The Blind Side’s Not-So-Hollywood Formula

Every year, on Christmas Eve day, our extended family goes to lunch and sees a movie. It’s become a fun tradition. The challenging part, however, is selecting a film that everyone might enjoy. This is my job. Last year, I received praise for choosing Slumdog Millionaire, which at that time was a relatively obscure film and everyone in our family enjoyed. This year, my decision is a no-brainer.

“The Blind Side” is currently the most buzzed about film in Hollywood, and is now projected to be one of the highest earning movies of the year. Apart from being a feel-good, traditional family values, sports story, The Blind Side has something that most Hollywood movies don’t have: a non-stereotypical, favorable portrayal of white evangelical Christians.

Based on the true-life story of Baltimore Ravens lineman Michael Oher and the churchgoing white couple who took the then-homeless teen in, the movie is now being called a “box office phenomenon.” In scrambling to explain the success of the film, some are suggesting the obvious — it plays to small-town, Southern-fried, Americana. But in an L.A. Times article entitled The Blind Side Writes A New Playbook, writer-director John Lee Hancock offers another idea. He says this about the real-life family portrayed at the center of the film:

“…they’re a Christian family that’s portrayed as normal, which Hollywood doesn’t have a great track record with. Hollywood tends to be very lazy in its portrayal of a lot of would-be stereotypes. Whether it’s Southern Christian families or New York cab drivers.

“There’s an easy, lazy way to do it, which is, just rely on stereotypes and throw it into theaters. I hope the movie dashed that stereotype in some ways, that Leigh Anne has to be the Church Lady from ‘Saturday Night Live’ or something.” (emphasis mine)

You heard right — a Hollywood director who wants to dash the stereotype that Christians are a bunch of doorknobs. Portray Christians as “normal”? Why, the nerve!

But could it be that this straight-forward, non-stereotypical portrayal of believers is actually part of the film’s growing popularity? Religion columnist Terry Mattingly thinks so:

“What makes a movie like this important to me is that it doesn’t slap people in the face with religion,” Mattingly said. “Most films from Hollywood that involve faith take out all the details — it’s just vague and mushy or it’s negative religious stereotypes.

“But ‘The Blind Side’ is a real movie. And then it has another factor: showing respect for religious motivations and emotions. So you have people lining up.”

Sure, the movie’s got a lot going for it besides a straight-up portrayal of Christians. But might this portrayal be one of them?