The Blind Side
The Essay of The Blind side
Essay
Essay Question: Describe a key relationship between two or more characters or individuals in the
text. Explain how this relationship helped you to understand these characters
The relationships between characters in the film “The Blind Side” directed by John Lee Hancock,
gave the movie a deep, touching and empathetic plot, especially the relationship between the
two characters Leigh-Ann Touhy and Michael Oher. This essay will describe the deep bond that
Micheal Oher formed with Mrs Touhy and how this impacted on the other characters in the movie.
Despite being somewhat a lone pupil at school, he formed a bond that was as strong and caring as
a son would relate to his mother. In sum, the one decision by characters in this film made a large
difference to the future of Michael Oher and family in schooling and careers.
Michael Oher and Leigh-Ann Touhy’s relationship was important in the development of the film
because, when Michael first started high school at Wingate Christian school a family friend of
his ‘Big Tony’ let’s him stay at his place. Big Tony wants Michael to go to the school because he’s an
excellent football player. When Leigh-Ann first saw ‘Big Mike’ (as he was first known) she was picking
up her son SJ from the school. A high angle showed that Michael was insignificant at the time and
people from all walks of life were ignoring him. A few days later, Leigh-Ann and Sean Touhy go to
SJ’s performance at the school for a play about Indians. She is driving home when she then see’s
Michael and asks “Do you have somewhere to stay?” “I’m going to the gym,” replies Michael “Come,
I’ll put you up for the night” she replies” this quote shows that Leigh-Ann is a loving and caring
person towards even people like him who are practically homeless, also against her demographic as
people down in the South of the USA are republicans. This action by Leigh-Ann brings the whole plot
together and by and by Leigh-Ann and Mike’s relationships strengthens
Michael Oher and Leigh-Ann Touhy’s relationship affect other characters in the Blind Side in many
different ways. For example, the Touhy family and people around Michael seem slightly awkward
when he is around them. A member of staff at Wingate Christian School quoted “It’s not fair on us
or the boy...How would we know he understands what we say, he doesn’t even talk” After Michael
leaves Hurt Village and goes to the shops to buy clothes that is when the relationship develops and
she is protected by Michael in the high street in the slums. When she has a coffee with her friends
they think it’s a massive joke and tease that it’s one of her “Charity projects” and it would “hurt your
reputation to go to Hurt Village.” What these quotes show is that some people cannot ever come to
understand that different people show different kinds of solicitude towards others and that social
class, wealth, and demographic is not necessarily a factor when helping people in need. Later in the
film, when Leigh-Ann and her husband Sean, are in the bathroom, Sean is greatly affected by their
relationship because Leigh-Ann asks how he would feel if Michael became part of the family. Sean is
very wary of the idea initially, but slowly warms to Michael after the football game. Then, Leigh-Ann
visits her friends still teasing her and not showing any respect for what she’s doing for Michael and
her family. “Is this some sort of white guilt thing...Aren’t you a bit worried about Collins, he’s a large
black boy sleeping under the same roof.” Leigh-Ann quickly dismisses all these accusations and tells
them “I don’t need y’all to make my decisions for me”
Michael and Leigh-Ann Touhy’s relationship made the understanding of them and other characters
in the film plot easier to understand. This is important in ‘The Blind Side’ because Michael was a
homeless in the first part of the film and from a conservative part of America Tennessee, it was out
of Leigh-Ann’s character and reputation to take in a person of the streets they hardly knew. Beth:
“Do you spend much time on the other side of town? Yes, Hurt Village, it would hurt your reputation
to go there!” this is what makes Leigh-Ann Touhy’s action odd, according to her friends considering
her place in society. That scene of the movie made the viewer understand her friend’s personalities
and the amount of compassion they have for the poor and needy. For example, with all the high
camera angles of Michael before he met the Touhys it showed the viewer that Michael seemed
insignificant, with the ray of sunbeam behind him in the scene of him walking down the footpath
in the slums, that visual feature showed that he had potential right from the start of the film, even
before the wealthy Touhys had taken him in.
It also made the viewer understand the personality of Leigh-Ann and Michael Oher. Leigh-Ann is
very protective of Michael and Michael is very protective of Leigh-Ann; it’s that kind of bond they
share that most mothers and sons could relate to. “You threaten my son, you threaten me” This
quote shows that Leigh-Ann is very passionate about Michael and his education. When he runs away
she really does care about him and doesn’t want to lose him. All in all, the plot of ‘The Blind Side’
showed the personality of the characters through the soul of another and that’s what makes it an
enjoyable watch.
This essay has discussed that in spite of Leigh-Ann Touhy’s place in society in the republican state
of Tennessee, out of the kindness and sorrow of Michael Oher she sent to school and cared for
one of the most sought after types of NFL players. In particular, this essay has shown that Michael
and Leigh-Ann’s relationship brought controversy and awe to the movie and the characters/people
around them, and how it made the viewer understand the background information and the concept
of their relationship. Though Michael and Leigh-Ann clearly had some difficult times in the movie,
I was particularly interested in the fact that their relationship was so strong and they always had
each other’s backs. That is probably what John Lee Hancock was trying to put across; it’s not about
the amount of courage or compassion of a person it’s about what they do with it. Leigh-Ann used it
commendably, thus fabricating one of the best NFL players known to man.
text. Explain how this relationship helped you to understand these characters
The relationships between characters in the film “The Blind Side” directed by John Lee Hancock,
gave the movie a deep, touching and empathetic plot, especially the relationship between the
two characters Leigh-Ann Touhy and Michael Oher. This essay will describe the deep bond that
Micheal Oher formed with Mrs Touhy and how this impacted on the other characters in the movie.
