SCREEN IT! PARENTAL REVIEW: THE BLIND SIDE

"THE BLIND SIDE"
(2009) (Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron) (PG-13)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Moderate	Mild	Extreme	Moderate	Moderate

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Mild	None	None	None	Moderate

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
Heavy	Minor	Extreme	Heavy	Moderate

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A confident woman and her Southern family take in a poor and undereducated teen, give him the home life he never had, and help him hone his football skills that make him a top college prospect.

PLOT:

Leigh Anne Touhy (SANDRA BULLOCK) is a confident woman with a profitable business as a home designer, a good husband in restaurateur Sean (TIM McGRAW), and proud mother to teen Collins (LILY COLLINS) and her younger and quite precocious brother, S.J. (JAE HEAD). She's used to getting what she wants, but does so with a heaping of southern charm that prevents others from harboring any bad feelings toward her.

When she sees teenager Michael Oher (QUINTON AARON) walking along in the cold without proper attire, and not only learns that he attends the same Christian school where S.J. is a student, but has also been sleeping in the gym there due to his mom being a drug addict, Leigh Anne decides without hesitation that he should stay with them.

She isn't the only one interested in him, however, as Coach Cotton (RAY McKINNON) realizes the teen's immense size could come in quite handy on the football team. The only problems are Michael knows little about how to play the game, is perhaps too passive in training, and doesn't have the grades or reading ability to be on the squad.

Even so, and with both the Touhys and various teachers' help, Michael progresses both in the classroom and on the field, eventually drawing the attention of college recruiters. With his grades needing more help, however, Leigh Anne hires tutor Miss Sue (KATHY BATES) to get him ready for college, but they must all contend with several obstacles that threaten to undermine their work and his future potential.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: They might if they're interested in sports movies (particularly football ones and/or those based on true stories) and/or are fans of anyone in the cast.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: SANDRA BULLOCK plays a confident and take charge Southern woman, business owner, wife and mother who decides they should take in Michael and give him the home life he's never had. She must contend with various obstacles that arise from doing just that, but never backs down in her determination to help him become the best young man he can be. She occasionally has some wine.
QUINTON AARON plays a poor and undereducated teen, a gentle giant who's been neglected most of his life, with no true home to speak of until Leigh Anne takes him in and then treats him like her own. Despite his past, he works hard both in the classroom and on the field to better himself.
TIM McGRAW plays Leigh Anne's husband, an ultra successful restaurateur who doesn't mind letting Leigh Anne run the household and call the shots. He uses some brief minor profanity.
JAE HEAD plays Leigh Anne and Sean's precocious son who takes it upon himself to teach Michael about football, help him train, and serve as his negotiator when dealing with college recruiters and coaches.
KATHY BATES plays a tutor who helps Michael get his grades up high enough that he'll be able to attend college, with her trying hard to persuade him to attend her alma mater.
RAY McKINNON plays the school's football coach who isn't as successful at motivating and coaching Michael as Leigh Anne and S.J. turn out to be.
LILY COLLINS plays S.J.'s teenage sister who doesn't mind Michael, a stranger, living in her home, and treats him like a brother.; QUINTON AARON plays a poor and undereducated teen, a gentle giant who's been neglected most of his life, with no true home to speak of until Leigh Anne takes him in and then treats him like her own. Despite his past, he works hard both in the classroom and on the field to better himself.
TIM McGRAW plays Leigh Anne's husband, an ultra successful restaurateur who doesn't mind letting Leigh Anne run the household and call the shots. He uses some brief minor profanity.
JAE HEAD plays Leigh Anne and Sean's precocious son who takes it upon himself to teach Michael about football, help him train, and serve as his negotiator when dealing with college recruiters and coaches.
KATHY BATES plays a tutor who helps Michael get his grades up high enough that he'll be able to attend college, with her trying hard to persuade him to attend her alma mater.
RAY McKINNON plays the school's football coach who isn't as successful at motivating and coaching Michael as Leigh Anne and S.J. turn out to be.
LILY COLLINS plays S.J.'s teenage sister who doesn't mind Michael, a stranger, living in her home, and treats him like a brother.; TIM McGRAW plays Leigh Anne's husband, an ultra successful restaurateur who doesn't mind letting Leigh Anne run the household and call the shots. He uses some brief minor profanity.
JAE HEAD plays Leigh Anne and Sean's precocious son who takes it upon himself to teach Michael about football, help him train, and serve as his negotiator when dealing with college recruiters and coaches.
KATHY BATES plays a tutor who helps Michael get his grades up high enough that he'll be able to attend college, with her trying hard to persuade him to attend her alma mater.
RAY McKINNON plays the school's football coach who isn't as successful at motivating and coaching Michael as Leigh Anne and S.J. turn out to be.
LILY COLLINS plays S.J.'s teenage sister who doesn't mind Michael, a stranger, living in her home, and treats him like a brother.; JAE HEAD plays Leigh Anne and Sean's precocious son who takes it upon himself to teach Michael about football, help him train, and serve as his negotiator when dealing with college recruiters and coaches.
KATHY BATES plays a tutor who helps Michael get his grades up high enough that he'll be able to attend college, with her trying hard to persuade him to attend her alma mater.
RAY McKINNON plays the school's football coach who isn't as successful at motivating and coaching Michael as Leigh Anne and S.J. turn out to be.
LILY COLLINS plays S.J.'s teenage sister who doesn't mind Michael, a stranger, living in her home, and treats him like a brother.; KATHY BATES plays a tutor who helps Michael get his grades up high enough that he'll be able to attend college, with her trying hard to persuade him to attend her alma mater.
RAY McKINNON plays the school's football coach who isn't as successful at motivating and coaching Michael as Leigh Anne and S.J. turn out to be.
LILY COLLINS plays S.J.'s teenage sister who doesn't mind Michael, a stranger, living in her home, and treats him like a brother.; RAY McKINNON plays the school's football coach who isn't as successful at motivating and coaching Michael as Leigh Anne and S.J. turn out to be.
LILY COLLINS plays S.J.'s teenage sister who doesn't mind Michael, a stranger, living in her home, and treats him like a brother.; LILY COLLINS plays S.J.'s teenage sister who doesn't mind Michael, a stranger, living in her home, and treats him like a brother.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
Then read OUR TAKE of this film.

(Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).

OUR WORD TO PARENTS:

The following is a brief summary of the content found in this drama that's rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a few sexual and body part slang terms, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Some sexually related dialogue is present, as is a scene featuring a married couple playfully fooling around in bed (nothing explicit and no nudity).

Violence consists of some fighting and threatening with guns toward the end of the film, a driving accident (with brief/minor bloody results) and standard football game violence (as well as repeat views of a famous leg breaking incident). Some behavior might be enticing for kids to imitate, while bad attitudes are present.

A mother is noted as being a drug addict but no use is seen, while drinking occurs in several scenes. Tense family material is present, as are various thematic elements.

If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: The father of Michael's friend states that Michael's mom is on the crack pipe.
Leigh Anne has some wine.
A thug drinks from a brown paper bag, and we then see others doing that as well.
Leigh Anne and her friends have wine with lunch.
Some miscellaneous people have wine in a restaurant.
After Leigh Anne's family have their Christmas photo taken with Michael, they get a call from her cousin who states he's had about five cold ones (beers), and asks if they know there's a "colored" boy in their photo (played for laughs).
We hear that Michael's mom has a dozen or more kids, has a record of drug arrests, and that Michael is a ward of the state due to being taken away from her when he was 7.
Michael's mom informs Leigh Anne that she might have some wine in the kitchen, but Leigh Anne declines. We see a wine bottle on a table in this scene.
We see a glass of wine on a table in Leigh Anne's house.
A thug/drug dealer tells Michael that the latter's mom comes by about this time of a day for a little taste. He then says he'll get Michael a "forty" (big bottle of malt liquor) and then has one for each of them.
Michael says that his mother would tell him to close his eyes for the bad things that occurred, including her taking drugs.

BLOOD/GORE: As Michael and S.J. sing in the former's SUV, they end up distracted, with Michael then plowing into a truck that pulls out in front of him. They hit hard, and S.J. is a little bloody (on his chin and shirt), but otherwise is okay, while Michael has some blood on his arm from having deflected the air bag from hitting S.J. full-on.
Knowing it will spook him, Miss Sue lies to Michael about one college (where she doesn't want him to attend) where they do forensics body part testing, and that there are body parts under the football field (played for comedy).

