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I never quite understood the fan craze behind Sandra Bullock until I saw the 2009 rom-comThe Proposal, starring Ryan Reynolds and one of the Golden Girls. Her comedic timing was impeccable and she could sing the heck out ofGet Lowby Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz.
But what really solidified her case for me wasThe Blind Sidewhich premiered later that year. Bullock’s star power was on the rise with her Oscar-winning role – as was my admiration for her magnetic screen presence and range as an actress. She soon became one of the few talents I have been on the lookout for ever since.
However, the 15-year-long girl crush abruptly screeched to a halt when the controversy broke about howThe Blind Sidewasn’t exactly a story of hope and determination and that the film’s central narrative was built on a lie. Suddenly, the reality of the scandal became difficult to separate from the image of Sandra Bullock delivering one of the best performances of her life.
Sandra Bullock andThe Blind SideControversy
Hollywood and controversy have always been eternally inseparable. From the era of Judy Garland to the reign of Sydney Sweeney, the industry has never really taken a break from scandals, however grand or inconsequential they may be. Why, then, shouldSandra Bullockbe spared the courtesy? Although not directly responsible as a participant,The Blind Sideplaces Bullock smack dab in the middle of the controversy surrounding the ’09 film.
The Blind Side, based on a true story penned by Michael Lewis, tells the tale of a Black teenager, Michael Oher, who was dealt a bad hand in life. With an addict for a mother and an incarcerated father, Oher bounced around between foster homes and periods of homelessness. On a particularly cold night, his path crosses with the Tuohys and he becomes a part of the family soon after.
The story, fostering a message of hope and second chances, sees Oher excelling as a football player in school, eventually graduating from college and going on to become an NFL star athlete. The Tuohys adopt him as their son and the film ends on a happy note, leaving fans with a tear in their eye.
In February 2023, Michael Oher filed alawsuitclaiming that to be a lie. A thorough examination of all the facts highlights that the Tuohys never adopted Oher, instead putting him under their conservatorship, and profiting off of the film while he never received any royalty for the screen adaptation of his life.
“You’re going to wish you were dead”: Sandra Bullock Was Terrified After Leigh Anne Tuohy Took Out Her Gun While Filming ‘The Blind Side’ for a Bizarre Reason
The question that then comes to mind isn’t whether Sandra Bullock deserves her Oscar or not (because she definitely earned it with her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy), but if she was remiss in not taking into account the white savior narrative that was staring her in the face this whole time.
The Blind SideGets a Whole Lot More Complicated
I have never been one to get hooked on celebrity controversies, especially when the media filters down the news to serve as clickbaits and spread misinformation. But Michael Oher’s lawsuit againstThe Blind Side– well, for the lack of a better word – blindsided me. An actress who has been a favorite of mine for over a decade was suddenly being drawn into the spotlight and questions that I had never even considered began to haunt my thoughts.
The Blind Side, to me, was simply a tastefully made film – a story where the audiences could choose to look past the color of the protagonist’s skin and treasure it as a tale of love, found family, and overcoming adversity through perseverance. But the 2023 controversy shook me out of my self-induced naïveté and ignorance. It didn’t take long to realize that it wasn’t the boy who I should have been celebrating but the mother who I should have been criticizing.
“Leave her the f—k alone”: Sandra Bullock Defended By Fans Amid ‘The Blind Side’ Controversy as Critics Demand Her Oscar Back With an Apology
Leigh Anne Tuohy, along with her husband Sean Tuohy, exemplified the White Savior narrative, and even though I wasn’t old enough to be familiar with that term when I first watched the film, Sandra Bullock had more than enough social education to be aware of what her role underlined. And that single fact bothers me enough to question the actress’s perception of what is acceptable and what is culturally inappropriate.
The film’s inspirational message of hope and acceptance almost overshadowed the red flags concerning the Tuohy family’s true intentions behind their consciously selfless actions. The emotional ending of the story was endearing enough to make fans look the other way when they too, like Bo Burnham, should have been up all nightsinging: “I’m white, and I’m here to save the day / Lord, help me channel Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side.”
The Blind Sideis available to buy/rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2408
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