Despite being somewhat a lone pupil at school, he formed a bond that was as strong and caring as
a son would relate to his mother. In sum, the one decision by characters in this film made a large
difference to the future of Michael Oher and family in schooling and careers.
Michael Oher and Leigh-Ann Touhy’s relationship was important in the development of the film
because, when Michael first started high school at Wingate Christian school a family friend of
his ‘Big Tony’ let’s him stay at his place. Big Tony wants Michael to go to the school because he’s an
excellent football player. When Leigh-Ann first saw ‘Big Mike’ (as he was first known) she was picking
up her son SJ from the school. A high angle showed that Michael was insignificant at the time and
people from all walks of life were ignoring him. A few days later, Leigh-Ann and Sean Touhy go to
SJ’s performance at the school for a play about Indians. She is driving home when she then see’s
Michael and asks “Do you have somewhere to stay?” “I’m going to the gym,” replies Michael “Come,
I’ll put you up for the night” she replies” this quote shows that Leigh-Ann is a loving and caring
person towards even people like him who are practically homeless, also against her demographic as
people down in the South of the USA are republicans. This action by Leigh-Ann brings the whole plot
together and by and by Leigh-Ann and Mike’s relationships strengthens
Michael Oher and Leigh-Ann Touhy’s relationship affect other characters in the Blind Side in many
different ways. For example, the Touhy family and people around Michael seem slightly awkward
when he is around them. A member of staff at Wingate Christian School quoted “It’s not fair on us
or the boy...How would we know he understands what we say, he doesn’t even talk” After Michael
leaves Hurt Village and goes to the shops to buy clothes that is when the relationship develops and
she is protected by Michael in the high street in the slums. When she has a coffee with her friends
they think it’s a massive joke and tease that it’s one of her “Charity projects” and it would “hurt your
reputation to go to Hurt Village.” What these quotes show is that some people cannot ever come to
understand that different people show different kinds of solicitude towards others and that social
class, wealth, and demographic is not necessarily a factor when helping people in need. Later in the
film, when Leigh-Ann and her husband Sean, are in the bathroom, Sean is greatly affected by their
relationship because Leigh-Ann asks how he would feel if Michael became part of the family. Sean is
very wary of the idea initially, but slowly warms to Michael after the football game. Then, Leigh-Ann
visits her friends still teasing her and not showing any respect for what she’s doing for Michael and
her family. “Is this some sort of white guilt thing...Aren’t you a bit worried about Collins, he’s a large
black boy sleeping under the same roof.” Leigh-Ann quickly dismisses all these accusations and tells
them “I don’t need y’all to make my decisions for me”
Michael and Leigh-Ann Touhy’s relationship made the understanding of them and other characters
in the film plot easier to understand. This is important in ‘The Blind Side’ because Michael was a
homeless in the first part of the film and from a conservative part of America Tennessee, it was out
of Leigh-Ann’s character and reputation to take in a person of the streets they hardly knew. Beth:
“Do you spend much time on the other side of town? Yes, Hurt Village, it would hurt your reputation
to go there!” this is what makes Leigh-Ann Touhy’s action odd, according to her friends considering
her place in society. That scene of the movie made the viewer understand her friend’s personalities
and the amount of compassion they have for the poor and needy. For example, with all the high
camera angles of Michael before he met the Touhys it showed the viewer that Michael seemed
insignificant, with the ray of sunbeam behind him in the scene of him walking down the footpath
in the slums, that visual feature showed that he had potential right from the start of the film, even
before the wealthy Touhys had taken him in.
It also made the viewer understand the personality of Leigh-Ann and Michael Oher. Leigh-Ann is
very protective of Michael and Michael is very protective of Leigh-Ann; it’s that kind of bond they
share that most mothers and sons could relate to. “You threaten my son, you threaten me” This
quote shows that Leigh-Ann is very passionate about Michael and his education. When he runs away
she really does care about him and doesn’t want to lose him. All in all, the plot of ‘The Blind Side’
showed the personality of the characters through the soul of another and that’s what makes it an
enjoyable watch.
This essay has discussed that in spite of Leigh-Ann Touhy’s place in society in the republican state
of Tennessee, out of the kindness and sorrow of Michael Oher she sent to school and cared for
one of the most sought after types of NFL players. In particular, this essay has shown that Michael
and Leigh-Ann’s relationship brought controversy and awe to the movie and the characters/people
around them, and how it made the viewer understand the background information and the concept
of their relationship. Though Michael and Leigh-Ann clearly had some difficult times in the movie,
I was particularly interested in the fact that their relationship was so strong and they always had
each other’s backs. That is probably what John Lee Hancock was trying to put across; it’s not about
the amount of courage or compassion of a person it’s about what they do with it. Leigh-Ann used it
commendably, thus fabricating one of the best NFL players known to man.