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: About basketballs being left out on the court at a school, Michael and a friend can't believe the trust, with Michael joking, "White people are crazy."
Seeing Michael's size, the football coach wants him on the team, and when others balk due to his low grades, etc., he reminds them that theirs is a Christian school that's supposed to help others.
One teacher has a bad attitude about Michael being allowed to attend their school.
Michael sneaks his clothes into a woman's clothes dryer at a Laundromat.
After Leigh Anne's family have their Christmas photo taken with Michael, they get a call from her cousin who states he's had about five cold ones (beers), and asks if they know there's a "colored" boy in their photo (played for laughs).
Leigh Anne's socialite friends somewhat look down on her thought of possibly becoming Michael's legal guardian. One even asks what her father would say and Leigh Anne reminds her that he's been dead for five years. Another asks if she's worried about Collins in that Michael is a "large black boy" sleeping under the same roof.
About Michael not being aggressive, the coach says that it looks like Tarzan plays like Jane.
A white father has a bad attitude about Michael, as does his son on the field who calls Michael a "big buck," "fat ass" and such.
A white ref lets a white player get away with kicking Michael on the head (helmeted) while he's on the ground during a game. When Coach Cotton complains, the ref throws a flag on his team.
A NCAA official questions whether Leigh Anne and Sean, along with Miss Sue unduly influenced Michael's decision to attend their alma mater, making that official wonder if anything illegal occurred. After that, Michael briefly questions Leigh Anne's intentions and storms off in anger, but later returns.
A black man uses the term "n*gger."
A thug salaciously asks Michael if Leigh Anne has a daughter, and then wonders about Michael, "You tap that?" When Michael doesn't reply, the thug thinks that means yes, comments on Michael getting a "little piece" and then adds that he'd like some of that mommy-daughter action himself.
A thug has a bad attitude toward Leigh Anne, referring to her as a "bitch" with her calling him that back.

FRIGHTENING SCENES: We see several views of footage from the real football game where Lawrence Taylor sacks Joe Theisman and accidentally breaks his leg, but only one that shows the awful, incorrect bending and breaking of that leg (no blood).
As Michael and S.J. sing in the former's SUV, they end up distracted, with Michael then plowing into a truck that pulls out in front of him. They hit hard, and S.J. is a little bloody (on his chin and shirt), but otherwise is okay, while Michael has some blood on his arm from having deflected the air bag from hitting S.J. full-on.
After a thug makes salacious comments about Leigh Anne and Collins and shows that he has a handgun, Michael drives him backwards through stuff in a house, followed by another thug aiming his gun at Michael's head, but the shot misses. Michael then drives him backwards as well, causing more property damage.

GUNS/WEAPONS: After a thug makes salacious comments about Leigh Anne and Collins and shows that he has a handgun, Michael drives him backwards through stuff in a house, followed by another thug aiming his gun at Michael's head, but the shot misses. Michael then drives him backwards as well, causing more property damage.
Leigh Anne informs a thug that she belongs to the NRA and is always packing (a gun). He jokingly asks if that's a .22 or a Saturday night special, with her informing him that it shoots just fine all other days as well.

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Between the t*ts" (where the coach tells Michael to put his hands on another male player while blocking him)," "T*tty bar," "You tap that?" (sexual), "White people are crazy," "Not Martha Freaking Stewart," "Saved our ass," "Dork," "Who's that fine thing?" "You need bigger and taller," "Don't get your panties in a wad," "You look like a giant bumblebee," "Already p-o-ed," "Who died and made him Bear Bryant?" "Damn girl," "Pissed," "Looks like Tarzan plays like Jane," "Forty-eight minutes of hell," "Bad ass," "Big buck" "Fat ass," "Hey crotch mouth," "Piece of crap," "Redneck son of a bitch," "Yo, Deliverance," "Who thought we'd have a black son before we knew a Democrat?" "Freakin,'" "The hell with the NCAA," "I sure as hell know I didn't," "Get your ass on in here," "N*gger," "Bitch" (thing), "Little bitty bitch," "Hell yeah," "Snow flake," "You hear me, bitch?" and "No, you hear me, bitch."
Michael sneaks his clothes into a woman's clothes dryer at a Laundromat.
S.J. uses various spice containers on the dining room table to stand in for players as he teaches Michael about football plays.
We see some tattooed thugs.

JUMP SCENES: None.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): None.

MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE): None that we heard but a song had lyrics that we couldn't fully hear and/or understand, thus presenting the possibility of it potentially containing something objectionable.

PROFANITY: At least 2 slang terms for sex ("tap"), 2 for breasts ("t*ts" and "t*tty"), 6 asses, 5 hells, 3 damns, 1 crap, 1 S.O.B., and 1 use each of "Good Lord," "Mother of God" and "Oh my God."

