The Blind Side

TEACHING THE CULTURE OF LIFE: The Blind Side A Culture of Life Studies movie review Note to parents • Language: “a” word, b*tch, h*ll, d*mn, “n” word, the name of God in vain • Sexuality: A married couple kisses in bed (fully clothed), slang The Blind Side (2009) reference to a stripper club, threatening castration if a character GENRE : Sports, Drama engages in immoral behavior in college, football team watching STARRING : Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, a woman pass by Quinton Aaron • Violence: flashbacks to children being taken away from their mother, WRITTEN AND DIRECTED car accident, fight scene, references to using drugs/drinking BY: John Lee Hancock RECOMMENDED AGE: STORY SUMMARY 13 and up RATED : PG-13 Based on a true story, The Blind Side is the story of Michael Oher—a quiet, peaceful kid from the rough side of town. His mother is a drug addict, his father has long since abandoned the family, and he hasn’t seen his siblings since he was little. A friend, Big Tony, takes pity on Michael and tries to get him enrolled in a posh Christian high school. Although the school reluctantly admits Michael, the administrators don’t think that he will succeed or even do well enough to stay at the school. Living out on the street and carrying his school books in a plastic bag, Michael doesn’t make many friends at school.

One night, as Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy are driving their son home from school, they notice Michael walking in the cold and invite him to spend the night at their house. When Michael tries to leave the next day, they extend their invitation to him for Thanksgiving. Leigh Anne Tuohy takes Michael back to his mother’s apartment to get some of his clothes, only to discover that his mother has been evicted again. Leigh Anne offers Michael a room of his own in her home and she learns that Michael has never had a bed before. Eventually, Michael improves his grades enough to start learning sports at the high school, and he tries out for football.

When Michael asks Leigh Anne if he can get a driver’s license, the Tuohys consider becoming Michael’s legal guardians in order to give him a stable life. He does well in football, and the Tuohys hire a tutor to help him get his grades high enough to earn a scholarship to college. When Michael accepts a scholarship to the University of Mississippi, Sean and Leigh Anne’s alma mater, the NCAA suspects foul play and Michael believes that the Tuohys only helped him so they could help their school. He runs away, back to his friends in the rough part of town, only to finally understand that the Tuohys really do love him and care about him. The end of the film shows the real Michael Oher accepting his Ravens jersey in the 2009 NFL draft.

© 2016 American Life League LIFE THEME: EVERY CHILD DESERVES A CHANCE When Leigh Anne Tuohy meets Michael Oher for the first time on that cold November day, she knows it is her Christian duty to give him a place to sleep. Leigh Anne realizes that she has the power to change Michael’s life, but what she doesn’t know is how much Michael will change her life.

Coming from the rough side of town, Michael lives a very different life from the Tuohys. He has never had a bed, never knew his father, and never had anyone care about what he thinks or feels. While Michael’s mother did love him, she suffered from too many addictions and abusive relationships to properly take care of him. As a result, Michael had to fend for himself until he was taken in by a friend who had an extra sofa. But even when he had a place to stay, Michael was not made to feel as if he belonged or that someone cared about him enough to see him succeed. Even the Christian academy treats him like a failure. It is not until the Tuohys seriously consider Michael a permanent part of their family that he begins to improve.

Ignoring social norms and judgments from their friends, the Tuohys manage to give Michael the tough love that he needs to succeed. While the Tuohys could have sent Michael away, they chose the sacrifice of caring for him themselves. Little did they know how much good Michael would bring into their lives. God blessed the Tuohys and Michael by giving Michael the chance at a college scholarship, which eventually won him a place in the NFL.

Every person is blessed with unique talents and gifts, but not every person takes the opportunity to use their gifts. The world needs more people like the Tuohys—people who are willing to make sacrifices in order to give someone the chance at a good family.

HOW CAN I APPLY THIS TO MY LIFE? By giving Michael a second chance, the Tuohys took a concrete step toward changing their community. The Tuohy’s love for Michael did not depend on whether or not he attended their favorite university or if he became a football star. They cared about him as a person, not as a charity project. How often do we see the needy people in our own communities and ignore them? How often do we think that charitable work means sending a donation overseas when there are people in our own cities who need clean water, a place to sleep, and food to eat? Helping others could be as simple as smiling and making friends with a quiet kid at school or cheerfully offering to mow the lawn for an elderly neighbor. Do whatever small charitable acts you have the power to do to make the world a better place. True change in the world comes when you start seeing the needs of the people in your own community and do something about them.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. Much of The Blind Side focuses on a person’s Christian duty toward other people. How do the Tuohys and the Christian Academy fulfill their Christian duty toward Michael? The Tuohys offer Michael a place to sleep for one night and come to realize that simply fulfilling their Christian obligation will not be enough to give Michael the chance he deserves. The school administrators fulfill their duty to Michael by allowing him to enroll even though they feel certain that he will not succeed academically. While at first the teachers do not treat Michael with compassion, they slowly begin to realize that Michael is a bright student who needs their help. For Michael, success took a long time and a lot of hard work and determination.

How does their view of duty change to being a privilege to help Michael? When the school first accepts Michael, the teachers and administrators don’t realize how many gifts he possesses or the power that they have as educators to help him change his life forever. Once the teachers

2. What is the main message of The Blind Side ? The Blind Side teaches the value of stepping out of your comfort zone in order to help a fellow human being and that sacrifice for the sake of another is rewarding. Don’t let the judgments of society hold you back from helping your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Why is the sign “With men this is possible, with God all things are possible” important for the message of the film? Man does not get very far without God’s help. There is only so much that men can achieve. When men turn to God, nothing is impossible. In the world’s eyes, Michael is considered to be impossible and hopeless, but in God’s plan, Michael is a beautiful, talented, and unique person who will achieve great things.

3. What was the topic of Michael’s essay and why is it important for understanding his journey? For his final essay in high school, Michael writes about honor and courage. Any fool can have courage, but when you die for something important, you have both honor and courage. Michael loves his new family so much that he is willing to protect them with his life. He proves this when, during a car accident, he puts himself in harm’s way and stops the airbag from hitting SJ’s face and badly injuring him.

4. How do the other kids at school treat Michael? The other kids at the school are at first afraid of Michael because he is so big. But soon he makes friends with some of the little kids on the playground. The older kids still don’t treat him with the respect he deserves because they look down on him.

How do Collins and SJ treat Michael, even after he begins to live at their house? Although SJ becomes friends with Michael at the beginning, Collins resents having Michael move into her family. The kids at school give her a hard time, so Collins ignores Michael when she is with her friends.

How do you think their treatment of him impacted his life? When Collins finally accepts Michael and studies with him in front of her friends, they improve their relationship and become friends. When the Tuohys do what their hearts tell them, rather than follow the expectations of their friends, they find courage within, and they learn that kindness toward others can be life-changing.

5. How does Michael change the Tuohy family? Answers may vary. One example is what happened at Thanksgiving. The family members all grabbed food and began to eat in front of the television, while watching football, but Michael’s reaction encouraged them to sit as a family at the table. While watching sports together as a family can be a fun activity, Thanksgiving dinner is more meaningful when a family spends time together and takes a moment to think of why they are all thankful. Even though Michael comes from a broken family, he teaches the Tuohys the meaning of family and how they should treasure family relationships.