Blind Side

The importance of independence and personal courage is also shown through sport in both the novel and the film.

Michael was brought up in poor project housing that was consumed by drugs, alcohol, and gangs. He was pushed in and out of foster homes forcefully being separated from his mother and siblings. As the movie showed in harsh flashbacks, Michael is deeply affected by the forceful separation from his mother. This constant absence from the mother or other supportive figures leaves Michael unable to make a secure attachment to any strong base. Erikson’s stage of trust versus mistrust is displayed due to Michael’s inability to count on the kindness and compassion of others which leads him to withdraw from his surroundings (p 248). This abrupt memory in life affects Michael in his idea of family and commitment. The harsh environment also kept Michael from attending school, and the times he did there was no support for him to even try in school.

As infants grow up to be adults, they succeed and surpass phases in their development that prove mental growth has occurred. These phases, such as learning to be independent and being able to make decisions on their own or being persuaded by others, are well explained within theories created by theorists and psychologists such as Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson. These theories were created to show a unique psychological outlook on ones’ personal developmental growth. One of the most crucial phases is the adolescent stage; this stage sees a growth and development in the biosocial, cognitive, psychosocial and moral aspects of an adolescent’s life. The Blind Side’s Michael Oher is a great example of someone who is experiencing the adolescent stage. Michael Oher is a seventeen-year-old African American who grew up in the housing projects in Memphis, Tennessee and was separated from his drug-addicted mother. As a result, Michael went from foster home to foster home until he was adopted by the Touhy’s. Throughout the movie, Michael demonstrated various cognitive and psychosocial developments. Even through his struggles and experiences, he was able to overcome the obstacles and become successful as a student and as an athlete.

The Blind Side depicts the story of Michael Oher, a seventeen year old African American homeless boy from a broken home, taken in by Leigh Anne Tuohy, a wife and mom of two living in a well to-do neighborhood. Repeatedly running away from the group home after group home, he was placed in after he was taken from him drug addicted mother, he happens to run into the exceedingly accepting family. Only after the catholic high school football coach sees his size and agility he is accepted to the privet school, despite a 0.7 GPA and lack of a place to sleep Leigh Anne Touhy, along with only one of his teachers, take a special interest in him. The families give him

With his family and his passion for football, Michael has become more of a man. He finally speaks for himself as he did with the inspector lady and speaks for his family as he did when he beat up the gangsters that were insulting his “mother”. He is now more confident than before shown by

The two intervention strategies that were used in the movie were Imagery and Self Talk. First off, Mental Imagery was used in the movie in order for Michael to have a well sports performance.

John Lee Hancock puts emphasise on the fact that Michael is poor and the Touhy’s are rich and juxtaposes these two central characters repetitively throughout the film. This is done to portray to the audience that a person’s socio-economic status can affects an individual’s capacity to learn and excel at the things he may be talented at, in Michael’s case football. Another aspect which is explored throughout the film is the fact that attitudes towards belonging can change of time this is evident in Michael because at first he was hesitant in staying with the Touhy’s but later transitions into part of their family, Michael makes many transitions throughout the film which include from Illiterate to educated and from disrespected to honourable, this movie has a very motivational aspect to it in that it inspires people to push past any barriers they may be faced with. Michael is quickly accepted as part of the family and creates a connection with them and has a sense of belonging with them this is also done at his school when his football coach strengthens Michaels sense of belonging by describing him as “his son” this makes Michael Ohers feel a part of the group and encourages him to excel without the fear in his mind that he is not accepted in the environment he is faced with.

The movie The Blind Side is based on a true story about Michael Oher, first round draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. Oher grew up in the projects in Memphis to a drug-addicted mother and an absent father. Michael was eventually taken by family services and was placed in a number of different foster homes. He ran away from each home placement and eventually became homeless. Michael is taken in by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy who helped him to attend a private Catholic school, which is where their children as well received their education. Prior to school here Michael had little education or skills to be successful in life. While attending Wingate Christian School, Michael began to play football. The Tuohy family provide the nurturing environment that Michael needed to show his true potential. Leigh Anne and Sean eventually become Oher’s legal guardians and help him become successful in school as well as excel with his interest in football. This movie story into Oher’s life display social issues, obstacles, and triumph was overcome by Oher in order for him to achieve his dream with the guidance and stability provided from the Tuohy family.

