really burning the libs’ toast. The state failed Oher and the Tuohys, who didn’t have to take Oher in, did – with nothing material to gain and out of the goodness of their hearts.
And while there are “racist overtones” in the film, they are there because sad to say, racism is still a part of life everywhere – and not just in America. Sadly, there will always be racists no matter what their color. Some people will always just be – jerks. What matters is how society as a whole treats them, and as long as society continues to look down on such behavior, the fewer of them there will be and the less impact they will have.
Sandra Bullock, whom I’ve always liked but am used to seeing in light comedic roles, shines as Leigh Anne Tuohy, giving a heartfelt, realistic performance as the tough-as-nails Southern belle who never lets anyone see her soft side. I’ve read elsewhere that her performance is award-worthy and I agree – although if the Academy were to nominate an actress for what is truly a family-values film, I’ll be very surprised.
Quinton Aaron, who plays Oher (and at 6′ 8″ is actually three inches taller than the real Michael Oher) is the perfect “gentle giant.” Casting for the role was extremely difficult, and director John Lee Hancock recalls how Aaron was found:
“We looked at a lot of actors who didn’t quite fit the bill. When I saw Quinton’s tape, there was something about him that was missing in the other ones. Then when he came in the door, my first instinct was to hug him, and it was that quality that first struck me. He also has a face that draws you in; when he’s quiet and looks at you with those doe eyes, there’s a story there that you want to know. I just had a gut feeling he was our guy…that we were about to change his life in a spectacular way.”
Supporting actor Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy is the perfect, low-key foil to the energetic Leigh Anne, and Lily Collins and Jae Head turn in fine performances as siblings Collins and SJ Tuohy. And Kathy Bates is wonderful as “Miss Sue,” the private tutor the Tuohys hire for Oher.
I was aware of the “Bush-bashing” moment before going, but I was so excited about the storyline that I didn’t let that deter me. It was a tiny blip. And really, in retrospect, you can look at it another way, as Cam Cannon notes:
It was a federal government building, and W. was the head man at the time…didn’t bother me. In fact, one of Bush’s problems was that the Federal Government grew under his watch, and he wasn’t as conservative as advertised, so it didn’t bother me one little bit.
There were also a few laugh lines that could be seen as digs at Democrats.
I very rarely go to movies in the theater because so often, I feel I’ve been gypped out of $10.50. I would see “The Blind Side” at full price again. And I’ll probably also buy it when it comes to DVD, which is also not something I do unless it’s a film I feel passes the “Caddyshack” test – “Caddyshack” being one of my all-time favorite movies that I can watch over and over.
Conservatives whine and moan that Hollywood ignores them, so it’s important to support quality films like this that do make the cut. If films like “The Blind Side” make money, Hollywood will make more of them. The majority of Hollywoodites may lean ideologically to the left, but money always wins in the end.
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80 Comments
I agree… I still have yet to see the movie.. but I hope I can get my hubby to go see it this weekend…
I can't wait to see it.
amamzing. Tell a good story with positive messages and people go to see it…
Question: Will Hollywood get the message? Meaning will they NOW make films people WANT to see rather than
shite they demand you see? Or be called stupid uneducated racists?
Just asking…
We keep asking that question, Dcase. They seem to want to keep making films that lose money… like anti-military subjects. They constantly turn up their nose (when they are not looking down it) to conservative people and messages.
Best thing a conservative consumer can do is get a ticket to films like "The Blind Side", and buy another one for a friend. When the DVD comes out, buy one for home and another one for a friend or relative.
It's a slow and sometimes expensive option, but in the long run it might help.
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Ya know I just betcha that Hancock is a Conservative guy, being brought up in East Texas and going to Baylor, and based on the types of movies he does I would love for someone here at BH to interview him and get his views, and I'm also a Texas boy
You have a good point about not letting a slight jab at Bush keep us from seeing the movie. We do complain a lot that there aren't enough movies that promote conservative values. So taking umbrage at a little joke isn't a great way to encourage filmmakers to do more of this. We do need to encourage the success of this film.
Sorry. No Bullock, no Clooney, no Streep, no any-other-left-winger mouthing off.
not as long as their 'anit-war' films budgeted at $25 million but with $3-4 million on the screen- means they make their dough up front and to hell with all of us… but rejection is something they don't handle well, so keep it up…
This movie broke $100 million in ten days…so I would say it's safe to say it's a success.
