Movie review: The Blind Side
May 4, 2010
All day long yesterday my wife felt sick–which, unfortunately, has been a common occurence lately. So, we watched the movie Blindside together last night.
The opening sequence is gripping. Old footage shows Joe Theisman taking a snap for the Washington Redskins. Within a 4 second period he is sacked. A lady’s voice narrates the play. Then she rewinds the play, and counts down second by second until 4. The sack, she informs, was Theisman’s last play ever, ending his career for good. This opening sequence gripped not only me, but also my wife, who is by no means a football fan.
The Blind Side has become quite popular, especially in Christian circles. Some churches are even showing the film at church functions. But does the movie deserve the label “Christian”?
In oder to answer that question, let me recap the plot. The movie tells the story of a well-to-do white family living in Tennessee, whose children attend a ritzy Christian school. Through a series of events, this family opens their home to a poor black teenage young man. “Big Mike,” as everyone called him, learns to adjust to life with his new family, and they welcome him in as their own. Michael becomes a star football player and succesful student.
As gripping as the movie was, I saw nothing whatsoever “Christian” about it. Yes, the family says grace before a meal; Yes, they acknowledged God’s existence; Yes, the football coach challenges the school to enroll Big Mike because it’s “the Christian thing to do.” That is about the extent of any hint of a “Christian movie.” If anything, the movie pulled punches and deliberately avoided an overt Christian message. For example, at one point the husband asks his wife, “Why are you so kind to everyone? Why do you care about Big Mike? Why does everything you do have to be selfless and giving?” The “Christian” wife’s response: “I don’t know, I guess it’s some kind of weird quirk that I can’t help.” That’s a pretty lame response from a Christian movie, if you ask me!
Was there a Christian message to the movie? Possibly. Without question the movie was inspiring and had a moral point. The family, after all, opened their home to someone in need. They used their money to bless and change someone’s life forever. And seeing the wife of the family drive into the Ghetto and confront the gang members was quite something. But is any of that Christian? In the end, the family is White, upper-class, Republican, generous, and sometimes spiritual. But does that make them Christian? I think any of the actions and religious lingo in the movie could have easily been extolled by a Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness, Muslim, Jew, etc.
Perhaps one of the strongest spiritual messages of the move was the picture of adoption. Big Mike went from being a poor black child without family, without hope for a future, to being a full member of the family–he even was given his own brand new pickup truck. In light of the movie’s lukewarm, feel-good sentimentality, I question whether this Christian picture of Adoption was merely a coincidence.
The Blind Side is quite entertaining and very well done. No doubt, the viewer will come away inspired to love the down-and-out. One wonders, however, if this movie merits being touted as a Christian film. Why, in the end, should we or anyone feel the need to classify certain movies with special titles, beyond simply good, wholesome, old-fashioned entertainment?
Good comments. I personally will not show the movie at a ‘church’ gathering.
Why?
First of all, explicit words for both male and female body parts are used.
Second, there were some other 4 letter words used.
Why else?
This may step on some toes, but here goes…
The mama in the movie was wearing the pants for the family. She was the leader of the family and the husband ‘went along, yes dear, yes dear’ with the things she wanted.
As far as wholesome themes – team work, watching each other’s blindside, sticking together, accepting one another, working hard at studies, looking outside the upper middle class ghetto, etc are all fine themes.
One of the sub themes that the movie also pointed out is the time and energy that college football coaches go to in recruiting players for their teams. Unfortunately too often, players do not make the grades,and are kept on teams, just so they will win. College football recruiting is a big deal, and coaches make lots of deals.
Anyhow, those are just a few other insights from the frogsview.
I’m glad you mentioned the part about the mother being the leader of the family. You’re exactly right; I think that men are often portrayed in movies and on t.v. as the weak and passive ones. While this is unfortunate but not surprising, I am taken aback that few find a problem with this in a movie that is touted as “Christian”.