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The 2009 biographical sports drama,The Blind Side,ended up working in Sandra Bullock’s favor. The actress who has been absolutely exceptional in all her performances won her first and only Academy Award to date. The film was the talk of the town when it was released. A story of acceptance and second chances,The Blind Sidecaptivated the hearts of its audience and showed us that there really isn’t a bigger superpower than love.
However, Sandra Bullock had her fair share of doubts when it came to saying yes to the film. Why? Well, she simply couldn’t relate to the fictional family she was going to be a part of thanks to their conservative beliefs. She also admitted that she didn’t necessarily feel comfortable around“white, Southern, Christian, Republicans”as they are not appreciative of her, more so than often.
Sandra Bullock Got Candid about Her Role inThe Blind Side
Tim McGrawandSandra Bullockplayed the heads of the Tuohy family. Based on the real-life story of former footballer Michael Oher,The Blind Sidefollows the story of how Leigh Anne Tuohy found a young, homeless Michael and made him a part of her family, pushing him to reach new heights in the sport.
Now, The Tuohys are conservatives and Republicans through and through. In the film, they hire a tutor for their adopted Black son and when she turns out to be liberal, McGraw’s character states,“Who’d have thought we’d have a black son before we ever met a real live Democrat?”
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Since The Tuohys are a real family, Bullock had some trouble adjusting to her role as Leigh. In an interview withThe Guardian, she opened up about how she didn’t feel accepted or appreciated in front of people with such beliefs thanks to her own.
Whether it was football, Christianity, or being a Republican, Bullock couldn’t relate to the family at all. However, director John Lee Hancock convinced her that it was more a story about the love between a mother and son than anything else.
She recalled,
[The Tuohys] are devout Christians and they’re Republicans and they sure love their football. Me? I know nothing about Christianity, nothing about football, and I’m not a Republican. But John Lee Hancock had always told me this is a mother-son story that just happened to involve people that you might normally pass judgment on.
She still had her doubts, though. Bullock continued,
I go, ‘Hmmm …white, Southern, Christian, Republican …not the kind of people I feel comfortable around, because they’re usually not appreciative of me, or the lifestyle I supposedly lead. So, I automatically assume that they’ll reject me because of all that.
However, her fears proved to be baseless when she finally met the family the film was based on. In her own words,“But this family was the exact opposite.”She still remembers how meeting the real Leigh Anne Tuohy completely changed her perspective.
Sandra Bullock’s Meeting with Leigh Anne Tuohy
Originally meantto be playedbyJulia Roberts, Leigh Anne is a tough woman and Bullock realized this during their first one-on-one meeting. She toldEntertainment Weeklyjust how terrified she was of the woman when she opened the door to let the actress into her home.
Bullock, who is the epitome of confidence, couldn’t help but sit silently in the chair with her hands folded in her lap.
The Boys Did Not Hesitate To Take a Cheeky Dig At Sandra Bullock’s Now Controversial Movie The Blind Side
First of all, Bullock was reluctant to star as the woman as she thought the film would be all“schmaltzy and soft.”Then, her meet-up with Leigh Anne changed everything.
She stated,
At the end of the day, Leigh Anne took a little hand pistol out of her glove compartment and said, ‘Y’all just need to carry one of these,’ I kid you not. If you’re her friend, she would stop at nothing to get done what she needed to get done for you. If you’re her enemy, forget about it — you’re going to wish you were dead.
All of this combined, Bullock’s opinion on the film began to change and she finally signed on to the project that would get her her first and only Oscar.
Despite the praise for the film, it became subject tocontroversyin 2023 when the real Michael Oher stated that his adoptive family, instead of legally adopting him, made him sign a conservatorship agreement. Because of this, Oher alleges he didn’t get any royalties from the film while the Tuohys made millions.
The Blind Sideis available to rent/buy on Prime Video.
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2257
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