Meanwhile, Bullock hasn't met with any foreign dictators yet… and I don't see her attempting to ran liberal politics down my throat. If it is the way it's described here, this movie increases her credibility as far as I am concerned. That gives me something to smile about Big Hollywood.
tell your husband he better go!!! I'm a husband and it rocked! Tell him I'll come and kick his ass if he doesnt!!!
In what way has Sandra Bullock mouthed off? I have always thought she was one of the more sane actresses and certainly not part of the usual Hollyweird crowd. Am I wrong?
This movie was awesome. It showed the projects and all other govt run programs and HORRIFIC failures. It showed Christian and Captialism as successes. it showed private christian schools as successes. it showed teachers who expected their students to WORK. it showed accountability. it was FUNNY. it even showed christians annoyed by christians and not all perfect. as it should be. as atheists dont want us to believe that christians are human too.
GO SEE IT NOW!!! SEEEEEE IT TWICE!!!
AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Sounds like a good movie! Will definitely keep it in mind for future viewing. Like others on here who have said they hate spending money at the theater…I am the same way…it has to be a really big anticipated show for me to plunk down money for theatre (although I have really started enjoying going to the Alamo Drafthouse Theatres here in Houston – people act like adults!!)
the Passion Of Christ made gajillions of dollars….you see any followup films ? Passion Part Two, the Return ???
Well, that's not fair.
A nice Capraesque turn, private Christian schools are a mainstay of most communities throughout the South and Midwest. They have the most funding, the best facilities, and the best turnout of educated kids, except of course, home schooling which produces much more highly educated kids. Now I don't think we'll be seeing that anytime soon at all………..
Last Saturday we went to the 4:55PM showing. Beautiful sunny day perfect for shopping. KU vs MU border war football game, so obviously football fans would be watching that. Second weekend it was showing, so obviously the crowd would be down from the previous week. We arrived at 4:15, bought our popcorn and drinks and easily found great seats as there were only a handfull of attendees. By 4:40 the seats were about 70% full and by 4:50 there were fewer than 10 empty seats in the entire theater. High school texting girls behind us. late 20 something familes next to us and a smattering of over 60 couples scattered. Very refreshing to see diverse audience all enjoying a great family friendly movie. Sandra Bullock was spot on believable. Tim McGraw as a business owner enjoying his life in a realistic manner. Jae Head was wonderful as the small son who thinks he has it all figured out without the Caulkin – I'm so cute, look at me persona. Not to forget Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher, I didn't catch him 'acting' one moment. I believed him as Michael Oher just like I believed Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers in the real Brians Song.
Well done top to bottom for everyone involved in this movie!!
http://moviebob.blogspot.com/2009/12/blind-side.h...
I don't care about it's politics, or the politics of any film for the most part. The only thing that matters is whether or not it's a good movie, and "Blind Side" isn't. It's treacle. Gauzy, insipid, pandering, predictable, formulaic and smugly-sentimental to the point that a Precious Moments figurine would tell it to grow a pair. It commits every sin that "conservative" critics love to (for good reason) hold against Paul Haggis, save for the fact that Haggis has a better directorial eye than Hancock does.
The main problem is that it refuses to let any of it's main characters be anything other than arch caricatures. Oher (who's somehow a co-star in what should be HIS own story) is a cipher and, since the film refuses to let Mrs. Tuohy be anything deeper than a stained-glass saint her actual motivations or thought-process are a needlessly vauge – which is a narrative-killer since the film largely ignores what Oher might be going through in order to focus on how meeting him has made her a more-enlightened person…
(continued)
Funny true related story –
Joe Flacco is the QB for the Ravens (Michael Oher is an offensive lineman who protects Flacco) . Flacco related a story of when he met Mrs. Tuohy: "The first time I met her, we were in an elevator in San Diego. She says, 'Hi, I'm Michael Oher's mom. You need to get rid of the ball faster.'
"I said, 'What are you talking about?' (smiling)
"I went up to Mike and said, 'Mike, your mother just came up to me and is like, you need to get rid of the ball faster.'
Clearly Bullock captured the essence of this lady! And BTW – Joe Flacco needs to take this lady's admonishment to heart. She was spot on… just like she was with taking in this kid.
Reading an earlier article about the "awkward Bush bash" in the film initially soured me towards seeing this movie. My wife saw it and described the incident. I really don't see it as a bash at all based on her description.