This is shown when he starts to accept the help others are offering him. He accepts the Touy’s help by going shopping with Leanne and working with a tutor that they hire for him, he also starts to work with his teacher’s in-between classes in order to improve his grades. He is working hard to rid himself of internal conflict, or in other words he is working hard to achieve inner-harmony. Throughout the film we see that Michael holds the instrumental value of love. We learn that whenever Michael was taken from his mother he would run away to find her. This shows his need to help and protect her, which is Michael’s way of showing love. We see this concept throughout the film, such as when Michael deflects the airbag from hitting S.J, and when Leanne tells Michael to protect the football team as if they were his

The Blind Side was released on November 20, 2009 by Warner Bro. Pictures, and directed by John Lee Hancock. The film is based on a book, “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game” and a true story. The Blind Side is a semi-biographical sports drama film about a neglected and troubled African-American boy named Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) growing up in the ghetto with his drug addict mother. Due to his mother’s drug abuse problem, Michael is forced into the foster care system. Michael would always run away from his foster home leaving him homeless. One night, while Michael is looking for a warm place to sleep, Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock) an upper class Caucasian female finds Michael and decides to give him a place to sleep in her home. Although many of her friends and family judged her for her decision of taking an African-American child into her home, Leigh Anne provided Michael with an education, home family, food, and clothes. She gave him the opportunity to have a future and to become his own person. Adults from the age range of thirteen and older will enjoy The Blind Side because of its cast,

Sports are a significant part of society and spectators enjoy particular events regardless of the type. However, there are many players who develop special working and social relationships with whom they are participating regardless of the type of sport. The relationship and how people interact with one another can be the determination of how successful a team can be. The particular film based on a true story that I chose is titled When the Game Stands Tall. This film consists of a high performing football team of De La Salle High School in the state of California. Jim Caviezel portrays the head coach (Bob Ladouceur) as a man with such vision and passion that goes beyond the fundamental principles of coaching the game of football. The football team had won 151 games without being defeated which is the highest winning record a team has had in the game of football. The film shows the internal struggles of the players in their lives as people, and how they perform on the field. It also shows the external tragic difficulties that they face while they attend and play for De Le Salle High School. In the movie, the head coach helps the students/players by not only coaching them but also showing them how to live a flourishing life by committing to endure difficult life situations and the way to overcome them. He helps teach the principles of brotherhood and companionship with the team that they build. In the movie, the head coach and the staff had taught the players

“I don't even remember the season. I just remember walking between them and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere.” ― Stephen Chbosky, the Perks of Being a Wallflower. After meeting Michael, Leigh Ann, a high class rich woman, whose kids also attend Briarcrest Christian School, sheltered him and took care of him in her house. She treated him as if he was her own son. In one quick scene, the director indicates that Leigh Ann grew up a racist house through her high social class friends. But despite that, Leigh Ann did not let that shape her, in fact, she was very happy when she was taking care of Michael “I am happy; it has everything to do with Michael” she said one in the movie. On the other hand, for Michael, meeting Leigh Ann was probably the biggest life changing event during his life. When she took him in a took care of him and ensured that he has a happy life just like any of her children do, Michael felt something he has probably never felt before. Belonging. Leigh Ann provided him with things that he did not have the ability to have as a kid such as bedtime stories from children’s books, having a person that he could talk to and having a person who greatly cared about him. Furthermore, Leigh Ann greatly influenced his football career and she was his biggest supporter. She provided him with a tutor to raise his academic performance so he can attain a scholarship. She encouraged him, protected him and taught him the value of family and the importance of protecting them. Towards the end of the movie, Leigh Ann decides to adopt Michael legally. She was surprised that when she got to a government official, they said that she would only need to sign some papers without consulting his biological mother. She decides to look for Michael’s biological mother and request her permission to legally adopt Michael. Additionally, Leigh

The Blind Side released in 2009 ("The Blind Side", 2009) is a recent American classic directed by John Lee Hancock, based on the novel written by Michael Lewis ("The Blind Side", 2009). This film was chosen for the film analysis by the professor, however, after watching The Blind Side, it is quite evident that this movie is perfect for analyzing the different concepts of communication since the entire move revolves around the forming of relationships and the strain between the conflicting methods of communication. The concepts that will be used to analyze The Blind Side are conflicting cultures, creating relationships, and expressing feelings. Fortunately, all these concepts are somewhat related and intertwined within each other when they

competitive advantage. Hence, it is essential to study mental toughness and other psychological characteristics of the athletes.

Leigh Anne was the first to see the needs of Michael Oher and adjusted to that needs, and eventually by the goodness of her heart and sympathy of what Michael’s life was before she decided to convince her husband to adopt Michael. They sent him to Wingate Christian School for secondary education but he felt discriminated by his schoolmates and even his teachers. But because of Mrs. Tuohy’s kindness, courage and positive attitude, she never gave up on Michael. She treated him as her real son and made him join the School’s football team which they discovered that he has extraordinary athletic skills. Her encouragement and love for Michael made him realized that he can be a better person and learned the game of football and later became a star player and he was offered by different state colleges for college scholarship.