Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is a very large, physically imposing coloured youth growing up in Tennessee in foster care since he was taken from his drug addicted mother Denise (Adriane Lenox). Purely on the basis that he believes that it will assist the schools American Football team coach Burt Cotton (Ray McKinnon) convinces the board to accept Michael as a student but they soon find out that Michael is not academic and he struggles to fit in. One evening when driving home Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), who knows Michael through the fact that her children Collins (Lily Collins) and S.J (Jae Head) attend the same school, sees Michael walking in the rain and, believing he is living rough, invites him to stay the night in their home. During his brief stay Leigh Anne and her husband Sean (Tim McGraw) sees something in Michael and gradually begin to warm to the young man as they find out a little more about what is hidden behind the imposing exterior. In time Leigh Anne begins to become a surrogate mother of sorts and Michael becomes more and more like a family member as time passes, must to the shock of Leigh Annes friends, local authorities and members of the school board. But Leigh Anne is a feisty Southern lady and gives as good as she gets shaming all and sundry into believing that she is doing this for any reason other than to help a kid in need of some stability and care.

While the movie has all the elements of a feel good story with an unlikely friendship developing into something of an inspirational story of success against the odds, perhaps it’s just my sceptical mind working but something just felt off about the tale. For example, Bullock has her perfect family, who don’t seem to have any flaws, arguments or imperfections yet (aside from even opening the racial issue door) they take this stranger that they don’t know, into their home at the drop of a hat, with young kids in the house. A questionable action at best. Or, at one point Bullock takes Michael back to see his mother in a ‘ghetto’ and stands up to the local gang members without any major incident. Very unlikely. Plus, the whole situation just didn’t seem to fit with where the family sat within the community. I know this is just based on events but if you are making a ‘true life’ tale then any element of improbability takes away from the realism.

Also, is this actually the tale of Michael Oher and his rags to riches story of finding success from humble beginnings? I believe that is what the tale is supposed to be but this felt more like the Leigh Anne Tuohy story of how she managed to put social and racial prejudice aside and help a coloured kid from the ghetto achieve a goal in his life which, without her assistance, would have been doomed for failure. Maybe that is down to the excellent performance from Bullock, although not Oscar worthy in my opinion, which is head and shoulders above any other in the film and she commands the screen when she appears (which is almost every scene) and, with no disrespect meant to any of the other cast members, she is the only A-lister in the movie so I would expect her to stand out. Aaron doesn’t have a lot to do even though he is supposed to be the main focus of the movie but what he has to do he does well and comes across as the big, lovable, teddy bear he is being depicted as, with seeming ease. McGraw subtly plays Leigh Annes husband who seems like a quiet, hen pecked man but when needed can still rein her in when required and both Head, who sees Oher as a larger, bigger brother and Collins who shows a good range as the family member most uneasy about the situation as she struggles with the jibes from her friends and some sexual insinuation from others about their new tenant.

To give the film credit it is still very enjoyable and although I may not believe it is deserving of the same high praise it has received, if you can suspend some of the questionable moments it is a nice account of the impact, change and development the situation had both for Oher and for the Tuohy family.

DJ Speaks: 5.5 out Of 10