In the decade and a half since its release, The Blind Side is based on a true story that tells the supposedly true story of Michael Oher. Oher was an unhoused teenage boy who was later taken in by a family named the Tuohys. This family, who is white, takes in the then-teen Oher, who is Black, and fosters him before later adopting him. Now, Oher is better known for eventually becoming an NFL football player.
The Tuohys’ story was initially documented in the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis. Development of a film adaptation swiftly followed, with The Blind Side movie coming out just three years after the book’s 2006 publication. The fact that the film is based on a true story was a huge part of its marketing, promising audiences an inspiring and incredible, real . As the years have ed since The Blind Side’s release, however, the film’s legacy has vastly changed.
Bo Burnham's The Blind Side Reference Explained
Burnham References The Blind Side In His Netflix Special Inside
In 2021, Bo Burnham released a quarantine-made comedy special titled Inside. Made during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Inside is a music-filled comedy special that is at once introspective and outward-looking social commentary. In one such original song, titled “Comedy,” Burnham includes a reference to The Blind Side, writing “I'm white, and I'm here to save the day / Lord, help me channel Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side (Sandra Bullock).” This line follows a verse wherein Burnham refers to himself as a “special kind of white guy.”
10 Biggest Details The Blind Side Leaves Out From Michael Oher's True Story
The Blind Side tells the inspiring story of Michael Oher's journey to the NFL, but certain details about his life are excluded from the film.
In this section of “Comedy,” Burnham is implicating The Blind Side in promoting a “white savior” narrative. The white savior trope refers to media that perpetuates an idea that non-white people need to be “saved” by white people who, while revered as honorable, are often self-serving. The Blind Side has been accused of being a white savior narrative, given its presentation of the Tuohys turning Oher’s life around. Burnham’s inclusion of this line in “Comedy” showcased how this idea about The Blind Side was made more mainstream.
The Blind Side's Controversy Taints One Of Sandra Bullock's Best Performances
The Actor Won An Oscar For The Role
In addition to the line in Inside, The Blind Side has dredged up controversy in recent years after subject Michael Oher, came out in opposition to the film. Oher made some concerning allegations against the Tuohys, which made the subjects as well as the filmmaking team look bad.
The Blind Side was also nominated for Best Picture during the Academy Awards in 2010, but it lost to The Hurt Locker.
This is particularly bad for Bullock, who played Leigh Anne Tuohy, the primary motivator for helping Oher in the movie. The role is one of the actor's best parts, earning her an Oscar for Best Actress in 2010. Despite the strength of Bullock’s role, The Blind Side’s legacy has, unfortunately, already been marred by its alleged dishonest and white savior narrative.
The Blind Side
- Release Date
- November 20, 2009
- Runtime
- 129 Minutes
- Director
- John Lee Hancock
Cast
Quinton AaronMichael Oher
Sandra BullockLeigh Anne Tuohy
WHERE TO WATCH
The Blind Side is a biographical sports drama film that follows the life of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American teenager who is adopted by a wealthy white family. Under the guidance of his adoptive mother, played by Sandra Bullock, Oher overcomes personal and academic challenges to become a successful college football player. The film, directed by John Lee Hancock, is based on the real-life story of Oher's journey.
- Writers
- John Lee Hancock, Michael Lewis
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