Hollywood Loves White Ladies

Here we have the trailer for the film adaptation of a book written about former poor, black child, taken in by an upper-class white family and eventually drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, Michael Oher.  It all sounds like one helluva story doesn’t it?  Well, it did until I saw Sandra Bullock. 

Oher was a blue-chip high school offensive-line recruit in 2004 and signed with Ole Miss.  He made the Freshmen All-America team and was first team All-SEC last season.  The Ravens took him with the 23rd pick in this year’s NFL Draft and he has signed a 5-year, $13-million contract.  Don’t expect any of that to be in this movie, however.  Do expect Hollywood to take a truly inspirational story about a kid who was essentially orphaned and homeless and turn it into a story about a wealthy housewife who courageously adopts a minority.  Wow, I can’t believe someone would have the strength to go through all of that.  I don’t mean attending11 schools in 9 years, having no parental figures, having no fixed address or alternating between various foster home, all before you are 16.  I mean taking in a 300-pound black teen when you already have a couple kids and a husband with a great job.  The word hero is thrown around too much these days, but in rare instances like this one, it’s warranted. 

The film also won’t cover the fact that it was another man who found Oher and attempted to enroll him in the private school.  You also won’t hear about the allegations that the family that took Michael in only did so to ensure that he’d play football for their school.  Or how his high school coach steered Oher to Mississippi in order to secure a coaching job with the Rebels.  I’m not saying the allegations are true, but integral parts of the story should at least be refuted somewhere in the film.  But, I guess if you actually gave an actual portrayal of what happened, there wouldn’t be time to show Sandra Bullock threatening the ’street thugs’ that are threatening Oher.  And they would have had to cut goosebump inducing dialogue like, ‘you’re changing his life’, ‘no, he’s changing mine.’  Without great stuff like that, what would you be left with?  A well-made, inspirational true story?  No one is interested in something like that.

Bootlegged from FilmDrunk

Tags: Baltimore Ravens, football, Michael Oher, NFL

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