Based on a true story, Michael Oher is a kind-hearted African-American teenager with not much to his name. He has no home, no idea where his mother is living, no education and only the t-shirt and shorts he wears to call his own.

When the Tuohy's, a well-off white family, stumble across him walking alone in the cold streets at night, Leigh Anne, the strict yet generous mother, takes Michael under her wing and into their home. The family help Michael to reach his full potential both at school and in sports, and he soon starts to come out of his shell and begins on the path to making a proper life for himself with his new family.

~ Cast ~
Leigh Anne Tuohy - Sandra Bullock
Sean Tuohy - Tim McGraw
Michael Oher - Quinton Aaron
S.J. Tuohy - Jae Head
Collins Tuohy - Lily Collins
Coach Burt Cotton - Ray McKinnon
Miss Sue - Kathy Bates

I was a little hesitant of Sandra Bullock's role in this as it's very different to the usual quirky characters that she plays, but she actually plays her role in this extremely well. Her character is serious, down-to-earth and very sophisticated yet there's also something charming about her because she is so kind and open-hearted, and she did still give her character quite a bit of quirkiness. Bullock won an Oscar for her performance in this and, although I'm not sure it was THAT amazing, she did do a very good job and made the film a lot more enjoyable and interesting.

Tim McGraw plays Michael very well too and, although he does look pretty scary and intimidating, he also has a look about him that makes him seem gentle and kind. He reminded me a bit of Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile - this huge bulk of a guy who is actually a lovely person once you get past your initial impressions of them. McGraw does really well with his role and manages to look like a little lost child with no home at the beginning and then a happy but hesitant child when he begins to get things he's never had before, despite not psychically looking at all like that.

The other characters are also brilliant and there is something very likeable about all of them. The whole of the Tuohy family are so kind and generous - I mean not many people would let a scarily huge stranger into their house - but the whole family seemed to just accept Oher for who he was and treated him no differently from the very first time they met him.

Make sure you don't go rushing out of the cinema as soon as the film's finished as there's a bit at the end which tells you what happened in the character's lives. There's also a short video clip as well as some pictures of the real characters in the film which are lovely to see as they let you know how real the story is and let you know a little bit more about the true people and it brings home the fact that the story is actually a true one.

This is a very feel-good film and I remember was that continually smiling almost the entire way through. I came out of the cinema with a smile on my face too as it's just one of those films that manages to do that to you. This is a wonderful true story and a brilliant film.

Certificate rating: 12A
Running time: 128 minutes
Director: John Lee Hancock