Visitors Review

dej1977 (2012-05-21 22:51)

A countless act of kindness can turn a life upside down and The Blind Side showed just that.

A countless act of kindness can turn a life upside down and The BlindSide showed just that. This film was the true story of Michael Oher(Quinton Aaron) who was a homeless teen who knew nothing about the joysof family or having a proper education. Growing up in the projects ofMemphis he only knew the effects drugs and what the streets could offerhim. Leigh Ann Tuody (Sandra Bullock) was a classy woman living thehigh life with not a care in the world. It wasn't until their pathscrossed that they unknowingly impacted each other's lives forever.Leigh Ann took Michael in for what she thought would be for just onenight. She soon realized he had no family and nowhere to go. Michaelcontinued to stay at the Tuody's home and was eventually adopted. WhenLeigh Ann asked Michael if he wanted to be a part of the family and beadopted his response was, "I thought I already was." The Tuody'scontributed to Michael's success by giving him a stable environment. Hewas able to bring up his grades and joined the football team becomingtheir star athlete.The film used a mixture of angles and music to portray emotion. Michaelwas a rather big boy and often times he seemed like a giant compared tothe other children. But when Michael was feeling sad or intimidated thecamera would draw back making him look rather small conveying thatMichael was uncomfortable and not feeling like the big man on campus.The music played a big part in the film as well letting you know whensomething important was happening in Michael's life. This film was filled with joy, laughter, tears and compassion. When afamily takes in a complete stranger and turns their life around for thegood it's not only a selfless act of kindness but shows that there arestill good people out there. This reminds me of the film Seven Poundswhere Ben Thomas (Will Smith) seeks out to change the lives of sevenstrangers. Ben is the one ultimately transformed in the end by one ofhis strangers Leigh Ann was changed by Michael. Random acts of kindnessare not seen every day so when someone goes out of their way to helpsomeone out the way the Truody's did Michael it's heartwarming.Michael not only graduated from high school but went on to a Division Icollege Ole Miss. He was later drafted into the NFL.This was a great and inspiring movie. I would recommend this movie forall ages. It teaches us life lessons that not everyone is the same yetthere are still people out there willing to lend a helping hand to helpyou reach your destiny.

(2012-05-21 11:24)

A great movie about someone getting a second chance

This review is from: The Blind Side (DVD) My wife and I watch this movie last month on PPV, and we loved it. The best part about it, is that it was based on a true story. I knew a lot of young guys like this when I lived in San Antonio, and any one of them would have loved to have the help this man had. Its great to see someone stand up for someone like this, and have it turn out to be a great thing in the end. Sandra Bullock really did a great job in this role, and derserves any of the honors she got for it. I would recommend this for any family, as it is a great family movie, not just one for adults, but for the whole family. You all hit a homerun with this movie.

aedine35 (2012-05-21 06:08)

