http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/06/18/17/29BF3A0700000578-3130028-image-a-17_1434645819905.jpg
Oddly enough I saw a trend between Lincoln and The Blind Side, two movies that I didn't think could any more different from each other. Both movies could be viewed as "family dramas" in which the main purpose of the movie seems to be to tell an inspiring story, and that's about it. Both movies contain little to no special effects, melodramatic romance, sexual content, and violent content. It's been quite refreshing to watch back to back movies that leave the "extra stuff" at the front door.
https://michaeloher.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/blindside.jpg
Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) has a tough family background behind him. He has also struggled to perform well in his academics. When sports coach Burt Cotton (Ray McKinnon) witnesses Michael's impressive athletic skills, Michael is admitted into Wingate Christian School. Seeing that Michael has not where to stay, Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and the rest of her family invite Michael to stay in their home. This soon becomes a permanent arrangement, and Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family. After significantly improving his grades, Michael joins the school football team. Michael continues to blossom as he is offered several athletic scholarships from southern universities.
http://i.lv3.hbo.com/assets/images/movies/the-blind-side/the-blind-side-1024.jpg
As described before, The Blind Side really doesn't have much special effects to offer, which isn't surprising for a rather middle-of-the-road budget of $29 million. Besides, the movie is not centered around any big effects, concerned more with the story itself. The script even has a few jems, like the scene when Coach Cotton tells off one of the referees for his blatant racism towards Michael.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8Xejt9O460
Sure, this scene, along with many others goes along with the "feel-good" essence of the movie. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. In a world with all kinds of cinematic genres, and multiple ways dramas can be made, sometimes "feel good" movies are the way to go. I don't think the story was meant to be dark or twisted, and director John Lee Hancock (The Rookie, Saving Mr. Banks) clearly wanted a movie with an uplifting and heartwarming core. Let me put it this way: if this movie were a song, it would have ended on the sweetest major chord you could imagine. It's a very pleasant drama, and a fitting film for the holiday season.
The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, and won one of them. Sandra Bullock won an Academy Award for best performance by an actress in a leading role.
http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/f6/94/f694a45f4ca4fe66eb976259f398e829.jpg?itok=BYzLGU-Z
Ironically enough, a day after winning her Oscar, she received the Golden Raspberry award for worst actress in All About Steve. Well, at least she's not afraid to try a wide range of roles? Uh...yeah. Let's go with that. Nonetheless, Bullock captivates the determined, hardheaded spirit of Leigh Anne in a very charming and entertaining way.
Other stand out performances include Quinton Aaron who plays a very likable, good-natured, and protective Michael Oher. While Aaron plays a friendly character, he also makes sure that Michael does not come across as stupid or easily pushed around. In fact, there is a fight scene between Michael and an old neighbor of his named Alton (IronE Singleton). When Alton refuses to stop making insulting remarks about the Tuohy family, Michael shoves him into a cabinet and a fight breaks loose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd24GXWLmJ0
Kathy Bates is featured in the movie as Michael tutor, Miss Sue. She probably delivers the funniest line in the movie. I even laughed out loud a little in the library.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DaWcHIGk7I
And S.J., played by Jae Head, is quite the little character as well. I feel like in a lot of movies, they push the little kid to be the "annoying one". Thankfully, the movie doesn't try to use this card, and S.J. is nothing but a sweet, energetic companion towards Michael.
http://3219a2.medialib.glogster.com/media/2d/2d2d5d9a6b4d27bb19252910221432b81d7b1c3dbd940981a58fc3d73caafc90/the-blind-side-20091119015602376-640w-jpg.jpg
On the surface, most people would probably say that the movie is not advocating for racial superiority. Some critics and viewers however, beg to differ when looking at the different dynamics that went into the story. Sociology professor from the University of Connecticut, Dr. Matthew Hughey mentions how some "saw the movie as another instance of a 'white savior film'- the genre in which a white character saves a lower-or working-class, usually urban or isolated, nonwhite character from a sad fate" (Hughey). The film has also been accused of being a product of "white guilt" or the idea that white people feel ashamed of themselves over how their ancestors may have mistreated ethnic minorities in the past.
Nevertheless, this belief in white superiority ringing throughout The Blind Side is not supported by other scholars. Another article written by Greg Burris, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Film and Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara presents a counterargument to Hughey's points. Burris dissects a specific scene from the film when Leigh Anne is eating lunch with her plainly patronizing and judgmental friends (it makes you wonder how Leigh Anne began a friendship with these women in the first place).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OCmZuUVZfA
Burris writes, "one of her [Leigh Anne's] dining partners feigns admiration and lets a supercilious compliment slip from her lips: 'Honey, you're changing that boy's life.' Detecting condescension, Leigh Anne responds curtly 'No, he's changing mine.'" The scholar later states, "The film is about change. It affirms not only that change is possible but that we are presently in the midst of it" (Burris).
Those who find the movie to be a "white savior film" think that the white character providing help is grossly praised for being a good person. The dining scene between Leigh Anne and her friends can contradict this belief, however. When Leigh Anne's friend tries to applaud her for what she is doing, Leigh Anne simply tells her that it is Michael who's helping her. Those few simple words of dialogue show that this film should not be dismissed as merely some kind of "white guilt" or "racial superiority" public service announcement. From what I could see in the movie, Leigh Anne is not molded as some kind of amazing hero. Sure, she does a lot for Michael. But I don't see why it should matter if she is a white rich woman, and he is a black poor boy. So what if that's a common formula in movies? The fact is, the film was based on true events, and provides the audience with a classic feel-good story about the underdog working towards incredible achievement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuYlHxijIho
If you want to criticize movies for painting the picture of a well-educated, wealthy white person helping out a poor minority for their own selfish benefits, pick on movies that aren't based on real-life occurrences. Pick on movies like Dancing With Wolves, where Kevin Costner, without blinking an eye, decides to join a Native American tribe, or Avatar, which basically has the same plot line only with blue people. I would definitely argue that the storyline of both of these movies can leave the audience with a bitter taste in their mouth.
http://www.gunaxin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Dances_Avatar.jpg
The Blind Side is a harmless movie that does convey real meaning. It's not sweet enough to be sugary crap, and it's not bitter enough to be a hard hitting soul-changer of a movie. The flick offers enough drama mixed with the occasional joke for the average American family to enjoy. This is definitely a sit-with-the-kids-and-share-a-bowl-of-popcorn kind of movie.
No comments:
Post a Comment