Back in 2009, when “The Blind Side” was first released, critics were fairly mixed on the movie … but ultimately agreed that Sandra Bullock delivered an undeniably incredible performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy. In fact, with a rating of 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, the critical consensus even addresses this, reading, “It might strike some viewers as a little too pat, but The Blind Side has the benefit of strong source material and a strong performance from Sandra Bullock.”
Again, reviews were decidedly mixed, with a few critics going right for the jugular, but some did specifically mention Bullock and her portrayal of Tuohy. “Upon seeing [Bullock’s] Oscar-worthy performance is ‘finally!’ followed quickly by, ‘Why the heck did it take so long?'” Michael Granberry at the Dallas Morning News exclaimed. Kate Muir at The Times UK summed it up thusly: “Bullock turns in a terrific, ball-breaking performance. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is painfully [patronizing].” Apparently, some Netflix subscribers agree with Adam Graham of the Detroit News, whose assessment reads, “It’s a cute, touchy-feely crowd pleaser that wants nothing more than to wrap audiences in a warm holiday embrace. In a sense, it achieves that goal, but it is overly sentimental in a Lifetime movie kind-of-way.”
