The True Story Behind “The Blind Side”
The Oscar-winning film The Blind Side documents the story of Michael Oher, who was just 16 years old when his life changed forever. He went from living with a drug-addicted mother to becoming a professional football player in the span of a few years.
While the film got many things right, it also got a few things wrong — and there’s a major reason why Michael himself doesn’t like the movie. Read on to learn more behind-the-scenes secrets about The Blind Side and all the differences between the film and the real story.
The Film Made $300 Million At The Box Office
The 2009 movie The Blind Side starred Quinton Aaron as Michael “Big Mike” Oher, a high school student at Briarcrest Christian School who was rescued from poverty and taken in by Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw). Big Mike became a highly sought-after prospect in college football and wound up playing for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens.
The film, based on the 2006 book, “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game” by Michael Lewis, was written and directed by John Lee Hancock. The movie made $300 million at the box office, and Bullock won an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for her role.