White Savior Rides Again

Only a public that has been spoon-fed sugar-coated realities for manyyears could possibly find anything of merit in this incredibly insipidDisney tale for (white) adults. The horror, the horror, indeed (toquote a previous reviewer, who I believe was quoting a far betterfilm).I usually tend to review here only when I feel compelled to warn othersof the pitfall into which I have fallen, or to cast my vote on a site Ifrequently use for its prognostic value. This was never truer than withthis film (as of this review, 7.7 stars?!?!) I confess that I watchedthis pap even despite grave misgivings, and I can assure you that allmy worst doubts were quickly confirmed! I happen to love underdog sports films - a plentiful genre - so I hadto see why this one had become so popular - what hidden nuggets ofwisdom were missing from the previews? The answer: no nuggets, nohistory lesson, no novelty, no great acting (in fact, rather bad actingon the part of the husband and son), no insight - just the mostinsanely offensive and nauseating drivel I have seen in a very longtime. And somehow people love it and call it "feel-good!" I call itfeel-bad, because I felt very uncomfortable, and my discomfort was nottemporarily relieved with the distraction of great action sequences,such as with the similarly white-savior themed Avatar (as if seeing asoldier betray and kill his own species in his own unit was notdisturbing enough).So what is so great about The Blind Side? Are there deeper meanings Iam not understanding? If you want to truly understand how the legacy ofslavery still plays out in the lives of modern day black Americans, getto know one! Or to better understand race relations in the U.S., readObama's book "Dreams of My Father." Sure, it's nice that this lady andher family were so generous to a strange black kid, but why make amovie out of it? (Or even a book?) I hazard to say that this kind ofstory has countless permutations in the black community, wherefather-less or mother-less kids get taken in by an often equallydisadvantaged family that does not happen to live in a mansion andpurchase all their meals pre-cooked because they are too busy outshopping for the perfect window valance. So what makes this story sospecial? Because it resulted in a college scholarship? Or because itwas a white family that adopted Big John? For me the only truly poignant moment in the whole film is the scenewith John's biological mother - a central moment in the film that is,sadly, all too brief. Here we see a woman who has survived unknownmyriad personal and societal obstacles, but who can still show thestrength and grace enough to be polite to this unfriendly, pushy whitewoman sitting in her living room and demanding answers. Other than thisscene I cringed and groaned the whole way through - something that I'dprobably do while viewing any schmalz of this type, but there'ssomething more egregious about this particular schmalz being sold.Maybe I just can't stand having my intelligence insulted by cuteone-liners and happy endings about what are really important andserious issues our nation should confront. Maybe Hollywood is dumbingdown movies more than ever to reach the widest possible audience andbring in more revenue - I don't know, but whatever the reason for itscreation or success, this film has no social value in my viewwhatsoever.So if you are a fan of good films and good film-making, you'll no doubtalready have known better and avoided this film - despite the bizarreaccolades from the Academy and the public. Likewise, if you understandthat racism and addiction, poverty and capitalism are all pieces of thesame puzzle, you'll definitely want to steer clear of this. I wouldpersonally prefer to watch Brian's Song (maybe even the remake ofBrian's Song) a thousand times over.

(2012-05-20 11:44)

No !

This review is from: The Blind Side [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) Good Movie. Sandra Bullock is fabulous.I bought this Blu Ray because I have only watched half of the Movie( On a recent plane flight from New Zealand ) and want to see the second half.The first half was great.

NJMoon (2012-05-17 22:56)

Pass the syrup

As icky sweet as it is cliché-ridden, this real-life story of anunlikely mother and son proved devoid of any real tension. This is oneof those premises that sounds too odd to be true on the page, but onceon the screen doesn't go anywhere. Even the last-minute inquiries intothe family's motivations for adopting Big Mike prove too little toolate. As for Ms. Bullock, even her post-Oscar scandal seems moreinteresting than this slight narrative. Her performance here screamsKathy Lee Gifford on Lifetime, not Oscar winner. In fact, even KathyBates is in low gear here. Only the brilliant Adriane Lennox provesreally memorable. Perhaps the young actor playing SJ had some moments,but they, too, seemed way to over-orchestrated and (ironically) lackingreality.

Cool Dude (2012-05-17 14:38)