(continued, minor SPOILER WARNING here-on-out)
…it also commits the classic screenwriting cheap-trick of placing the most obvious criticism of the story in the mouths of the "bad" characters (see again: Haggis, Paul) so that the audience will feel bad about having what ought to be obvious reservations: They know that, fairly or not (I'd say fairly) that someone is going to point out that the film has simplified the book/real story down into a white-guilt-fairytale, so of course one of Bullock's "snobby" friends says "Is this a white-guilt thing?" so she can be heroic chastising the audience-by-proxy for even thinking such a thing.
And, of course, the lingering "hm…" of the Tuohy's financial/personal connections to the school Oher signed with is dealt with by having the only person voicing them be a "meanie" character. And don't even get me started on the "WTF?" one-vs-ten action scene.
("Oh, but I bet you loved ::insert "liberal" movie here:: right libtard??" in 3… 2… 1…)
You sir are a dork.
I'm not even aware of Bullock shooting off her mouth… Granted she lives in the most liberal parts of Texas most of the time… but I don't think I have ever heard her spout her politics or even seen her mentioned at a political event… and even if she does, that's fine at least she's not making stupid PSA's to try and guilt us into one thing or the other.
Due to medical reasons, my wife and I are unable to go to movie theaters. But I do have it on order from Amazon. My son saw it last weekend and just loved it. I also bought the book and will read it as soon as I finish Sarah Palins book.
Semper Fi
erp is a troll.
After seeing the movie in New Jersey, I asked several groups of African-Americans what they thought as we came out of the theatre. The people I spoke with loved it and did not think it was racist.
(continued, minor SPOILER WARNING here-on-out)
…it also commits the classic screenwriting cheap-trick of placing the most obvious criticism of the story in the mouths of the "bad" characters (see again: Haggis, Paul) so that the audience will feel bad about having what ought to be obvious reservations: They know that, fairly or not (I'd say fairly) that someone is going to point out that the film has simplified the book/real story down into a white-guilt-fairytale, so of course one of Bullock's "snobby" friends says "Is this a white-guilt thing?" so she can be heroic chastising the audience-by-proxy for even thinking such a thing.
And, of course, the lingering "hm…" of the Tuohy's financial/personal connections to the school Oher signed with is dealt with by having the only person voicing them be a "meanie" character. And don't even get me started on the "WTF?" one-vs-ten action scene.
("Oh, but I bet you loved ::insert "liberal" movie here:: right libtard??" in 3… 2… 1…)
Nice thing for me was, seeing it at a matinee, all the young fathers with their daughters, very nice to see.
Haven't seen it, so am taking author's word about the Bush jab. If it's there, it isn't the first movie starring Sandra Bullock in which Sandra's character takes a shot at Bush. I got sucker punched in "Two Week's Notice" in which Bullock's character is crying and another character remarks that she hasn't cried this hard since Bush was elected. "Which one?" the sniffling Bullock asks. "Both," said her friend. Ho'woodites "use" conservatism when they want to make a buck, but they can't resist telling their audience what fools they are. It irks the (censored) out of me and I'm a moderate Independent and NOT a conservative. I guess I hate hypocrites more than I like movies about family values..
My husband and I saw it last weekend and liked it very much. Tim McGraw has a great line in it that I won't share now for those who haven't seen it yet – but it involves knowing democrats – it made us laugh. After seeing the movie I figure the book is probably pretty good. I wondered how close to the book the script was written or did hollywood take creative liberties with it.
To be more accurate, a real familiy took the message of an 80s sitcom to heart and *actually* helped someone, who in turn helped the family.
Actually, Roue… a legitimate sequel could easily be made: Acts of the Apostles.
So, let me get this straight… you just reviewed the film and pointed out a screenwriting cheap-trick… that of placing the most obvious criticism in the mouth of the bad characters
…THEN, you place a comment at the end to take a swipe at those who will read your review, and in doing so you used the very same cheap-trick which you criticize the screenwriter and filmmakers of using in the moview you reviewed.
That was either very funny or very unfortunate.
I loved the movie, but I suppose I am biased towards its success. I live in Memphis, my kids go to Briarcrest Christian School (the actual school that is portrayed as Wingate Academy in the movie), and I went to Ole Miss – so I watched a lot of this as it actually unfolded.
