The Blind Side

"Based on the extraordinary true story"

2009 2h 9m EN

🙌

7.7

BANGER

🍅

66%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.6

IMDB

★7.7TMDB · 7,034🍅66%Rotten Tomatoes●53Metacritic★7.6IMDB · 383,190

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

“Based on the extraordinary true story”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

PlexRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Sandra Bullock
Leigh Anne Tuohy
Tim McGraw
Sean Tuohy
Quinton Aaron
Michael Oher
Jae Head
S.J. Tuohy
Lily Collins
Collins Tuohy
Ray McKinnon
Coach Cotton
Kim Dickens
Mrs. Boswell
Adriane Lenox
Denise Oher

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Lee Hancock
Writers: John Lee Hancock
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $309M — a 10.7× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Lee Hancock, shot by Alar Kivilo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mark Livolsi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Based on the extraordinary true story".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0878804 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Lee Hancock directs. Alar Kivilo behind the camera. Carter Burwell scores. Mark Livolsi cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Grossed $309M — a 10.7× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
2Released 17 years ago.
3Directed by John Lee Hancock, shot by Alar Kivilo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mark Livolsi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw and Quinton Aaron carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Based on the extraordinary true story".
8IMDB entry: tt0878804 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "sports", "american football", "adoption", "private school".
10Released under 36 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Alar Kivilo
Original score: Carter Burwell
Editing: Mark Livolsi
Production design: Michael Corenblith
Costume design: Daniel Orlandi
Makeup / hair: Sarah Mays
Sound: Brad Sherman
Stunt coordinator: Lonnie R. Smith Jr.
Runtime: 129 min · 2h 9m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $29,000,000
Box office: $309,231,694
Return: 1066% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: The Blind Side (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes: 66% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 53/100
IMDB rating: 7.6/10 · 383,190 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 9 wins & 30 nominations total

Academy Award for Best Actress

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

John Lee Hancock

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

The Movie Mob2022-11-20
★ 8/10
The Blind Side surprises with a heartfelt emotional, meaningful story that stands out even further with Sandra Bullock’s poignant performance. Inspirational and moving. The Blind Side is a story spotlighting the power of kindness and compassion. Sandra Bullock stands out with an Oscar-winning portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy, filling her with all the charm and grit of a strong Southern woman with the sympathy and tenacity to give a talented and caring young man the help he needed to change his life and circumstances. I felt the urge to hug my family and tell them how precious they are and how lucky I am to be theirs. This movie just gives you those feels! The Blind Side’s stirring story is powerful, potent, and compelling. While the emphasis of this movie might not be football, the focus on character in the face of judgment and difficulty makes The Blind Side an outstanding sports film.
CinemaSerf2026-07-04
★ 7/10
This is one of my favourite offerings from Sandra Bullock as she marries her sharp comedy timing with some gusty mothering to help real life American football player Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) make a success of his life. She (Leigh-Anne) is happily married to Sean (Tim McGraw) and lives in a rather luxurious home with their engaging young lad S.J. (Jae Head) and his sister Collins (Lily Collins). The aptly named "Big Mike" is at the opposite end of the social scale. He hasn't a clue who his father is; his mother is an addict and he is a ward of court with no fixed abode. She has seen him at her son's school and so when the family pass him on the road on a rainy night, she decides to offer him a couch. That's just the start as she delves deeper into his situation and together with her supportive husband and children encourages him to consider himself part of their family. Academically, he's a bit of a non-starter but given his huge size he's quite an useful left tackle on the field. Sadly, though, his sporting prowess isn't going to be enough to offset his failure in the classroom so they employ the unorthodox but friendly Miss Sue (Kathy Bates) to try and get his grade average up and what now ensues sees him become a formal part of their outfit and together they prove just what can be achieved when opportunity presents itself - guided by a feisty and strong-willed woman who didn't know how to take no for an answer. It's a feel good film with very little by way of jeopardy, so what you expect to happen at the start is exactly what does happen, but along the way there are some fun escapades for the family and Aaron and Bullock work well together in a sort of Goliath and David fashion. The scene stealer for me, though, is the young Head whose S.J. proves to be an amiably pivotal character in the journey of his (very) big brother and there's something entertainingly "gentle giant" about the whole enterprise.