Centurion

Issue date: 12/8/09 Section: Arts and Entertainment

great job of addressing these issues
and showing everyone that
there is hope and a way out of bad
situations with hard work and determination.
Along with the Tuohy's generosity
and the social issues that
are addressed in "The Blind Side,"
this movie also has many scenes
that any die-hard football fan will
love.
In the opening scene there is a
clip of former New York Giants
linebacker Lawrence Taylor sacking
former Washington Redskins
quarterback Joe Theismann. Taylor
broke Theismann's leg in the
process, and this clip was used to
show why big strong offensive
linemen have become such a hot
commodity. Taylor might have
never touched Theismann had a
bigger offensive lineman stood in
his way.
Oher fits this description perfectly
as he is 6 foot 4 and 310
pounds, and, as shown in the
movie, freakishly strong. The
other scenes that football fans will
truly enjoy are when the college
coaches begin recruiting Oher.
There are several cameos from
high-profile current and former
college coaches such as Lou
Holtz, Nick Saban, Phillip Fulmer
and Tommy Tuberville.
The entire college football recruiting
process is perfectly explained
and shows all of the backand-
forth talks between coaches,
until Oher eventually decides to
attend Ole Miss on a football
scholarship. He achieved this
after working relentlessly to raise
his GPA to meet their requirements.
Hancock does an amazing job at
laying out Oher's struggles and
showing how he never ran from
them. The challenges he faced regarding
his upbringing and homelessness
as a teenager are
presented clearly and in a respectful
way.
Hancock also showcases Oher's
determination and honor because
he never succumbed to the peerpressure
that was present in his
community of drug dealing and
violence. All that Oher really
needed was strong family support,
love and guidance. Thankfully

Continued...

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