The Blind Side

Sometimes you come out of a movie feeling like all's right with the world. The Blind Side is one of those films.

It's the story of Michael Oher, drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2009 as the culmination of a long, slow road from the projects of Memphis. A ward of the state stripped from his demonized mother, he's graciously accepted to a small Christian high school. That would be the end of the road for the student with the sub-1.00 GPA, until a bull-headed mother of two (Sandra Bullock) gives him shelter and support as if he were one of her own.

What an aspiring optimist like me enjoyed the most was that there was no more than a couple of speed bumps on the largely poppy-lined road. The lead characters make a mistake or two, enough to spur some serious self-reflection, but there's no powerful or dark conflict that so often seems to erupt during feel-good tales.

There's even a special sweetener for the local folk - Tim McGraw plays Bullock's husband, a former star athlete turned millionaire who wears a winsome wink and a smile for most of the show.

We had to travel to two theaters to find one that wasn't sold out! Go see Sandra as a blond Southerner, bring a date, and prepare to have your troubles cast behind.