44 year old with 2 daughters movie review

My daughters are 15 and 13. They go to public school and unfortunately are inundated with bad language all day long, kids talking about having sex and doing drugs........all kinds of bad influences, yet they still remain fairly Godly children amongst it all. I knew nothing in this movie would shock them and they'd be able to handle it. All 3 of us loved it. They never see me cry, but I teared up many times. The story is very touching. To see people rise to the occasion to help this kid was very heartwarming. They really took a chance. No matter what race the kid was, usually kids like this are troubled from everything they've been through, and have alot of anger in them. It was interesting when Michael Oher tells Sandra Bullock his real mother always told him to close his eyes when something bad was about to happen, and then she would tell him to open them when it was over. He had blocked all the bad stuff out of his life, interestingly enough. But he had no guidance. They took him in and gave him every chance to succeed, and he appreciatively did what he had to do to succeed. Very touching and interesting success story, including the near ending when he goes back to his old 'hood and nearly derails his life. Good for Michael Oher and good for the family who took him in. Really shows what can be accomplished with tough love, although Oher didn't really need them to be "tough" on him. He did everything they asked and more. We loved this movie. Not for young kids though. There are some sexual, drug, and gun themes involved, and several bad words. I'm sure they cleaned it up as best they could though.I also liked how they didn't make the Toohees (spelling) out to be saints. They showed them actually being concerned if Michael would steal anything the first night. Concerned about him living there with their teenage daughter. They showed their Ole Miss influence on him. They showed Mrs. Toohee in her rich social gathering dealing with friends who were making jokes about her project of taking on Michael, although she shot them down. But it was great how her kids took him in as family also. Greatest line of the movie: Michael's first game he comes out playing soft at offensive tackle. The defensive player across him is beating him every play. Finally Michael has had enough and he blocks the kid all the way down the field and over a fence. The refs throw a flag for "excessive blocking". Oher's coach smiles and asks Michael where were you blocking him to? Oher says, "to the bus coach. I thought it was time for him to go home." Great line. I'll remember that for a long time.

(2012-05-16 22:35)

Excellent

I watched this movie with my 14 yr old daughter. We both liked the youngest sons personality. Tim McGraw was a great husband and father in the show. Sandra Bullock deserved the academy award.

Jackson Booth-Millard (2012-05-16 02:01)

The Blind Side

Quite often films that are up for Oscars are released in Britain aroundthe time of the ceremony, but with the ceremony being a month later Iwas able to see the film after. Based on the true story, this tells thestory of Michael 'Big Mike' Oher (Be Kind Rewind's Quinton Aaron), theneglected African American teenager, who with little education grew upto become a football star. So the film starts when he was young andhomeless, and he seems quiet with hardly anyone to rely on, until he istaken in by the Tuohy family: wife/mother Leigh Anne (Oscar and GoldenGlobe winning Sandra Bullock), husband/father Sean (Tim McGraw), sonS.J. (Jae Head) and daughter Collins (Lily Collins). Leigh Anne, afteradopting Michael to be part of the family, encourages Michael assuringhim that anyone given a chance can accomplish what they want, and hispassion for American football is quite significant. As he practises forhis big chance, she gives him an idea of how to play the game, knowinghe got a high grade in protection, she tells him to think of theopposition as people threatening her family, and it works. Soon enoughhe is gaining much attention by American football coaches, seeing hisfootage, of course there is a low point when his education is gettinghim down, but with the help of home school teacher Miss Sue (KathyBates), he does improve. He is also questioned about why he wants to gothe same school as the Tuohy family, but he gets through this, andLeigh Anne and the whole family can be proud of him when he reachesgreat heights. Also starring Ray McKinnon as Coach Burt Cotton, KimDickens as Mrs. Boswell, Adriane Lenox as Michael's mother - DeniseOher and Catherine Dyer as Mrs. Smith. Aaron makes a good not verytalkative and sensitive soul, the supporting cast all get their momentstoo, but the film is of course taken over by the award winning Bullock,who did deserve the Oscar out of the five nominated actresses. As forthe film itself, it is a very subtle film, with some kicks (literally)in the American football (which I know nothing about) games, it's upthere with Jerry Maguire as a likable sports drama. It was nominatedthe Oscar for Best Motion Picture of the Year. Very good!

