51 The Blind Side (2009)
The Blind Side: A Closer Look at Race, Power, and Fairness
By Logan Miller
The Blind Side is more than just a feel-good sports drama—it’s a movie that asks viewers to think about race, privilege, and who gets to tell their story. Based on the real-life journey of Michael Oher, a Black teenager experiencing homelessness who becomes a successful football player, the film follows how his life changes after being taken in by the wealthy white Tuohy family. While many people admire this story for its kindness and inspiration, looking closely at how the film is made shows that it also includes deeper issues of difference, power, and discrimination. The way the movie uses sound, editing, camera work, and scene design helps send messages about who belongs, who gets support, and who holds control.
The movie was released in 2009, when conversations about race, representation, and equality were becoming more common. The Blind Side was directed and written by a white filmmaker, and the story is mainly told from the Tuohy family’s point of view, especially Leigh Anne’s. While the movie is based on true events, Michael Oher later said in interviews and his book that the movie made him look quiet, unsure, and not very smart, even though in real life, he had strong goals and worked hard. This matters because when films are based on real people, they help shape how audiences think about those people. A story about a Black teen overcoming hardship becomes more about the white family that “saves” him, which is something that deserves a closer look.
One of the main themes in the movie is difference. This is shown clearly in the scene where Michael is walking alone at night in the rain, carrying his clothes in a plastic grocery bag. The scene starts with a medium shot of the Tuohy family inside their warm, clean SUV, wearing nice clothes and laughing together. The camera uses this cool shot, shooting through a rainy window, to show Michael alone in the dark street. He wears a T-shirt and shorts, while the scene is lit by moonlight. The sound is quiet, with only rainfall, animal noises, and distant traffic. This all gives the feeling that he is alone and exposed. These shots visually show the big gap between Michael’s life and the Tuohy families. When Leigh Anne gets out of the car and walks toward him, the camera shifts to Michael’s point of view, placing them briefly on the same level. But the scene still shows Michael as the person who needs help and Leigh Anne as the person who can give it. Harry Benshoff and Sean Griffin explain in America on Film that “Hollywood films have historically centered white, male, heterosexual characters, often pushing characters of color… to the margins of the story.” Even though The Blind Side tells Michael’s story, he is often on the edge of the screen, quiet and waiting to be rescued.
Another important part of the movie is power. Leigh Anne Tuohy makes most of the big decisions, like what school Michael goes to or who tutors him. One scene shows her walking onto the football field to tell the coach how to use Michael. The low camera angle makes her look strong, and the quiet sound helps the audience focus on her voice. She’s clearly the one in charge. Michael, on the other hand, is often filmed from above, looking small and silent. In class, we talked about how characters who don’t speak much often aren’t given full control of their own story. That helped me realize that while I respect Leigh Anne’s help, I don’t fully agree with how the film centers her power instead of giving Michael more of a voice. My view is negotiated. In Representation Matters, Ravi Patel says, “From stereotypical portrayals to outright erasure, many groups have long been underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream film.” That helped me see how Michael’s silence might be less about his personality and more about a pattern in media.
The movie also shows discrimination, even when it’s not always obvious. In one scene, Michael sits quietly in the school office while adults talk about him as if he’s not there. The camera stays in a wide shot, keeping him pushed to the edge of the frame, showing how he’s overlooked. Another moment is when Leigh Anne takes him to lunch with her friends. Their stiff smiles and silent judgment reflect hidden bias. While the film suggests these moments are just awkward, they show a deeper problem, Michael is being judged based on race and class. Almost all authority figures in the film are white, which adds to the message about who has power and voice. I find my view of the film’s take on discrimination to be negotiated. It tries to show bias but stops short of exploring how racism truly shapes Michael’s world. Since the film was made by white creators, some emotional truths may have been missed. As Miles Coiner writes in “An Annotated Bibliography on Film,” “The best place to begin developing a serious understanding of film would be with the major works of film theory.” That reminded me to think about what the movie leaves out, not just what’s shown.
Some people may see the film differently. They often focus on the real-life kindness of the Tuohy family, who took Michael in and helped him succeed. This part of the story is true, and their actions were important. In fact, many online reviews praise the Tuohys as examples of selfless generosity. One IMDb reviewer wrote, “It’s refreshing to see a film about people helping each other without asking for anything in return.” But it’s also okay to ask questions about how these stories are told. Why are so many films built around a white character helping someone else? Why don’t we hear more stories from the point of view of people like Michael? Films like Freedom Writers and Green Book do something similar, they make the helper the main character, even though they’re telling someone else’s story. These stories can feel hopeful, but they also reflect a pattern. This connects to larger issues in American media, where marginalized voices are often filtered through someone else’s lens. So even though the Tuohys’ help mattered, it’s worth asking who gets to be the hero, and why that keeps repeating in movies.
I chose this movie out of all the others out there because it stuck with me. I’d seen it before and liked the emotional story, but rewatching it in class helped me see it in a new way. Learning about DPD and film techniques made me realize that The Blind Side isn’t just emotional, it’s carefully designed to send messages. For example, warm lighting and soft music inside the Tuohy home make it feel safe and welcoming, while early scenes with Michael are darker and quieter, signaling discomfort and struggle. I also thought about newer sports dramas like Safety, which tells a story about family and college football but gives more focus to the experience of the Black main character. Seeing the difference between how these stories are told made me think more about whose voices get centered in films. The Blind Side inspired me to look deeper at how race, class, and power are shown on screen. Out of all the movies I could’ve chosen, this one challenged me the most to think critically, and that’s why I picked it.
In the end, The Blind Side is both inspiring and complex. It tells a true story with heart, but it also reflects a deeper problem in Hollywood, who gets to be the hero and who gets left in the background. By paying attention to scenes, camera choices, and sound, we can see how the film sends messages about difference, power, and discrimination. Watching movies with a critical eye doesn’t take away from the good parts. It helps us become smarter viewers who care about fair representation. That way, stories like Michael Oher’s can be told with the honesty and depth they deserve.
References
Benshoff, Harry M., and Sean Griffin. America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies. 3rd ed., Wiley-Blackwell, 2021.
Coiner, Miles. “An Annotated Bibliography on Film.” Notre Dame English Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 1971, pp. 23–30. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/40066645
Patel, Ravi. “Representation Matters: Diversity and Inclusion in Contemporary Cinema.” Journal of Language, Arts, Culture and Film, vol. 1, no. 1, 2024, https://jlacf.shodhsagar.org/index.php/j/article/view/8
