Friday, February 1, 2013
Football and Family - The Blind Side as an Adoption Movie
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But. The Blind Side begins with football (a clip of Joe Theismann and Lawrence Taylor) and ends with football (spoiler avoidance). So Husband was quickly on board. And he STAYED on board due to the strength of the acting, the interesting plot twists (that seem slightly over-the-top, except that they actually happened), and the endearing, welling-up feel-good story. You probably already know that The Blind Side is an adoption story. A transracial adoption story. A crack-addicted biological mom, a barely-known father, and a shattered childhood story.
(Technically, there wasn't an adoption -- just legal guardianship out of foster care.)
Still. It's the story of a boy with no family (functionally speaking), and a family who was open to him. Of the openness on both sides that allowed for an amazing transformation of both the boy and the family.
Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Ann Tuohy, a Memphis socialite and lover of beautiful things, a steel magnolia with an unyielding will. Singer Tim McGraw is her husband, Sean, owner of a slew of Taco Bells who doesn't need to report to work on a regular schedule. They have two children: Collins, a high school cheerleader, and SJ (Sean Jr), a young and precocious boy who befriends the older and lonely Michael, played exquisitely by Quinton Aaron.
Michael, 16-ish, quiet and somewhat lost, has been in and out of foster homes most of his life. He eventually leaves each one to seek his elusive mother, sometimes finding her and sometimes not. He owns the clothes on his back and an extra shirt. He hangs out at a laundromat. By chance, he gets into a private school.Where he struggles academically. Where he crosses paths with SJ and later with the whole Tuohy family. Where testing shows that he scores incredibly low on every measured criteria except one: Protective Instinct, which is at 98%. This proves to be the key to both Michael's past as well as his future.
So begins the transforming. The film touches on the two-way street of giving and getting when adding a family member -- not just the rescuing part. "He's changing MY life," Leigh Ann says when her socialite friends commend her efforts. Too often, outsiders see adoption, especially foster-adoption, as an act of charity, of selflessness, when really, those in the know are aware of how much is gained.
Some of the more difficult parts of the loss of Michael's biological family are revealed. Leigh Ann tracks down Michael's mother, and we see her pain of letting him down. In this scene, Leigh Ann doesn't feel the need to replace the mother, but simply serve as mom in light of the mother's inability. Secondly, Michael's encounter with a waiter in a restaurant ends in an embrace. When Leigh Ann asks who that was, we can see the deep scar from the separation of another biological family member.Transracial issues are addressed in neighborhood scenes; the comparison between the bona fide mansion of the Tuohy's and the projects of Michael's roots are stark. Watching Michael and Leigh Ann move between the worlds is anxiety-provoking.
And there are flashbacks of Michael's earlier trauma, as his healing and integration begin to take place.
A glaring but minor drawback: there are no messy family dynamics. No school issues for the Tuohy children, no problem with chores and responsibilities. Just two perfect children gleefully bringing a new and near-grown brother into their lives without any adjustment problems. Maybe I'm just jealous.The film ends with a "What happened to ... ?" segment. And we see the real-life unfolding of events, with photos of the real Leigh Ann, Sean, Collins, SJ, and Michael.
My children and I watched The Blind Side at home when it came out on DVD. Parts of Michael's story were hard for them to witness. They especially enjoyed the scenes in which Michael wasn't sure what or whom he could trust and how that resolved. When the Baltimore Ravens play anyone but the Denver Broncos, we root for Michael Oher on football Sundays.
Lori Holden writes from Denver at LavenderLuz.com about parenting and living mindfully. Her book, The Open Hearted Way to Open Adoption: Helping Your Child Grow Up Whole, is available for pre-order on Amazon. She has written for Adoptive Families magazine, Parenting magazine, for BlogHer and MileHighMamas.com. Lori is the keynote speaker at the March 9 Parenthood for Me Gala. On Twitter she's @LavLuz
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You might also like:
The Hobbit: Adoption Movie Guide
The Tigger Movie: Adoption Movie Guide
Meet The Robinsons: Adoption Movie Guide
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I so love that movie and yes! I never realized at the time I was watching it why! Total adoption themes! Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt really goes to show that a movie doesn't need to call itself an adoption movie (ie, Juno, Meet the Robinsons)... to still be very relevant to adoption!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to review this film here, Addison! The kids and I are eager to cheer for Michael Oher this weekend.
ReplyDeleteHey, he won :) Thanks again for being my first guest poster, Lori!
DeleteI like that you addressed the drawbacks in the film. I love this story, certainly, but I do think the movie fails to adequately portray the adjustments of moving a teenager into one's life. My husband and I opened our home to one of my students after he graduated, and for a while, it was more weird than warm and fuzzy. It had just been the two of us, and we had to get used to having this person around all the time with different ideas about sleeping hours, laundry, eating habits, etc. Later, we moved in another 18-year-old, and there were challenges as he struggled with things like curfew and sharing a bathroom with others. It all worked out fine, but it wasn't always a smooth transition.
ReplyDeleteAnd while I appreciate the film, I do get uncomfortable sometimes when friends accuse me of trying to replicate the Tuohy's life by deciding to make our guys part of the family. There are similarities in the narratives, I suppose, but I generally don't make major life decisions based on movies, ya know? Gees.
I love what you and your husband are doing, Camille! It's hard to believe that people would accuse you of trying to replicate the Tuohy's... but even if you were following their example, what do your friends see wrong with following a good example!!
DeleteI really enjoyed this movie when I saw it and enjoyed it again through your post. I think it was especially moving because it was based on a true story.
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Despite taking the lead through Dimitar Berbatov just before the break, Jardim's side were beaten 4-1 at Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas.
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Louis van Gaal is keen to be reunited with the 24-year-old after he played a starring role in the Netherlands' run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Brazil.
Last week Blind told Goal he would find it hard to turn down United if they were to make an approach, but was silent on his future following Ajax's 3-1 Eredivisie win at AZ on Sunday.
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Agen Bola Terpercaya Cityholidaybet Reported - Manchester United winger Nani insists that being loaned out to Sporting CP is not a "step back" for his career.
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Another issue is the whote savior aspect...
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