So if it feels like Pocahontas, now you know why…

I second the sentiment "Haven't seen The Blindside and I don't plan to, because Sandra Bullock is in it". It's sort of very transparent that this is the Sandra Bullock oscar project, and I for one can't really stand her as an actress (I'm sure she's a nice person, but she's not a good actress).

They left out a key thing…Sean Tuhoy came from nothing, and after becoming successful, did quite a bit to give back. He actually helped many of the kids at the school, not just Oher. Oher didn't really speak. Leann was integral in his development, and from what the book said, Sandy played that part to a T.

I didn't like the actor they cast for Oher, but the Oher in the movie, behavior-wise, reflected well the Oher in the book. I had no idea what had happened to Oher as I read the book, but am well pleased that he has become successful. According to his teammates, he still doesn't say much.

There are a few things in the movie that didn't happen exactly that way in the book, but they are based on things that happened in the book, just adapted for better entertainment. It's a movie; they're gonna do that. But the "feel good" nature of it isn't contrived, it is a true feel good story!

Read the book; even if you don't know much about football (like me), it is quite interesting.

Also … "unobtainium"? Seriously? I can't believe I sat through the whole movie and missed that.

Sounds like The Blind Side, ten years ago, would have had me sniffling and cheering and melting in a paroxysm of warmheartedness because some hero helped that Poor Black Kid. They can do that now, because racism is dead, right? Funny how spending a few years with someone who is Not White can help open one's awareness of how racism is not only alive and wel, but also how much people want to bury their heads in the sand about it. (Shining example: he went to get some professional help dealing with the racism he has experienced, and the psychologist – half his age – just chirped, "Oh, racism? Does that even happen anymore?")

"Who'd have thought we'd have a black son before we'd know a Democrat?" Man. That tells me the movie is exactly what I feared it would be: a vehicle for White People Everywhere to collectively pat themselves on the back because somebody involved themselves with another race. I'd love to hear that The Blind Side celebrates the eternal goodness of people helping people; when we're supposed to think the benefactors deserve extra credit because they're white… meh.

That's for sure! And, for all that, the Colonel comes off as not so much "Insane Wargasm Addict" as "Likes To Kick People's Asses". If the whole war had been called off, he'd go home and join an MMA league or something.

One of the ways that the movie could have been better would have been for the Colonel to actually meet the supersmurfs at one point. I mean, sure, it wouldn't have been written any better than the rest, but I would have liked to see the Colonel say something to Sigourney Weaver like "you know, I don't even speak his language, but I understand him better than I understand you." ("him" being the jerk alien who didn't like Jake Sully at first.)

*****

To work the racism angle into it: Did you notice, in "Avatar", how despite it being The Super Far Future, there are still distinct racial types–and the majority type is American White? (I'm not the first one to make this observation.)

*****

"But many Caucasian-Americans, I believe, respond with a modified version of plugging the ears and wailing "LA LA LA LA LAAAAA" because we just don't want racism to still exist. "

Partly that, but it's probably also a sort of combat fatigue; after hearing for the zillionth time that Racism Still Exists, you start to wonder why you bother caring when no matter what you do Racism Still Exists.

Also? When a fourteen-year-old yells "nigger" over Xbox Live Chat, he isn't racist. He's just been told since birth that "nigger" is obscene and "fuck" is not.

But I don't need to see it again. I have a copy of "Fern Gully" from childhood that I can watch.

I'd rather have Edward Scissorhands for a gyno than see even ten minutes of a Cameron film, on general principle, and I've already got a Hallmark Channel, so no on "The Blind Side" as well.

There isn't enough unobtainium in the universe to run that machine.

I'm enjoying this thread more and more. Thanks, everybody!