The Blind Side (Rhoades)

“Blind Side” Catches Our Emotions Unaware
Reviewed by Shirrel Rhoades

Growing a bit too old to be America’s sweetheart, and not content to do comedy roles, Sandra Bullock gives us “The Blind Side,” a heart-tugging story of a tough-minded Southern woman who takes in an oversized illiterate black kid. Bring your hankies.

“The Blind Side” is currently playing at the Tropic Cinema.

Bullock has broken the glass ceiling, with this movie ranking as the highest grossing film featuring a female lead. As a result, she’s been nominated for Best Actress in the upcoming Academy Awards presentation (March 7th).

Quinton Aaron portrays a giant teenager with an outer shell that’s as hard as black onyx. Homeless, undereducated, the boy doesn’t have much hope. Yet with the help of his adopted family, he goes on to become an All-American offensive left tackle.

Based on Michael Lewis’ book “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” this is the true story of Michael Oher, now in his first season with the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.

However, as fate would have it, “The Blind Side” is actually a case of life imitating art imitating life. Not only does Sandy Bullock play the real-life woman named Leigh Anne Tuohy who impacted Oher’s life, but she’s trying to do that in her own off-screen life too.

Those who follow Hollywood gossip know that Bullock is currently involved in a child custody battle against the ex-wife of her chopper-riding husband Jesse James.

James has a five-year-old daughter from an earlier marriage with a porn star named Janine Lindemulder. Bullock has been playing mommy while Lindemulder served a prison term for tax evasion.

Bullock wants to keep he kid. She’s told the courts she can provide a safe environment for the child that keeps her away from “pornographers, drug addicts, guns and firearms, felons and other unsafe environments.”

Lindemulder has responded that Bullock wants her child because the actress is unable to have children of her own. Bullock has replied that the assertion “couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
Bullock adds, “I know the term ‘stepmother’ carries many connotations, one of them being ‘glorified babysitter.’ My commitment and responsibility to [Sunny] ... goes beyond that.”

Despite having three new movies released this year, the actress says, “I myself have stopped working like I used to in order to be here with Jesse and the kids.”

Maybe we can take a line from Bullock’s new movie. In “The Blind Side,” someone says to her, “You’re changing that boy’s life.” To which she responds, “No, he’s changing mine.”

srhoades@aol.com
[from Solares Hill]