There are a couple of little things in the film that stray from what really happened (for example, the fight scene that takes place in the projects really occured on the Ole Miss campus with another Ole Miss football player that made disparaging remarks to Michael about Leigh Ann and Collins Touhy) but otherwise they did a great job of putting this story to film.
Do your part to piss-off some liberals and spend your money on this movie. We need more entertainment like this coming out of Hollywierd. This is the first non-animated movie (I have a 4 and a 7 year old…) I have seen in a theater in years.
Do remember that actors have to recite the lines that writers put in their mouths. Marlon Brando was not really a Mafia boss! Really!
The "sucker-punch" meme perplexes me.
The idea of regarding anything in a movie as being somehow more important than "is this a well-made film?" is, granted, almost wholly-alien to me; but I understand that some people like/need to have the popular culture stroke their particular hangups or prod the hangups of their enemies. That's fine.
But why is it a "sucker-punch" when a character in a film happens to be a liberal, or say something a liberal would say? That's not a punch, that's just a character beat. Are you so insecure that merely hearing anyone declare an opposite-affiliation is equal to an attack on your person? This just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Especially when it's a knock at a specific guy (Bush) who isn't you.
Go over to worldmag.com, subscribe and read more about the movie and the adopting family.
The movie somewhat downplays the adopting family's motivation — Christ. And it leaves out something crucial about Mr. Tuohy: He was raised poor in the projects of New Orleans and thus could identify with Michael Oher. Even so, it is positive and healthy and funny and made me and my wife cry at times.
I thought the Bush thing was funny. I suspect it happened just the way it's protrayed: In a federal office, Mrs. Tuohy asks "who's in charge here?" and the woman at the window points to W's picture. It's not a jab at Bush, for goodness sakes, it's a comment on the responsiveness/helpfulness of some federal employees.
It really is a good show.
Even without having seen the movie, but based on the storyline, and the accounts of the movie's success, I have one reason for its popularity:
This theme is universal and is about people rejecting apparent limitation of any person (of the homeless teen in this particular example), trusting their faith in his innate goodness, and the joyous fruits of the work in growing that vision into ever-increasing reality. This is Love.
Millions of people in this country and the world are sad, frustrated by all of the separation being promoted by demagogues, race hustlers and pundits who keep promoting and emphasizing the idea of racism as a barrier between us. WE DONT WANT A BARRIER BETWEEN US! WE ALL BELONG TOGETHER! WE ARE ALL WORTHY! This is the theme we all hold dear to our hearts and the movie portrays this desire.
For too long we have seen the left indoctrinate different seeming groups with the ideas of separation, hatred, misunderstanding but the REALITY of our desire is for unity, brotherhood, understanding that THERE ARE NO REAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ALL OF US and we all yearn for this in our hearts daily.
Hence the appeal of this movie–WE ARE ONE PEOPLE!
Home schooling doesn't guarantee much more highly educated kids. Just parents with more money in their pockets at the end of the month.
I agree that this is a great movie. One item that has not been mentioned is the black family, especially the father, that is helping Mike at the start of the movie. He wanted his kid and Mike to get out of the dead end public school system and into a religious school. this is also an example that even people in the projects know its a dead end.
Great to read this review, because today, someone just told us that they really liked it, and we were't aware of it.
Word of mouth! If a film is good, it'll sell itself. Can take all the kids this weekend. Listening Hollywood? Annoying know-nothing Middle Americans like us drop $60 to $100 on a family night at the cinema. At those prices, it'd better be good – the professional reviews are 100% unreliable – it's word of mouth confirmed – or we are nowhere to be found. It'll be literally the first movie in half a year we'll see, with nothing interesting on the horizon. The "Box" isn't even out yet and the on-Youtube "Button" spoof has totally evicerated it.
Other very moving and really wonderful film a few years ago is "BELLA"
We also liked "RAMBO 5" – or is it 4? the one where Rambo shoots the crap out of the Myanmar brutes. Absolutely horrific yet awesomely righteous. Critics HATED IT. Burmese refugees loved it. Also, The Great Raid – the one about US Rangers rescuing the survivors of the Bataan Death March (True story).
So, what have YOU done to make the world better, dickweed?
