The Blind Side

I suspected, after reading Megan Basham's review (below), that the filmThe Blind Side would be worth seeing. So my wife and I went this weekend, and we were truly blindsided by a film abundantly rich in its humanity and unabashedly Christian in its underpinnings -- a modern day object lesson in Luke 10:25-37 and Matthew 25:31-47. Not only that, it's a true story. You can read the synopsis of the plot below. What that won't tell you is that Sandra Bullock (commanding and authentic, in what critic Elias Savada called "Her finest performance. Ever.") and Quinton Aaron (in an appropriately understated but amazingly subtle and nuanced performance) will steal your heart away. There are plenty of Kleenex moments, but this cinematic stew has been well seasoned with its fair share of laugh-out-loud humor as well. Its moderate Metacritic rating reflects the fact that it was admired by those who accept (and often approve of) the film's message and intent, while it was panned by those (often mainstream) critics who feel every film must address "pervasive racism in America" every time a Black actor appears in a major role (e.g., "[The movie] begs off any serious investigation of race." or "This sports drama never strays from the surface, never exploring more complicated socioeconomic and racial issues."). The film's appropriate race-blind perspective is summed up brilliantly by Director John Lee Hancock: "Leigh Anne Touhy didn't stop that car to pick up that kid because he was African-American. She stopped that car to pick up that kid because he was cold." In its third weekend, The Blind Side did what few movies do –- it has climbed to the top spot in the box office rankings after two weekends in second place. Clearly, news of the innate beauty, charm, and inspiration of this film is spreading. Do yourself a favor and take your family to see