(2012-05-13 19:44)

A Must See, Great Movie

There are some movies where you see the preview and you know exactly what to expect. You can script out the dialogue yourself before you ever even get in the car for your drive to the theater. Then there are other movies that surprise the hell out of you. "The Blind Side" falls somewhere in-between but what took me off guard is the superb acting, injected with several humorous moments and the way the story touched your heart. While I am sure to get lambasted for the next statement all I can say is bring some Kleenex because the movie while somewhat predictable is a tear jerker and exceptionally well done.Michael Oher, played by QUINTON AARON. is from the projects. His mother is a drug addict with kids from more fathers than she can remember. Her main goal in life is simply to find enough money to get the next fix and she has trouble even remembering her children's name let alone where they might currently be living. Michael spends his time hopping form one couch to another and if he can't find a place to crash he sleeps on the street. By luck of the draw he finds his way into a private all white Christian school and not long after gets kicked out of his current house.Leigh Anne Tuohy, played superbly by Sandra Bullock is a bossy, no non-sense rich house wife. She is strong willed to the point and doesn't spend a lot of time with the softer side of life. She has a heart but she doesn't let it get in the way of her goal and the direction she has taken to get there. By chance she sees Michael walking along the side of the road one night in shorts and a polo shirt in the rain. It is freezing cold and she attempts to figure out why he is not at home with his family. At that point she takes him into her house and her family reluctantly agrees. With her iron clad ruling I am not sure her husband had a choice but she placates him at times with the thought that he might.There are several great lines in the movie but two that stand out for polar opposite reasons are: Sandra Bullock at one point states that it isn't she who is making such a difference in Michael's life as much as it is he who is changing hers. With his lumbering huge frame and raw physical power he is nothing more than a big soft teddy bear. He is gentle with the kids, loves helping people and quite to the point of reclusive. He comes across as a genuine product. My girlfriend's favorite line is when Sean Tuohy, played by Tim McGraw says "I never thought I would have a black child before I met a Democrat". You roll in the floor laughing at that one.Michael Oher might possess a natural athletic ability but he does not naturally like violence. It takes him a while before he figures out the game of football but once he does he excels instantly with his innate talent. The sports aspect plays a key role and with the story being based on the true life experiences it is amazing when you see Michael play on Sunday mornings for the Baltimore Ravens. He ended up being a first round draft pick.The story is more about two worlds colliding and what we, who are a little more well off than others, can do to help if we open our hearts and our minds. Color has always been a dividing point in our nation since the first slaves were shipped here from Africa. One can only hope that with the first black President and the softening that has occurred over time we might as a nation finally be ready to set aside our prejudices and accept people for who they are as people versus their ethnicity.So bottom line, I loved the movie. It was hard not to show the tears streaming down my cheek as I casually wiped them away. It is a heartwarming, well acted, excellently directed production. A perfect feel good story for the holidays that will hopefully spur some extra giving this year. I strongly recommend seeing it if you can pull yourself away from the high octane action flicks and or vampire movies for a couple of hours. You will not regret it.

(2012-05-13 08:48)

Great real life story!

This review is from: The Blind Side (DVD) Every now and then, real life comes along in a story that both warms your heart, makes you laugh and challenges the way people should treat one another. In this great piece of movie making Sandra Bullock bravely earns her Oscar with a brilliant performance of a strong Southern woman whose gutsy attitude makes all the difference to a young man who needed it. This is a must see, one that you will want to keep and watch many times.

itszombietime (2012-05-11 10:17)