God, liberals are SO stupid…
My boy went from a picked-on child with a 2.3 GPA to an Honors and Advanced Placement scholar in High School, actually…and all because of home schooling…
Public education is wonderful for condom wearing and sexual education application…and nothing else…
I stopped at "MovieBob"…
No statist lib scrotelicking in this film…which means it hasn't anything in it for him to relate to…
Intellectual vaucosity notwithstanding…on his part…
I plan to…ESPECIALLY since MovieBob hates it so much…
Would you PLEASE stop whining?
I donno… stuff like that I usually think is funny. I saw the trailer of the movie with Sarah Jessica Parker in it where she's freaking out about someone with a gun and says she just saw Sarah Palin. I love Palin, but I thought that was really funny. (The rest of the movie may suck… I don't care at all for Parker.)
I liked this movie better when it was called Gentle Ben. Caring whites tame a big black woollybear. Good Conservative story. Or am I thinking about Robinson Crusoe? Wait–maybe I was thinking about Enemy Mine–Randy Quaid and Louis Gosset Jr., as a funny looking Jamaican space alien. Shit! That was JarJar Binks! Anyway–I like movies where we see kindly white people teaching big lovable blacks valuable life lessons. More please!
Hey.
Lots of people just LOVE Precious Moments figurines!
And mostly what you've said here is that it's a bad movie because it's perfectly designed to appeal to the audience?
I once heard a highly successful author explain that it's *easier* to write work well that gets an emotional response when it's pulling on negative emotions and much harder to write or create "happy" art that works well or works at all. The greater skill is in writing a story about goodness that isn't boring… or writing comedy that is actually funny… than writing something horrible about people going through horrible things. Steal the baby! Cheat on the wife! And ta-da, we've got "drama."
Me? I like a movie best when it involves exploding helicopters, but I understand that a whole lot of people really like movies like the Blind Side that, yes, make them feel good about themselves and the world. Those sorts of movies touch something important in our common humanity and have broad appeal. That broad appeal to people is often seen as proof that a book or movie or art is simply NOT very good. I think that's backward, don't you?
Wow! You're in print! Did you call all your family and tell them? (Oh, I forgot. They live upstairs.)
Troll Troll Troll Troll Gently Down the Lane!!!
Progressives are all about outcomes, everyone coming out equally miserable.
Must just infuriate you to see that people can be helped and given structure in their lives without the government holding them down.
Little minds think little thoughts, and you are tiny indeed.
My wife loved it
My wife loved the movie, the bush thing never happened, made up completely.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily , your posts are always lame
Conservative Fan = Epic FAIL!
Amazing how everyone is smarter than you…
BS…. we don't need to support hollywood just because they throw a bone a year out. While the same studio throws out thousands of garbage films and propaganda tokyo rose gutless wonder boys into our childrens brains.
Hollywood can fall into the Pacific ocean. I'm sick of writers telling me we should support films so hollywood will make more stuff we like.
That is BS!!!
What we should do is create new movie studios outside of hollywood and develop new talent, new theaters, new distributors, producers, directors, financing, etc.
Don't tell me that I should support hollywood anymore!!!!!
Oh that make sense…. Guess he thinks we care about political affiliation more than we do their degredation of people that believe differently than others…
Oh, yes, but most merciful. Not like that false god now in the throne room in the WH.
I quit reading at "Gauzy"….
I love it… tag team Troll baiting. You guys rock!!!
Your film school movie reviews are irksome, "MovieBob", who places his blog link above his review.
We loved it. The well-meaning but misguided folks who are boycotting it because of the so-called "Bush bashing" are shooting themselves in the foot. It's a split second lame joke in the middle of an otherwise warm, loving, gutsy CONSERVATIVE film. Get over yourselves, folks, and support this movie! We're tellling everyone we know to go see it. For the record, we loved Pres. Bush and this movie did not offend us at all.
Read the post. I just commented that this is Bullock's second foray into Bush bashing – parroting lines or not.
You and I obviously disagree on propaganda, Movie Bob – I believe propaganda is insidious and worms it's way into the public's consciousness much the same way a host ingests a parasite egg and once inside (think tapeworm) the egg begins to grow. Sucker punched means you go to a film expecting to be entertained and politics are gratuitously inserted into the dialogue.
"but I understand that some people like/need to have the popular culture stroke their particular hangups or prod the hangups of their enemies."
