In the film, it seems that Michael Oher developed a love for football thanks to Sandra Bullock, who plays Leigh Ann Tuohy. While she did play a pivotal role in helping to jump-start Oher’s football career, he didn’t learn everything from her nor did he get all his training from her.
The real Michael Oher felt that the director wanted to depict a moving mentor-and-mentee story, and thus chose to leave out some important details regarding what Oher himself did to reach his achievements. He feels that the film didn’t include the hard work that he had to put into his career himself in order to reach his goals. Michael Oher has said “I’ve been studying, really studying, the game since I was a little kid.”
Tension
In the movie, race was referenced a few times; once by Sean Tuohy when he confesses that he can’t believe he has a black son, and a second time when a player jokes with Oher during a game. But, during the film, Oher's struggle with race inequality is not given the importance that is deserved and Oher felt like the film didn't show even the half of it.
In real life, Michael Oher and the Tuohy family sacrificed a lot because of the choices they made. While the Touhy family did enjoy having Oher around and were happy to give him a home, Leigh Anne understood that people in the community might not be so happy with the decision. In The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, the book, Leigh Anne explained, “We knew people were going to have issues because we had a daughter exactly the same age.” It turns out that she received questions from people all over town, in shops, restaurants, and school events. Being the boss lady that she is, Leigh Ann eventually started to hand out a single piece of advice to people who confronted her: “You just need to mind your own business. You worry about your own life and I’ll worry about mine.” Nonetheless, Oher and his adoptive family got along quite well, although the differences between them were unmistakable.
Not Exactly Home Sweet Home
Again, the film's need to condense Oher's life resulted in a skewed version of the football star's story. In the film, it seems that Michael Oher integrates into the Tuohy family right away, with the Tuohys grateful that he’s the perfect son and sibling and Oher respectively, grateful for the warm parents he never had. But, don’t let the Hollywood Embellishment get to your head, things are not as the film made it seem, which is only natural, given the circumstances.
Both Oher and the Tuohys had their doubts. There was friction between the two parties, which perhaps never completely dissipated. Still, the relationship between them wasn’t horrible. Oher still thinks very highly of the family who took him in. Plus, he did bond well with S.J. and Collins Tuohy. However, it was a relationship that took time to nurture, and not one which developed over night. The illusion that the director created in the film is heart-warming, there's no denying that. And, they sure did a good job at drawing people into the film. But, it wasn’t quite like this in reality.
Sandra Bullock Almost Was Not In The Movie
Sandra Bullock received rave reviews for her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. So rave, that she even took home an Oscar and Golden Globe award for her performance. However, even Bullock had some uncertainties about the role.
Bullock was offered to play the role several times but she declined because she was nervous to play a devout Christian. Bullock could not be persuaded to accept the role, that is until she met Leigh Anne Tuohy in real life. Following that event, she at once decided it was her mission to be a part of the story. However, she wasn’t the only actress being considered for the part.
Julia Roberts: "No"
So, who else did the director offer the role to prior to Bullock? None other than the four-time Golden Globe Winner and Academy Award winner, Julia Roberts. While it would have been a good move for Roberts considering the film’s eventual success, Roberts chose to turn down the role.
She did not feel that the part was right for her… perhaps she also just had to meet Tuohy in real life and then she too would have wanted to be a part of the film. So, Sandra Bullock took the role and gave an outstanding performance that would re-develop her career for the better, and we will explain why later on in the list.