'I don't know whether I won cause you liked me, or because I wore you down' - Sandra Bullock, Best Actress Oscar acceptance speech, 7 March
I took my seat at Sunday's preview screening of The Blind Side with Bullock's self-deprecating quip very much in mind. Exactly how did she win the highest movie performance accolade on earth? What was I about to see on screen that has elevated this 45-year-old comedy actress to a dramatic class alongside Meryl Streep? The night before the Academy Awards, Bullock had even collected a Razzie for her role in the film All About Steve. Panned and praised in public in the space of 24 hours; wait till Hollywood gets hold of that true story.
Bullock's Wikipedia entry carries a quote about her from film critic Mark Kermode: "She's funny, she's gorgeous, it's impossible not to love her and yet she makes rotten film after rotten film after rotten film." I have deliberately swerved most of these movies to date (life's too short to watch decaying cinema) but I have to concur on Kermode's first two points, and Bullock's career proves that likeability equals longevity in showbusiness.
Bullock's reputation and her Oscar triumph should guarantee good numbers in the UK for The Blind Side, even though few British filmgoers who see it will have much knowledge of the source material. In short, a poor black teenage boy, who's something of a gentle giant, is taken in by a wealthy white woman and her family in Memphis. After several months of getting up to speed academically, the boy - Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) - is unleashed onto the football field. College coaches are soon clamouring to recruit him, leading to some tough questions and eventually a big decision.
There's no denying this is an "extraordinary" true story (the film poster helpfully reminds us) that was worth bringing to the screen. Oher's journey takes him from mean streets to NFL stadiums, from the ravenous to the Ravens, and it's a brassy Republican interior decorator who gives him directions, transcending traditional Deep South divides of class and race. Bullock brings humour, warmth and star quality to her role. She was right on both counts as to why she won the Oscar. However, this does not catapult her into the top echelon of actresses. Call me old-fashioned, but I think awards should be handed out on merit, even if you are Miss Congeniality.
Also up for debate in The Blind Side is the storytelling employed by writer/director John Lee Hancock. It took five years for Hancock to see another green light after the failure of The Alamo. The movie was trounced on Easter weekend six years ago by Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and showed an estimated loss of just under US $120m. Hancock eventually went back to what he knew best - sports. His first picture The Rookie had been a minor hit for Disney in 2002 and has since become a firm family favourite.
And broadly speaking, that's Hancock's target audience - Mom, Dad and the kids. On screen, the Tuohys are the perfect unit and you're invited into their home to identify with them. Hancock has given Leigh Anne 'smarts' and a winning smile; Sean is slightly hen-pecked but wise and steadfast; SJ is a cheeky scamp; and Collins is a polite, well-mannered teenager (OK, not so believable). Having watched an interview with the Tuohys, they seem favourably depicted.
Outside the clan, it's a different story. Michael's sceptical teachers, the goofy high-school football coach, the toughs in the projects, the drug-addled mother, Leigh-Anne's bitchy friends, the hard-nosed NCAA official - all these supporting players come across as caricatures and stereotypes. Some further digging reveals Oher's school, Briarcrest Christian, asked not to have their name used in the movie, so upset were they with the "artistic license" used by Hancock. And bar one scene where the family says grace, God is never mentioned. Considering Leigh Anne's Christian values inspired her to take in Michael Oher in the first place, why has her faith been stripped out of the film?
The Blind Side is what I'd call a McDonald's movie (here comes the analogy). It made me feel good at first, but sometime later I was left feeling hungry for more wholesome fare. Appropriately, Bullock provides some premium beef; sadly, it's surrounded in processed cheese.
Memorable Line: Leigh Anne Touhy: If you so much as set foot downtown, you will be sorry. I'm in a prayer group with the D.A., I'm a member of the NRA and I'm always packing.
I Know That Face: Wingate football coach Burt Cotton is played by Ray McKinnon, who was the weaselly campaign manager in 2000 Coen Brothers Depression adventure O Brother, Where Art Thou? Like Bullock, McKinnon is an Academy Award winner - he shared the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film with his wife Lisa Blount in 2001 for The Accountant.
Listen Again: Southern Voice - Tim McGraw.
Further Reading: The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. As recommended by my mate Imran on Twitter. In addition, here's an interview with the author where he talks about the real Michael Oher.
Also up for debate in The Blind Side is the storytelling employed by writer/director John Lee Hancock. It took five years for Hancock to see another green light after the failure of The Alamo. The movie was trounced on Easter weekend six years ago by Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and showed an estimated loss of just under US $120m. Hancock eventually went back to what he knew best - sports. His first picture The Rookie had been a minor hit for Disney in 2002 and has since become a firm family favourite.
And broadly speaking, that's Hancock's target audience - Mom, Dad and the kids. On screen, the Tuohys are the perfect unit and you're invited into their home to identify with them. Hancock has given Leigh Anne 'smarts' and a winning smile; Sean is slightly hen-pecked but wise and steadfast; SJ is a cheeky scamp; and Collins is a polite, well-mannered teenager (OK, not so believable). Having watched an interview with the Tuohys, they seem favourably depicted.
Outside the clan, it's a different story. Michael's sceptical teachers, the goofy high-school football coach, the toughs in the projects, the drug-addled mother, Leigh-Anne's bitchy friends, the hard-nosed NCAA official - all these supporting players come across as caricatures and stereotypes. Some further digging reveals Oher's school, Briarcrest Christian, asked not to have their name used in the movie, so upset were they with the "artistic license" used by Hancock. And bar one scene where the family says grace, God is never mentioned. Considering Leigh Anne's Christian values inspired her to take in Michael Oher in the first place, why has her faith been stripped out of the film?
The Blind Side is what I'd call a McDonald's movie (here comes the analogy). It made me feel good at first, but sometime later I was left feeling hungry for more wholesome fare. Appropriately, Bullock provides some premium beef; sadly, it's surrounded in processed cheese.
Memorable Line: Leigh Anne Touhy: If you so much as set foot downtown, you will be sorry. I'm in a prayer group with the D.A., I'm a member of the NRA and I'm always packing.
I Know That Face: Wingate football coach Burt Cotton is played by Ray McKinnon, who was the weaselly campaign manager in 2000 Coen Brothers Depression adventure O Brother, Where Art Thou? Like Bullock, McKinnon is an Academy Award winner - he shared the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film with his wife Lisa Blount in 2001 for The Accountant.
Listen Again: Southern Voice - Tim McGraw.
Further Reading: The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. As recommended by my mate Imran on Twitter. In addition, here's an interview with the author where he talks about the real Michael Oher.
2 comments:
Bullock has gone downhill since Demolition Man
I remember going to see The Net at the cinema in 1995 and being distinctly underwhelmed, even then, when I was just 15
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