Friday, January 08, 2010

The Blind Side

Over holidays we packed in quite a few movies - Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog (hey, it's set in New Orleans), Everyone's Fine, It's Complicated, and The Blind Side.


If you haven't seen The Blind Side yet, do. With college football done for the year with the Alabama victory over Texas in the BCS Championship game and sub-freezing temperatures across most of the country east of the Mississippi, this weekend is a perfect opportunity to get your fill of ball and escape the cold.

Because, this movie will be to Sandra Bullock what Erin Brockovich was to Julia Roberts - award winning.

Side Observations:
  • Tervis Tumbler must have been a sponsor because half way through the film just about every shot, it seems, had an Ole Miss tumbler.
  • Tim McGraw's "Southern Voice" rolls during the credits and unlike other singers turned actors who put their song in the movie, this one seems to fit.
Posted by at 12:01 AM
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15 comments:

  1. Not as good as the book of course, but the movie's not bad. Bullock's made to look far older than she does normally, heavy makeup and some tacky jewelry, but I suppose that's Hollywood's take on high end Southern women.
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  2. The Blind Side is amazing. While it may not be the best movie ever, or even the best if the year, it is a well-told story, with solid casting, and great set design. Beyond which, it manages to tell the story in a way that is heartwarming, but not overly sentimental. It will definitely be her Erin Brockovich. A cold, windy weekend like the one ahead is the perfect ,time to see it.
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  3. Was that not an appropriate representation of "high-end" southern women?
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  4. RHW: If you see pictures of Leanne Tuohy in real life, you'll see Bullock looks pretty close to her and hence Anon (9:51)'s point that is a pretty accurate depiction of "high-end" southern women.

    WJR: It felt real. Probably because it was.
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  5. I agree, I was unexpectedly impressed by the film. I saw it a few weeks before the holidays at the invitation of a friend. I went into the theater thinking I'd be entertained, it was something to do, but left the theater being pleased that I decided to venture out and stay awake on a work night.

    But I was annoyed at how teary-eyed I got.

    I actually caught an interview on Governor Huckabee's show on Fox News with the real Tuohy family. I definitely got the impression that Bullock nailed Leigh Anne.

    Here's a link to the interview, watch it if you have a few minutes, there are 2 parts so make sure you click "next" to see the 2nd part:

    http://www.huckabeefanclub.com/apps/videos/videos/view/prev?channel_id=1202228&from_id=6243543

    The real "Leigh Anne" said that the film definitely took some dramatic license with some of the scenes (i.e. the scene where she first meets Big Mike as he was walking in the rain - he didn't actually go home with them that night, they drove him to the school)....but she felt the movie did a good job of telling the story accurately.

    Oh, and apparently the little brother was actually even more pivotal and tougher on the coaches then the film showed, which I thought was funny.
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  6. I enjoyed the movie, but it was weird seeing a story that occurred in Memphis and was supposed to be set in Memphis, but was shot in Atlanta. The school that he went to, Briarcrest, didn't want their name used due to some concerns about language and other parts of the movie. They might have fooled people with no knowledge of Memphis, but as a Memphian it was so obvious that nothing in the movie was in Memphis. The Michael Oher story is very well known around here for obvious reasons and it's amazing how much controversy the situation sparked. The movie only touched on that stuff slightly.
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  7. DCRogue: Thanks for sending the clip. I watched both and it was great to see in the 1st few minutes of the Part 2 Leigh Ann talk about Bullock's portrayl. Hearing how dead on Bullock got Tuohy's voice inflection and accent is incredible.

    Memphis88: Besides the change in the name of Briarcrest, the larger driver of the moview being shot in ATL vs. Memphis is probably tax breaks - ATL gives great ones to film and is another Southern City.

    With the exception of the "Ladies Lunch" scene I was suprised they didn't dive into any of the other controversial point of views I'm sure the Tuohy's faced.
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  8. I agree that "Southern Voice" was a poor choice since it constantly references Alabama football which is a little unnecessary in a film about Ole Miss.
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  9. I loved the movie. I felt a wide range of emotions.. happy, nervous, excited, scared, etc. The little brother cracked me up from beginning to end.

    The odd thing about Sandra Bullock is that I've always known that I liked her, but it wasn't until I watched this movie that I realized how much I have liked her over the years. She's very talented.
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  10. i absolutely loved the movie! i found it to be a good blend of football to keep the boys' attention and a heartfelt story that all would enjoy. it definitely tugs at your heartstrings (i must admit i shed a few tears). as a "Big Orange" Vol fan in New England, i also enjoyed seeing Phil Fulmer's appearance in the film and even cheered in the theater for him when he was on the screen.

    ha-i noticed the Tervis Tumbler product placement as well. reminded me of you, DAM - and of PGG's husband, a former Sewanee football player. he knows the incredibleness of a Tervis.
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  11. Anon (3:56): It's Bullock's range of characters that keeps her interesting with in her genre.

    c.t.: I forgot to mention all the coaches in my observations. I thought it was pretty awesome they got all those guys to play themselves, but then again who wouldn't want to immortalize themselves in film and say they got to hang out with Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw?
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  12. It was definitely the tax breaks that cause them to shoot in Atlanta. The controversy I was speaking of had more to do with the real reason why the Tuohys adopted him and the circumstances surrounding his college recruiting and choice of school. The movie sort of touched on it, but there is a lot more to it. I personally believe the Tuohys' motives were selfless, but there are a lot of people who believe they adopted him in order to funnel him into the Mississippi football program. The fact that his high school coach got a job at Mississippi at the same time certainly didn't help. I think my favorite part of the movie was probably the part when all the coaches were on there. It's funny how none of them are at those schools anymore. They should have used subtitles during the Ed Orgeron parts, though.
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  13. Loved It's Complicated. Especially liked seeing my old neighbor Ali Wentworth up on the screen...XXOO
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  14. Just meet Ali this fall at the Corcoran and then didn't recognize her in TBS. Who did she play?
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  15. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/06/movies/awardsseason/06blind.html
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