The Blind Side by John Lee Hancock, Essay Example

Introduction

The Blind Side, a film from 2009 directed by John Lee Hancock and starring Sandra Bullock, tells a heartwarming story of the relationship that evolves between Leigh Anne Tuohy and a homeless boy named Michael Oher. As the story unfolds, Tuohy and her husband become Michael’s legal guardians and support his entrance into the world of football and in understanding his potential as a student. The film represents a unique approach to a highly unconventional relationship that was viewed by many as unacceptable and inappropriate, given the nature of the racial divide and the mentoring of a white woman and a black young man. This relationship serves as the primary driving force of the film and supports an understanding of the unique dynamics of different relationships and in determining what is required to achieve mutually beneficial results and a positive approach to basic humanity. This film provides significant support in favor of helping others who cannot help themselves due to circumstances beyond their control.

Body

As the film’s first scenes begin to unfold and the audience is introduced to Leigh Anne and Michael, it is important to recognize the stark physical contrast between the two people, as Leigh Anne is a 40-something thin white woman and Michael is a large, physically imposing, and athletic young black man. Their physical differences alone create a level of intimidation in some ways, and it serves as the primary evolution of the relationship within the film. In many ways, Leigh Anne is rough around the edges and is not fearful of Michael’s stature, and in spite of his size, he is less intimidating than he appears. As a result, Leigh Anne is able to identify a sense of vulnerability within Michael’s soul that needs to be taken seriously, as he appears to need and want love and support on a basic human level. His needs have been largely unmet for most of his life due to his homelessness and his lack of family; therefore, he is unable to communicate effectively with others and is painfully shy in many ways. It is important for Leigh Anne to recognize his vulnerable state and to aim to tap into his psyche to make a difference that will positively impact his life.

When Leigh Anne befriends Michael, it is important for her to make him feel welcome into her home and family, as this represents her ability to care for a human being that is not one of her closest confidantes. She must learn how to build a relationship with Michael based upon trust so that he is able to begin to trust her and to move away from his painfully shy state. Based upon the actions that Leigh Anne takes in making Michael feel welcome, it also causes some degree of strain within her family and in particular, with her husband. From this perspective, it appears that he feels neglected to some degree because Leigh Anne is spending much of her time serving as a guardian and mentor to Michael as he acclimates to a new environment. As this relationship evolves even further, she is able to tap into his talents that are visible on the football field, particularly as he become less shy and is able to overcome some of the issues and the stigma that keep him from making friends and performing at the highest possible level.

The growth of this relationship serves as the critical turning point of the film and demonstrates a high level of mutual respect, admiration, and courage that continues to thrive as the story moves forward. From this perspective, the two become closer at the expense of alienating her family to some degree. Nonetheless, it is difficult to ignore the bond that develops between the two individuals and how it becomes an unmistakable mutual support system that carries Michael into a high-performing athlete on the football field. This is important because it also reflects a degree of influence that Leigh Anne has over Michael and whether or not this influence played any role in his admission to her alma mater. After a series of events during which Michael briefly abandons his new family, he begins to realize the true meaning of family and makes the decision to return to Leigh Anne and her family. His acceptance into college serves as the climax of the film and provides evidence of the ability of the two people to overcome just about any situation and to have an unmistakable bond, in spite of their differences. These characteristics are relevant because they support an understanding of the dynamics of relationship development and in determining what is required to meet expectations and to make difference in each other’s lives.

Conclusion

This film offers an important evaluation of how relationships evolve among people from entirely different circles of life. This is an important reminder of the ability of different people to bond over a variety of circumstances and to develop a strong and deeply rooted relationship as a result of these issues. It is important to consider the impact of these issues within the film and to be cognizant of the unique nature of the relationship between Leigh Anne and Michael. In some ways, the two individuals thrive because of each other and learn about each other to the extent that it has a positive and lasting impact on the rest of their lives. This relationship provides each member with a mutual support system and an understanding of what is required to facilitate a meaningful relationship between two people from very different worlds, yet who share common needs in order to fill a void that is largely missing the desired level of emotion and communication among human beings.