Extreme Adversity And Acceptance In The Biographical Film 'The Blind Side'

"In life, it doesn’t matter what happens to you or where you came from. It matters what you do with what happens and what you’ve been given."(The Obstacle). Many examples from real life may exemplify the preceding quote, but few do it in larger-than-life terms than the larger-than-life Michael Oher. Where he "came from" was, in many ways, a living nightmare. But as the biographical film "The Blind Side" clearly illustrates, Michael Oher did a lot with "what happens," doing so with the help of a surrogate family who refused to let the young man's early life dictate his future.

Directed by John Lee Hancock, "The Blind Side" is based on a true story of a homeless African-American teenager, Michael Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and

his mother is a drug addict, but soon is taken in by the Tuohy's, a wealthy white family who helps him to his full ability. Michael has very little education, however; Mrs. Tuohy soon takes charge in making sure that he has every opportunity to succeed. Michaels presence in the Touhy's household leads them into many discoveries when he expresses an interest in football. They end up hiring a tutor to help him improve his grades which he shortly would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Living in his new environment, Michael encounters many challenges he has to overcome. As a football player and student, Michael works hard and, with the motivation from his coaches and adopted family, becomes and All-American offensive left tackle.
The Blind Side is a movie where people have different views on what the theme or message can be.

However, in my opinion, I believe that the two main themes in the movie are overcoming extreme adversity and acceptance. An example of overcoming extreme adversity is that Michael Oher grew up homeless and he was surrounded by drugs, violence, and crime. But he did not let that crush his dream of playing pro football. His determination kept him above wave after wave of difficulty, and eventually those difficulties helped carry him forward to his destination. According to an article from Lifeway, Michael Oher said, "If people hear my story, they will know that if you give somebody a chance, there is hope for that person"(Parker). What Oher means by this is that you never know how talented or how special someone can be until you give them a chance at what they want, and what he did is he took that shot and ran with it. In addition to overcoming extreme adversity, The Blind Side also teaches us about being accepting of everyone. Michael Oher was a struggling street kid until the Tuohy family brought him into their home and accepted him as part of their own family. Many people probably would not have the courtesy to take a random kid off the streets and bring them into their home. According to imbd.com, in the movie, character Beth states, "I think what you are doing is so great. Opening up your home to him... honey, you are changing that boy's life" followed by the response of Mrs.

Touhy stating, "No, he's changing mine"(Quotes). Those movie lines show how Mrs. Touhy is a true character. She is accepting Michael into her life not to just change his life, but to change her own life into being a better person. However, the Tuohy's are one special family who showed an extreme amount of trust and acceptance, giving Michael Oher an opportunity at immensity. They gave Oher the gift of a home and an education that he will never be able to pay back to them, without the Tuohy family accepting him, Michael Oher probably would not be in the NFL.
Michael Oher not only a successful professional NFL player, but successful in earning the Academy Award for the movie "The Blind Side".

However, Oher expressed his feelings in an ESPN interview that the movie changed how people look at him. According to an article from Cinemablend, Oher said, "People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am. That’s why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field"(How The Blind). The point Michael Oher is trying to get across is that just because his life was made into a movie does not make him any less of a player. People look more into his past life and judge him based off the movie rather than his actual skills he worked hard for to become the football player he is today. Furthermore, looking more towards his football career, in 2009, Michael Oher was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the NFL Draft. He also played for the Tennessee Titans, but was released because of a toe injury. In 2015, he signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. According to an article from The Charlotte Observer, "In June of 2016, Oher signed a three-year contract extension with the Panthers worth $21.6 million with $9.5 guaranteed"(Personjperson). With that being said, over the pervious year, Michael Oher has shown the success he has had with the Panthers by the extent of his

salary.
The Blind Side teaches us many different lessons as the movie explains the life of an NFL player, Michael Oher. One lesson it teaches us is that you can overcome any adversity in life as long as you work hard. And the other lesson that it teaches us is that acceptance is a big component in life. If you accept someone into your life, they can achieve their goals as long as someone is willing to give them a chance. The Blind Side is a heartwarming story of a family that gives a struggling teenager a chance at a good life, and help him overcome his life difficulties.