I can see why Michael Oher was unhappy with this film

First of all, Quinton did a fine job in the lead role. Let's get thatout of the way. Great acting job. He took the material he was given andplayed the role very well.However, this film is pure Hollywood sap, a "feel good" movie thatpicks and chooses factual elements and builds a fictional tale aroundthem. The film loves the character of Leigh Ann (who is really not thatinteresting, although she is kind hearted and generous), and as aresult, Oher is relegated to a shy over-sized charity case with no clueand no skills of any sort, other than his natural kindness andresilient character. That strengthens the focus on Leigh Ann's rescueactions, how she "saved" this poor aimless kid and gave him all thelife skills he needed to succeed on and off the football field. Itresonates with white suburban do-gooder audiences, but it's just notaccurate.In truth, Michael Oher was already a very good football player when theTuohy family took him in. And he had a bold, confident personality thatrubbed off on everyone and made him a natural leader. He was amotivated, focused kid who knew what he wanted, but came from anenvironment where no one really cared or provided support. He was NOT ashy, introverted pathetic case. He just came from a terrible domesticenvironment and found stability with a nice rich family. The real storyof Michael Oher is how he caught the luckiest of breaks and escaped theghetto jungle and was able to leave all that soul crushing crap behind,and focus on academics and athletics in a completely different uppermiddle class environment. It's a study in how important environment isin the life of kids and teenagers, and how it can make a hugedifference.But what we, the audience, receive is a Hallmark channel film that isnothing more than a lazy, formulaic, fictionalized "warm your heart"chick flick couched in a football world. Sassy dialogue,woman-takes-charge scenes, tender moments, etc -- all the usual stuffis there. The film would have been FAR better had it focused on Oher asthe lead character, instead of Bullock. No offense to Bullock, who is afine actor.It is well known that real life Michael Oher was very displeased withthis film, and how it portrayed him.

(2012-05-10 14:40)

BRAVO from a NON MOVIE BUFF

I am usually not the movie water type but I heard so many good things about this movie that I HAD to get it. The fact that it happened in Memphis was unbelievable b/c I am from near Memphis and nothing like that ever happens there. This movie captured my heart from the first time I saw Michael Orr, a poor black kid lost in the system finally get a chance at life. He was accepted into a Christian college on faith. None of his teachers thought he would amount to anything but a white lady he didn't know took him in and raised him. She legally became his mother and gave him a life he could only have dreamed of. e went on to go to the NFL. This is a MUST SEE for anybody with a heart.

thrownhott14 (2012-05-09 20:18)

This movie is inspiring!!

The Blind Side is without a doubt the best movie produced. When iwatched this movie for the first time it automatically became myfavorite movie. Seeing Sandra bullock, playing the role of Leigh AnneTouhy was amazing! Sandra Bullock is such an outstanding actor and shefit the role perfectly. This film was fantastic, to see such aheadstrong lady along with her family adopt a neglected and out ofplace teenager was very inspiring. I feel that the acting wasphenomenal and that the actors deserve some major credit. There wasn'ta slow part in the entire movie and it really made a lot of goodpoints. The point that really came across to me was that if you seesomeone struggling, you can be that persons hero all by helping themout and believing in them. This can make a huge difference on that oneperson, knowing that somebody actually cares about them and will takethe time to support them. You won't believe the impact it will have onyou after seeing this movie. I think this movie had solid points and ithad a very inspirational message behind it.

(2012-05-09 14:27)

Finally! A great movie!

This review is from: The Blind Side (DVD) I saw this movie in the theater and vowed right then and there that I would be buying this movie the moment it was released. The acting was fantastic and the story was amazing (even more so when you found out that it was based on truth). It had this motivating factor that had you wanting to walk out of the theater and do something good for someone. Just loved this movie and now I am happy that I own it for my DVD library!

(2012-05-08 14:14)

Great Movie

This review is from: The Blind Side [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) I wish more movies were made like this one. A movie is enjoyed more when it isfocused on a true to life story. I do not care to watch a movie filled with crimeand sex. The public is starving for decent movies. Writers today lack the talentfor a good story line.I really enjoyed the movie and wish there more caring people as that family.I am sharing the DVD with others who were not able to go to see the movie in thetheatre.

phd_travel (2012-05-07 21:00)

Feel good

You don't have to be a football fan to enjoy this story of helpingothers. Its competent for what it is.Bullock is good. She does not overact. Lucky it wasn't a heavycompetition year or she might not have won for this role which didn'trequire that much acting.The movie avoids sentimentality. The only thing is the saintliness ofLeigh Ann and her family is almost hard to swallow. Maybe it shouldhave shown some more of the difficulties of the family's acceptance ofthe adoption to be more balanced.The actor who plays Michael seems a bit impassive. I guess it wasdeliberate.Worth watching once.

