Released in 2009, ‘The Blind Side’ stars Oscar-winning actress, Sandra Bullock. The movie is based on the true story of Baltimore Ravens offensive left tackle, Michael Oher. Oher, who was from a broken home and is basically homeless at the beginning of the film, ends up becoming an All American football player and an NFL first draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family, who take him in. Bullock won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the woman who takes Oher in, Leigh Anne Tuohy. The film is written and directed by John Lee Hancock and is based on the book by Michael Lewis, “The Blind Side: Evolution of the Game”. Though the film is set in Tennessee, filming took place in Georgia.
Doubling for Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta was the main filming location for ‘The Blind Side’. The Tuohy’s home in the film was actually a private residence in the upscale Buckhead area of Atlanta. The home was sought after due in large part to fitting the real Leigh Anne Tuohly’s decorating tastes and what her actual home looks like. The restaurant, The Shed at Glenwood located at 475 Bill Kennedy Way in Southeast Atlanta, was featured in one of the scenes in the film as well.
Most of the school scenes of the film were shot at two different Atlanta schools. Both the Westminster Schools and the Atlanta International School were used in the film to represent the fictional school of Wingate Christian. (The real school that the Tuohlys and Oher went to was Briarcrest Christian, but that name was not used in the film.) The Westminster Schools is located at 1424 Paces Ferry Road in northwest Atlanta and was founded in 1951. The Atlanta International School was founded in 1984 and resides at 2890 N Fulton Drive in the Buckhead area of the city.
Another school that can be seen in the film, is Agnes Scott College in Decatur. Agnes Scott College is located at 141 E College Avenue and was founded in 1889. It is a liberal arts college for women. For the movie, the college is doubling as the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) where Michael Oher goes to college and becomes and All-American football player. Many of the school’s students were featured as extras in the movie.
‘The Blind Side’ earned several prestigious award nominations including Best picture from the Academy Awards, and Sandra Bullock won several awards for her performance in the film. In addition to the Academy Award she received, she also won a Golden Globe and a SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) award.
‘The Blind Side’ is currently available on Blu-ray and DVD.
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