The Blind Side

THE BLIND SIDE (Nominations: 2)

I was pleasantly pleased with this film. I have not been so impressed with a sports-centered film since Remember the Titans. The film is emotional, well acted, and well paced. Hands down, Sandra Bullock is the best thing about the movie and deserving of all her recognition. She is just fun to watch in this role. Beyond her performance though is a real life tale of struggle, a tale of the “Haves” lending a hand to a “Have Not.” Michael Oher had a devastating childhood that most would have guessed would lead him to a life of drugs and crime. Instead, he stayed strong, kept pushing forward until someone with means noticed him and gave him a chance. It is impressive the charity that the Tuohy family provided, but Michael’s strength of character to not be lost before they had a chance to find him is more so. It is a beautiful film but one that I was surprised to see included in this list prior to my viewing.

Following it, I think it deserves the recognition, even if much of it comes from the spectacular work by Bullock. Most years, the list of Best Picture nominees includes a film that stands out due to a single performance, e.g., Milk for Sean Penn’s, There Will Be Blood for Daniel Day Lewis’, The Queen for Helen Mirren’s, Capote for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s, and Ray for Jamie Fox’s.

As for The Blind Side’s chances at gold, Bullock is the frontrunner for Best Actress and should come away with the win. It is worth noting the oddity that this year if perennial favorite Meryl Streep were to win the Best Actress award, it would actually be an upset. Streep poses the biggest threat to Bullock’s chance of glory, but I think we will be seeing another acceptance speech by the recently unretired Sandra Bullock. As for the film’s chances for Best Picture, they fall along the same line as the rest that are not titled Avatar or The Hurt Locker. It is just happy to be nominated, an acknowledgment it certainly deserves.

PREDICTED WINS: 1