Rockwell_Fassbender (2012-05-07 10:19)

Just not very good.

I didn't think this was as offensively bad some do, but it certainlywasn't any good. A lot of people cried foul at the "white woman savesthe day!" aspect, but since it's a true story I didn't mind it toomuch. What I did mind was the lack of realism in a lot of it. Not onlydid they change the facts to make it seem like Oher was this doofusnobody who was taught everything about football by Leigh Anne Tuohy,but scenes like the one where she went into the projects on her ownjust felt so cheap and artificial. I don't know, a lot of the sceneswith Tuohy felt like the writer was just sitting behind his computerwriting it thinking, "Damn that bitch is sassy!".Sandra Bullock doesn't really help matters, but I was surprised by herrestraint in a lot of scenes. When I first heard that awful accent inthe opening monologue I shuttered at the idea of spending two hourswith it, but was surprised to find her not very grating. Actually, sheended up feeling more flat than anything else, as did a lot of thisfilm. It wasn't a brutal watch by any means, but everything was reallybrought down to it's lowest denominator and turned into this dry,vanilla TV movie. It also features what has to be some of the worstdialogue I've ever heard. A project gangster actually says the line,"I'll bust a cap in your fat ass." What.

thesar-2 (2012-05-06 20:59)

Blindness

Boy, The Blind Side tried. It really did attempt to be a tear jerker.If it weren't for an interview I heard/saw from the real-life MichaelOher (played here by Aaron) who said barely a scene actually happened –stating most were for, well, dramatic effect, it still would fail atbeing 100% interesting.Oher's homeless after his druggie mother (of, like 15 kids she may/maynot remember giving birth to) doesn't want anything to do with him, asare the other caretakers, he runs into stuck-up rich wife gal LeighAnne (Bullock) and she takes him in. Showing she's not perfect, evenshe admits the first night, she worries a person of color will stealfrom (or harm) her family. Guess what? Oher ends up being someonedecent, albeit reclusive and attaches himself to the rich family'skindness.Eventually he opens up, feels more safe and proves that football's histhing. So much, that the coincidentally ex-cheerleader mom encourageshim further and then into a college scholarship. Throw in someoutrageously Lifetime drama of a conflict on which school he choosesand you'll get the "exciting" climax of him making it big on his ownterms.These all sound like complaints. And they're really not. This moviewasn't bad, per se, but not great. It tried too hard, way too hard fortears of the audience. I'll admit: it nearly got me in a few scenes.Unfortunately, before I could fully get emotional, the movie shiftsgears and I'm back to watching a movie that should have, in fact, endedon the Lifetime Channel verses the big screen.The more I heard about Bullock's performance – Oscar worthy, they say,I had to see this movie. She was really good, I will say. The best? No.Great, even? Again, no. But really good. I believed every scene she wasin as mother-of-the-week Leigh Anne Touhy. Was this her bestperformance? Or the best she could be? By no means, that's a negative.Heck, not only was she better in Speed, her absolute best job was in2005's Crash, in which, she wasn't even nominated. Like Pacino, whoonly…ONLY for the love of Pete…won an Oscar for one role (Scent of aWoman), Bullock will probably be recognized for The Blind Side, despiteher being so much better in Crash. It's those old Oscar cronies way ofmaking up for past mistakes, as they generally do.Was the movie worth watching? Sure. For the (waaay over used) great(based on, inspired by, etc) true FOOTBALL movies? Not really. Ifyou're looking for that, look elsewhere. And having literally hundredsof the "true" football films come out in the past two+ decades, itshouldn't be hard to find. This one has basically one real footballgame scene and a few practices. It's more about overcoming prejudices,charity, the 'hood and, of course, Bullock's Oscar chances. See it, ifeverything else is sold out.SIDE NOTE: Like many other "TRUE STORIES" that use a tremendous amountof unrealistic but dramatic scenes that, for the most part, are enteredin to move the story along to fit in years of lives in mere hours, TheBlind Side hit a nerve with me. In one of the key plot points, theyoung boy of the Touhy family (Head) films all of Oher's footballpractices and games. He eventually sends a copy to the recruiter'soffice and from there, every single, and I mean EVERYONE of the,recruiting colleges/universities want this rather large soon-to-befootball player. Here's my petpeeve: Though I know, once again, thesetypes of movies thrive on the heavy drama (to make us weep!) and haveto get the job done in under 3 hours (short attention span, audience,eh?) they cut corners with extreme amateur videos (the boy was about10) that are professionally made. For example, he's completelystationary yet, the film follows the action on the field, namely Oher.Not only did this type of filming never occur, it was extremely hard tobuy the recruiters sitting back, laughing, high-fiving their way todollar-signs in their eyes due to the "excellent footage" they'rewitnessing on their monitors. Give me a freaking break.

