The Blind Side
By: Micheal Lewis
Sport Book vs. Inspirational Movie
When reading the beginning of The Blind Side and comparing it to the beginning of the movie they both start out focusing on a football player but while the book followed in this football trend, the movie somewhat eased away from it. Michael Lewis in the book deeply examined the importance of the left tackle the history about how it evolved from other offensive strategies. Of course he did incorporate the story of Michael Oher but not like the movie. It was a sports movie but it focused on Micheal’s impoverished life and how he became a great football player rather than the actual football position. The film almost over exaggerated the conditions of Mr. Oher in order for people to be more engaged.
Minimizing Oher's Abilities
In the movie when the Tuohy family found Michael he seemed like be a big waste of nothing. He has no idea what he was doing on the football field when the Braircrest Christian School’s football coaches allowed him on the team. When Michael Lewis described him he mentioned how he was a very gifted athlete and participated in multiple sports. A major difference was that Michael Oher already knew how to play football before he was adopted by the Tuohy family. The movie added more emphasis on how helpful the Tuohy family was to Oher’s career but also downplayed his abilities as an athlete.
Racial Problems
Micheal Oher experienced a few racial issues going in to a Christian, predominately white high school. Especially since he was taking some of the white boy's spots on the field after they have been there for so long they didn't really get along at first. The way Oher handled these rude remarks in the movie verses the book is where there was a difference. The film depicted Michael as a timid guy that let other run over him but in reality he was an aggressive character. When things such as the crowd taunting him with racist comments happened, he reacted negatively to this rather than just taking it in like he did in the movie. The way he acted in the movie was less believable especially after knowing the type of neighborhood he grew up in.
Leigh Anne Tuohy
The film director created Leigh Anne's character as the hard core lady who wasn't afraid of anybody and would do anything to get Oher to become the best he could be at football. She was his main inspiration and it was obvious that without her he wouldn't have gotten as far as he did with his football career. A contrast in the book was present when Lewis described Leigh Anne as a very dedicated Christian. That characteristic was not noticeable through the film. Her importance in influencing Michael Oher in the book was not as highlighted as it was in the movie rather Lewis explains how Sean Tuohy was the first to help Oher by paying for his lunch.
Gang Fight