SEX/NUDITY: About football left tackles, Leigh Anne comments (in voice over narration) that, among other attributes, they're "wide in the butt" (and we see the close-up view of one such man's clothed butt).
We see a sign on the outside of a city store that advertises "Girls" and "Lingerie."
A male thug's shirt is open, revealing his bare chest.
A male thugs sees Leigh Anne in her tight skirt and wonders, "Who's that fine thing?"
Leigh Anne shows a little cleavage in several outfits in different scenes.
Sean and Leigh Anne kiss in bed, with him then crawling on top of her and continuing to kiss her while she talks about something completely unrelated. He jokes that he tries to concentrate on one thing at a time, while she jokes about being a multi-tasker when he married her. They then do more playful kissing and the scene ends there.
Leigh Anne's socialite friends somewhat look down on her thought of possibly becoming Michael's legal guardian. One even asks if she's worried about Collins in that Michael is a "large black boy" sleeping under the same roof.
Telling Michael where to put his hands to block another football player, the coach says to do so "Between the t*ts."
Leigh Anne slaps the male coach on the clothed butt in passing (while going out to advise Michael since the coach has failed). Various boys on the football team then stare at Leigh Anne with dropped jaws as she walks away in a tight skirt.
Leigh Anne states that some college recruiter previously took Michael to a "t*tty bar" and that it gave the teen nightmares after that.
A thug salaciously asks Michael if Leigh Anne has a daughter, and then wonders about Michael, "You tap that?" When Michael doesn't reply, the thug thinks that means yes, comments on Michael getting a "little piece" and then adds that he'd like some of that mommy-daughter action himself.
We see some shirtless male thugs.
While dropping off Michael at college, Leigh Anne tells him that if he gets a girl pregnant out of wedlock, she'll come there and cut off his penis.

SMOKING: A miscellaneous person is seen smoking.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Michael hears his mom and a man arguing about him.
The school principal or other such figure informs Michael that his father has died after falling or jumping from an overpass. When asked, Michael says he wasn't close to him nor remembers the last time he saw him.
Michael returns to his mom's house to retrieve some clothes and spots an eviction notice on the door, and that unsettles and embarrasses him.
Michael hugs a young man who works in a restaurant, later identifying him as his brother who he hasn't seen in years.
Leigh Anne's socialite friends somewhat look down on her thought of possibly becoming Michael's legal guardian. One even asks what her father would say and Leigh Anne reminds her that he's been dead for five years.
We hear that Michael's mom has a dozen or more kids, has a record of drug arrests, and that Michael is a ward of the state due to being taken away from her when he was 7.
Leigh Anne visits Michael's mom who states she doesn't remember the last time she saw him, starts to cry, and then says she can't remember who Michael's father is.
A NCAA official questions whether Leigh Anne and Sean, along with Miss Sue unduly influenced Michael's decision to attend their alma mater, making that official wonder if anything illegal occurred. After that, Michael briefly questions Leigh Anne's intentions and storms off in anger, but later returns.
We see a brief flashback of young Michael being taken away from his mother.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: The historical accuracy and/or artistic license taken with the true story.
Having a mostly absent parent and/or one who's a drug addict.
The comment that after Joe Theisman's bad leg break from a sack, left tackles became some of the highest paid football players (due to the need to protect the quarterback).
The fact that Michael has no place to stay and that Leigh Anne offered him their home to stay in (with them).
Michael returns to his mom's house to retrieve some clothes and spots an eviction notice on the door, and that unsettles and embarrasses him.
The fact that Michael never had a bed before.
The football coach saying that most underprivileged or troubled kids take out their aggression on the football field, but not Mike.
Leigh Anne saying that Michael's gift is his ability to forget (the bad things in his life).
Sean jokingly asking who thought they'd have a black son before they knew a Democrat.

VIOLENCE: We see several views of footage from the real football game where Lawrence Taylor sacks Joe Theisman and accidentally breaks his leg, but only one that shows the awful, incorrect bending and breaking of that leg (no blood).
As Michael and S.J. sing in the former's SUV, they end up distracted, with Michael then plowing into a truck that pulls out in front of him. They hit hard, and S.J. is a little bloody (on his chin and shirt), but otherwise is okay, while Michael has some blood on his arm from having deflected the air bag from hitting S.J. full-on.
There's standard football contact during practice as well as games, but in one, Michael keeps blocking an opponent (who earlier kicked his helmeted head while he was on the ground) during one play until he drives him over a wall off the field.
Miss Sue playfully whacks Michael over an answer he gives while she's tutoring him.
After a thug makes salacious comments about Leigh Anne and Collins and shows that he has a handgun, Michael drives him backwards through stuff in a house, followed by another thug aiming his gun at Michael's head, but the shot misses. Michael then drives him backwards as well, causing more property damage.

Reviewed November 4, 2009 / Posted November 20, 2009

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