Blindsided?

The #1 grossing movie last weekend was The Blind Side, a film starring Sandra Bullock as a mother who takes in high school-aged Michael Oher and encourages him to pursue his education and football career.

When pitted against the (still inexplicable) pop phenomenon that is Twilight, a movie that can pull ANY viewers is significant and The Blind Side's $34.5 million opening is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, it's the highest-grossing opening weekend of Sandra Bullock's career. But to surpass New Moon in its third weekend, seems to indicate that apparently we've all been blindsided. Or overcome with emotion due to the holidays.

Why did this movie (and the book on which its based) garner interest? Was it a timely release, here in the last throes of football season? Was it the star-studded cast and cameo list?

According to Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post, it is NOT because of the ad campaign. She finds the gender and racial dynamics in the ads to be trite and stereotypical, but lauds the movie as "much better than its ad campaign suggests, largely because it's based on the inspiring true story of Michael Oher and Leigh Ann Tuohy." She claims it's "Grounded in the direct, disarming truth of their experience," with a "straightforward lack of cheap sentiment that saves it from being either too maudlin or saccharine-sweet." Because of this, many people are attributing the movie's continued and growing success to word of mouth recommendations.

What do you think? Have you seen the movie? Will you? What influences your movie choice most: ads or personal recommendations?

Comments

[Noah Banning]

Quite honestly I think it's because there's nothing better to watch in the theater. Same thing will happen with Avatar this weekend.

[Katie]

Given the choice between The Blind Side and Avatar, I'd go Blind Side every time. Not sure Avatar would even make it into my Netflix queue....but maybe my friends will see it and recommend it! I might be swayed!