The Blindside

The Blindside: Movie Critique After watching the movie The Blindside my opinion has changed on whether or not I believe there should be a proper definition of a family. The Tuohy’s made it evident that although you might fit a certain status in society, love is what conquers all. Mrs. Leigh Anne Tuohy and her family were a perfect example of how a Christian family should live like. The characteristics that the whole family possessed is what made Michael Oher finally feel as if he was at home. The Tuohy family was overall accepting towards Michael Oher, they brought forth unconditional love and so did he, and lastly they made him feel secure. These characteristics are characteristics that I believe all families should possess in order for a member of the family to succeed in society. It was evident that the Tuohy family was overall exceptionally accepting towards Oher. Besides the fact that he physically did not fit in the family, as it was obvious that they did share the same ethnicity, they shared the same morals and beliefs which allowed Mrs. Leigh Anne Tuohy to welcome him in to her family’s home as well as their life. Despite all the rude comments, and judgment from relatives, friends, and spectators, she still continued to do what was right. Although, Mr. Tuohy was a bit hesitant at the beginning, it was clear that he trusted his wife’s instinct, which obviously led to a positive result. Michael Oher had no clothes, no home, and no family to live with and did not know what it was like to feel loved. Michael Oher was not comfortable with the fact that an unfamiliar, wealthy, white lady wanted to accept him into her home, thus he left the sheets folded on the couch he was sleeping on the next morning as a sign that he would not be returning. After Mrs. Tuohy realized that he was not the type of person that she thought he was, which a stereotypical black delinquent, it was almost like she chased him with open arms on that driveway the next morning. The Tuohys also brought forth unconditional love towards Michael Oher. Oher was from the “other side of town” which was mainly known as the ghetto, or the projects which consisted of violence, which was not the safest area for a wealthy white woman to step foot it, but Mrs. Leigh Anne Tuohy did. When Mrs. Tuohy was looking for Oher, after running away from feeling antiquated, she put her safety at risk to find him. She went into the projects, confronted the known gang members, and also spoke to them with nothing but confidence in bravery in order to find Oher. Most people would not put their effort, and their safety at risk to find someone who at the time didn’t appreciate what they had done for them, but a loving mother would, and that’s exactly what Mrs. Tuohy did. That was the unconditional love that Mrs. Tuohy had for not only Oher, but her family. In my opinion, security is what Michael Oher felt, for him to be able to adjust to the materialistic aspects of being in a wealthy family, and also the emotional and mental aspects of it. He felt safe because he was finally in a protective area and community, and went to a school where the expectations were high. Oher always safe because he finally was not alone, and always had someone willing to listen to him, help him, and care for him. He felt as if he could finally be himself, an individual who felt loved, was loved, and loved himself. Members of the family such as SJ and Collins Tuohy made him feel secure. Although SJ Tuohy was small and young, her carried the characteristics of his mother and he made Oher feel a sense of belonging which nobody did because they were intimidated by him. Collins Tuohy made him feel as if he was biologically her brother. When Oher was in the library, sitting by himself while with friends, she left her table and went to go sit with Michael despite all the negative responses towards her choices. He felt as if he was safe, wanted, a brother and a son, a sense of security. I believe that there should not be a single definition to become a prescription for what families should be because every family is different. Every family has a way of functioning. I do believe that the word family consists of members who have genuine love for one another, which is what Mrs. Tuohy had for Michael. They were not biologically related, but the Tuohy’s made it their duty to make Michael Oher feel accepted, secure and loved; which was a prime example of how families should be. I cannot develop an “inclusive” definition of the Canadian family, because Canada consists of many different cultures, many different traditions, and also many different lifestyles, as long as there is love, loyalty which I believe is needed for any member of a family to grow and be successful in society.