No, I don't think you understand at all. I think you're probably so used to never hearing YOUR views attacked that you are very cavalier. Interestingly I recently attended a concert performed by an old Rock and Roller who took a shot at Obama. Guess what? The Obamatons booed. Just imagine if audiences booed every timer a performer took a shot at ANY Republican.
"But why is it a "sucker-punch" when a character in a film happens to be a liberal, or say something a liberal would say? That's not a punch, that's just a character beat."
It worked in "Two Week's Notice" because Lucy Kelson – the liberal wacko Bullock was playing – would have said what she said. She'd already established she was a knee jerk liberal.
"Are you so insecure that merely hearing anyone declare an opposite-affiliation is equal to an attack on your person? " I'd say the insecurity comes from Ho'wood which keeps having to reaffirm it's political beliefs.
"This just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Especially when it's a knock at a specific guy (Bush) who isn't you". You're assuming a lot on an anonymous board, aren't you. Maybe I am George Bush using Growltiger as a pen name. Maybe you are the writer who takes a whack at your nemesis even when it's not necessary in the story. Who knows who any of us are.
Yes, when done by a good writer who has talent, it usually is funny. I just wonder how funny it would be if the same writer took a shot at Al Gore, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton — we don't know because they never do.
It's not the satire and jabs to which I object, rather the one-sidedness of it.
Whats the matter dhasseldoof, you got a problem with Hollywood actually showing Christians in a positive light for once?
Would it have been better if they changed the Tuohys to the Husaans and Oher to Goldberg?
Is that more realistic in your politically correct world?
We've all seen the video of what a great father David Hasselhoff is.
Maybe you should back away from the keyboard and put down the bottle since that is the kind of parent Ohr was getting away from!
One of the better movie reviews I've read. Now I must go over and see what Ebert has to say…I don't really want to but I've got a hunch here after reading yours.
and here I thought erp was a burp
"You and I obviously disagree on propaganda, Movie Bob"
People who CAN be manipulated by propaganda (heck, people who can be manipulated by ANYTHING other than their own will) deserve what they get, is my position on that.
"No, I don't think you understand at all. I think you're probably so used to never hearing YOUR views attacked that you are very cavalier."
Are you kidding? I'm white, male, heterosexual, damn near an Objectivist in my general thinking, an agnostic, proudly "elitist" and a film critic. I haven't gone a DAY without my views being "attacked" in some way. Y'know why I'm "cavalier?" Because I don't CARE. My mind is strong, my will is stronger, and I don't expect or require anyone or anything to "reaffirm" me but ME.
You're such a troll.
Loved this movie! My dh and I tried to see it last weekend, but it was sold out, so we saw Christmas Carol, instead. That was good, but then I got to see "The Blind Side" Tuesday with a group of my girlfriends, and I know I'll be going back this weekend with the dh to see it again. I'll be buying it when it comes out on DVD, too. I'm so glad to be able to sit through a movie that features Christian characters and not once cringe because I felt that I was being targeted because of my belief in Christ. I can't remember the last time I saw a movie that had Christians in it who weren't nutty or evil or mean or snarky or weird but just normal. Yay!
The Bush bash was weird and awkward, otherwise I loved the film.
The scene where the tutor confesses that she is…gasp!! A democrat! was kind of dumb (as well as funny when paired with the Tim McGraw line), the couple had adopted a black kid from the streets, would the fact that the tutor is a democrat really have stopped them from hiring her? I don't know if that happened in real life, but it seems like they had to squeeze a democrat in somewhere to show that they are just as kind and caring as rich white (perhaps) republicans. That's of course true, any well balance person knows there are good and kind democrats as well as Republicans. Weird they felt the need to spell it out.
What part of "this is a true story that actually happened" do you not understand?
Wow. Are you really that dense?
As I was leaving this show, an older black lady reached out to me and said 'that was a really good movie'. Little white boy me said ' it was a great movie maam'
[...] can be attributed, in part, to campaigns, in particular among conservative bloggers, such as those writing for Big Hollywood, encouraging their readers to support the film (despite the supposed jab at President [...]
If you don't care then why are you so defensive?
Oh please. I voted for Bush both times, but he is not a GOD. He is a human being who isn't perfect. Go see the movie….I'm sure Bush would not want you to miss it…..
[...] Reviews: John Nolte at Big Hollywood Pam Meister at Big Hollywood Cam Cannon at Big Hollywood Christian Toto John Boot at Pajamas Media Sonny Bunch at the Washington [...]
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