Real story behind The Blind Side is totally different to what happens in the movie
Topics: Film and TV, The Blind Side, Michael Oher
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros
Topics: Film and TV, The Blind Side, Michael Oher
Movies based off true events are common in the film industry, with many releasing in cinemas each year.
But it is not uncommon to see films based on a real-life story to be altered slightly for entertainment purposes - to make it more Hollywood essentially.
But you'll often find that the true stories are the best ones, as they are the most relatable. Rather than the typical Hollywood plot lines that are beyond the wildest dreams for so many.
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One of those real-life tales is the underdog story of Michael Oher in the 2009 film The Blind Side.
For those unaware, the sports film is based on the 2006 book of the same name, where a black teenager named Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is in and out of the school system and is also homeless.
Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), and her husband Seann, take in Oher and eventually become his legal guardians.
Oher then begins attending a private school, where coaches notice that due to his height, he could be an offensive lineman for their football team.
While Oher may have the physique to achieve big things in the football team, he is rather reluctant to use his ability to succeed.
The Blind Side makes it clear that Oher does not particularly understand the rules to football, which obviously hinders his capability to do well in matches.
But Tuohy manages to turn Oher's form around as the teen is told the importance of a football team and how they are like family.
Blocking quickly becomes second nature to Oher, and he ends up dominating every game he is involved in.
He later goes on to a glittering career in the NFL and a Super Bowl victory.
But the actuality of things was a little bit different for the real Michael Oher, as he was playing varsity football by the time he was in eighth grade, as per his memoir.
It seems Oher was not too impressed with the portrayal of himself in The Blind Side, either.
The NFL star couldn't wrap his head around the fact that the film implied that he had no football knowledge until he met Tuohy.
And since The Blind Side was released, Oher found it difficult in NFL until he retired in 2017.
Speaking to ESPN in 2015, Oher said: "People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie.
"They don't really see the skills and the kind of player I am.
"That's why I get downgraded so much, because of something off the field."