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Our take
The Blind Side is warm at heart, but the teen at its centre has lived with neglect, addiction in his family and threats from a gang. Football hits and a car crash are brief; the harder conversations are about race, class and what he has been through. We would watch together from 10.
Uplifting themes
Kindness, stepping up for a stranger, and treating people as equals sit at the heart of the story. It also shows that support helps most when the person gets to work hard for his own future Leigh Anne and her family show generosity, loyalty, and courage when people judge them. Michael is steady, hardworking, and protective, though the film leans on a rescue story that some viewers find simple Football rules, school struggles, and recruiting rules are explained in plain terms. Older kids also get a look at poverty, foster care, and how class shapes chances
Story (may spoil tone)
The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.
Details
Violence Football tackles are hard and frequent in the game scenes. A teen is th…
Football tackles are hard and frequent in the game scenes. A teen is threatened by a gang member, and a car crash gives a quick scare, but no one is badly hurt on screen
Language Hell, damn, and crap come up a bit in the locker room and on the field.…
Hell, damn, and crap come up a bit in the locker room and on the field. The s-word and the b-word land a handful of times near the end, usually in anger
Drugs / alcohol A teen's mother has an addiction, and his old neighbourhood is full of…
A teen's mother has an addiction, and his old neighbourhood is full of dealers and gang life. Adults have wine with dinner in a couple of scenes
Child peril / abuse A teenager has no home, little food, and years of neglect behind him, a…
A teenager has no home, little food, and years of neglect behind him, and the early scenes show him wandering and sleeping rough. Once a family takes him in, the worry eases quickly
Bullying / discrimination Some characters make racist remarks and sneer at the family's choice to…
Some characters make racist remarks and sneer at the family's choice to help a Black teen. He is sometimes treated as less than others, and the film addresses it head on
Gore / death / weapons A real-life football leg injury is replayed briefly on screen and looks…
A real-life football leg injury is replayed briefly on screen and looks painful. Apart from that, there is very little blood or injury detail in the film
Mental health The teen is quiet, withdrawn, and shaped by years of instability. The f…
The teen is quiet, withdrawn, and shaped by years of instability. The film shows how trust and routine slowly help him open up, without leaning on therapy
Grief / bereavement A family member killed in a gang fight comes up, and the teen speaks qu…
A family member killed in a gang fight comes up, and the teen speaks quietly about people he has lost. These moments are sad but short, and the story moves on to hope
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- How did the family's choices change what Michael could become, and what did he do for himself?
- What does it look like to help someone without making them feel like a project?
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The Blind Side
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