The Blind Side breaks box office record

This is wonderful news. It is really great that The Blind Side has become the first film with a female lead to make over $200 million at the North American box office.

Sandra Bullock's inspirational football movie has made over $208 million since its release in the U.S. and Canada. So this means Bullock beat out A-list stars Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon and Angelina Jolie for the distinction.

I'm not really a film buff but when a good book I have read gets made into a movie... I get caught up in the excitement. And this movie getting positive audience feedback adds to my anticipation. I can't wait for The Blind Side to open here.

Found videos from ABC's show 20/20 and CBN with the real Michael Oher and the Tuohy family:

Update: Sandra Bullock just won the award for outstanding performance by an actress in a dramatic motion picture at the Golden Globes.

Update 2: Opening in theaters in the Philippines January 27

Update 3:   The Blind Side is now the all-time number 1 sports movie in the US earning $255,119,553 so far.
                 a  list of its box office rankings here.

*** also 'The Blind Side' Tops Weekly BLOCKBUSTER(R) Hit List of 'Top 10 Renting DVDs' 

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The Blind Side movie reviews are coming in!

I've written in a previous post how much I loved the book The Blindside: Evolution of a Game and how apprehensive I was that the movie based on it might not be any good. It's starting to look like my fear was unfounded at least in early reviews. From trade magazine Variety:

After swinging for the fences and scoring a sleeper success with "The Rookie" (2002), writer-director John Lee Hancock takes the field with "The Blind Side," another uplifting and entertaining feel-good, fact-based sports drama. The combo of top-billed Sandra Bullock's marquee allure and a true-life story with well-nigh irresistible emotional appeal probably would be enough to fill megaplex stadiums at any time of the year. But this Nov. 20 Warners release is particularly well positioned to be a four-quadrant hit as the consensus choice of family auds during the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Critics though seem to have a problem with the ' too good to be true' aspects of the story. I guess it's normal for people to be cynical, to doubt other people's motivations for doing good. Some even say that this movie is racist because it depicts a white family saving a black young man. I mean what's wrong with these people? The life of Michael Oher speaks for itself really, from a homeless kid to millionaire football player in just a few years is an amazing achievement. I hope everyone could just enjoy the movie without looking for hidden meanings in it. For me as long as it doesn't mess too much with the facts in the book - I'm good.

Here's a nice article by World magazine about Michael Oher and the Tuohy family who adopted him.

Update: Opening in theaters in the Philippines January 27, 2010

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The Blind Side: Michael Oher's story gets the Hollywood treatment

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis is the first sports book I've ever read. It tells the story of Michael Oher an essentially homeless kid from a Memphis ghetto. He came to the attention of the Tuohy family who later on adopted and helped him get into university to play football. It's a very inspiring story about how a life can change with the help of good hearted people. The book is beautifully written and I cheered when Oher got drafted by the Baltimore Ravens. He's currently playing very well for them as an offensive tackle. Now they've made a movie based on the book and I hope they don't mess too much with the story and make it too Hollywood.


I've always hated it when a book I loved gets mangled beyond recognition on the screen. It ruins it for everybody in my opinion. The trailer looks good though so here's hoping it gives the book justice.

Update: The Blind side has been certified 'fresh' by critics at Rotten Tomatoes and it claimed the number 1 spot at the US box office overtaking 'New Moon' on its third week of release. So excited for this movie to get to the Philippines!


Update 2: Opening in theaters in the Philippines January 27, 2010

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