Watching The Blind Side is an experience that parallels standing along the sidelines and viewing a game of football. You can’t help but cheer when things go well, cry and curse when they don’t, and be reminded that the game of life is a lot like football: you have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity – which is exactly what Michael Oher and the Tuohy’s appear to do.

Based on the phenomenal true story of Baltimore Ravens tackle Michael Oher, the movie centers around the “cinderella-story” of an African-American teenager from Memphis who is plucked off the side of the road on an icy winter night by a wealthy white family. After the Tuohy family picks him up, it is discovered that while Oher attends a wealthy private school on a scholarship, he doesn’t have a place to sleep at night or a place to call home. On that night, Oher is saved. He is rescued from his haunting past – one composed of an absentee father, a drug-addicted mother, and a childhood spent coming in and out of numerous foster homes. And while Oher’s history plays a significant role in how he perceives the world, it only comprises a small part of the film. Oher’s vivid childhood memories are compressed into nothing more than a few quick memories and flashbacks scattered throughout the film. The film does not focus on his past; it instead focuses on Oher’s renewal. The film is, in fact, concerned with something entirely different than the flurry of flashbacks. It is instead based off of something else entirely: the Washington Redskins’ quarterback Joe Theismann’s life-changing and career-ending injury in 1985. While this devastating injury seems to put an end to Theismann’s career, it seems to simultaneously provide endless opportunities to the once-homeless teenager who seemed to rise from nothing.

Theismann’s injury dramatically increased the value of the left tackle – the player who protects the quarterback’s “blind side.” Oher proves to be the perfect candidate to fill this role – he has the speed, weight, and size. And while he has all of the physical attributes that a football superstar might have, he lacks one thing: self-confidence. And that’s where the Tuohys come in- as a family who is completely fascinated with football, they acknowledge his potential, and nurture his raw talent while simultaneously nurturing his soul.

Sandra Bullock plays the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, a muti-tasking new-south born mother of the Tuohy’s. A mother who seems to get her way armed with nothing more than a tube of lipstick and a Coach bag. Following behind her is her husband Sean Tuohy, an easygoing charmer who knows when to move out of the way of his spit-fire wife when necessary. The rest of the clan involves their stunningly beautiful teenage daughter named Collins, and their charismatic son SJ. SJ provides the film with light-hearted humor, especially during seemingly rather intense scenes. What happens after Oher is rescued by the Tuohy family is a testament that there is still hope in a world that can seem rather cold and dark. The Tuohy family shed their light and illuminated the dark corners of the world. They were able to piece Oher back together from a world of destruction and despair.

The Blind Side, a remarkable film, depicts a story. One that is an emotionally-wrenching and raw tale about a family who gives a boy a home. One that teaches us the importance of being a little more human in a world that at times seems to lack compassion and empathy.