(2012-05-05 18:29)

The Blind Side

This review is from: The Blind Side (DVD) The product arrived on time and was a very good price compared to local prices.

The Movie Guys (2012-05-05 04:24)

Mind the Bullocks

When I first saw this trailer in the theater, I teared up. Somethingabout it caught my attention right from the start. I know, I'm a suckerfor an underdog movie, but I think I was welling up because I knewSandra Bullock was going to kick major ass in this movie and I wasright. (Oh, and she looked hot as hell too!) Let's not beat around thebush, I loved this movie. I had no idea that it was based on a truestory until the end when I saw footage of the real Michael Oher. Idon't really like sports movies and I am not a huge football fan, butthat's not what this movie is about. This movie is about doing what isright even if it's the harder thing to do.This is the real-life story of Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), herhusband Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw) and their unlikely new "son" MichaelOher (Quinton Aaron). Leigh Anne is a wealthy southern spit-fire whospeaks her mind and knows what she wants. One night when she spotsMichael walking in the cold rain without a coat, that's it, from thatmoment on, Michael's life would never be the same.Michael's father left when he was just a baby and his mother is a drugaddict. Even though he is homeless and wanders from couch to couch, hisspirit is never broken. He has the body of a giant and the heart of alamb. He just needs a chance and thanks to Leigh Anne, he gets it.The love that Leigh Anne and her family show Michael is honest andreal. I especially found the relationship of the children and Michaelto be unique. I kept waiting for the cliché scene where the"legitimate" children are jealous of Michael and all of the attentionthat he's getting. Thankfully, that never happened. I think that speaksvolumes to what great parents Leigh Anne and Sean were. Their childrenlearned by their example and did not pass judgment on Michael justbecause he was poor and from the projects.For me, the major theme in this movie was: What does being a Christianmean? How many good Southern Christians passed by Michael that nightwhen he was walking in the cold? How many people go to church everyweek and give to the local food banks but would never pull the car overand invite a huge African-American boy into their car and, eventually,into their life? Leigh Anne Tuohy didn't even stop to think that shemight be making a mistake until long after she took the young man intoher home and tucked him into bed. That's a Christian who talks the talkand walks the walk.Oh, and who knew the movie would be so funny?! Tim McGraw (who was sobelievable as the husband that I didn't even recognize him) has some ofthe funniest lines in the movie. His performance is rock solid and heholds his own next to Bullock's fast and feisty Leigh Anne. Jae Head,who plays the Tuohy's son, steals scenes with his quick wit andenthusiasm. He's a perfect match to Michael's quiet, Ferdinand The Bullenergy.So, could this finally be Sandra's ticket to the Oscars? I can't besure of that. But I can be sure that this movie was pretty great, evenwithout Bill Murray in it. (Who knew that was possible).