Synopsis
A Christian lady (Sandra Bullock) takes in a troubled youth and with the help of her husband (Tim McGraw) and children she instills in the boy courage to finish school and start a new life, full of hope.
Entertainment Value - A
This was a very well done movie. I went into the theater not terribly excited about it, thinking it was going to be just like every other inspirational sports story (good, but because there are so many of them, it's nothing new); but it wasn't. It was inspirational, but football was just a small element of the movie. The performances were great. The music was a little too contrived, I felt more emotionally driven at time because of the music instead of the actual story.
Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 5
The focus on the family was very strong in this film. The Tuohy's were your average TV watching family until Big Mike came into their lives. One scene in particular stands out on Thanksgiving day when Michael chooses to sit at the table instead of on the couch watching football like the rest of the family. It doesn't say why, but Michael's example helped bring the family closer that day as the mother corralled the rest of the family into the dining room to spend real family time together.
When Michael first moved in, I was wondering how the mother could do that with a teenage daughter in the home. Apparently she was oblivious to that potential danger (an issue no matter if the boy were a stranger or a good family friend), but when made aware of it by a friend, she made sure to discuss the issue with her daughter to find out her feelings on the situation. This was a good example of humility on the mother's part, realizing she hadn't consulted her daughter on the matter but quickly remedying it.
The last scene where Michael is being interrogated by the NCAA board on why he chose the college he did, was another great scene on the importance of strong family ties. The world doesn't really understand the concept of what a family is and does (as exhibited by the interrogator). She simply thought that the parents were coniving Ol' Miss alumni trying to get some extra points scored for their school; when, like any other parent, all they wanted was for their "son" to be happy, knowing that that school was where they were happy. Michael grounds the interrogator when he comes back and tells her that.
S.J. and his sister showed great initiative in going out of their way to help Michael know he was loved. The husband's support of his wife's charity was inspiring. I really can't say enough good about this show. Go out of your way to see this film, it will definitely find a place in our DVD Binder when it comes out.
This should have won the Best Picture of the year. And I think Sandra Bullock should have won the oscar on looks alone!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, one thing I really enjoyed was SJ and his complete acceptance of Michael. It seems like everybody else had their reasons to not accept Michael, or be hesitant to accept him, but I think SJ had that Christlike love throughout. In the Thanksgiving dinner scene, the whole family is a little wierded out by the whole situation, but SJ isn't phased at all. Sometimes we can learn a lot from kids, even though us adults know so much. :)
SJ also is the one that seems most involved in helping Michael choose a school (even though his requirements are not meant to be taken seriously). We really do have a lot we can learn from kids, we judge them too harshly sometimes when they actually can see things so much clearer, they don't have any prejudices yet. Thanks Dave!
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