I’m always surprised by sports flicks. Whether it’s “Hoosiers”, “Remember the Titans” or the latest genre release “The Blind Side”, each of them consists of the same exact formula but viewers never seem to grow tired of them. What tends to grab the attention of movie-goers when it comes to these particular films is that most of them have some sort of truth behind them. In this case, the same story can be told over and over so long as it’s through the eyes of a different individual each time.

In “The Blind Side”, a wealthy Memphis couple, Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw) take in a homeless African-American teenager, Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) after his drug-addicted mother abandons him as a child. Of course, knowing that Oher is alive and well today, playing for the Baltimore Ravens as a right tackle makes the story far more engrossing than what it would’ve been had it just been a possibility that the film held some actuality.

If you’re familiar with Oher’s real life story, it’s both depressing and tragic. Had it been told exactly how it unfolded, viewers would have undoubtedly been displeased. This is why writer and director John Lee Hancock sugarcoats the script. He packs the story with humor to prevent it from collapsing in its own emotions. Fortunately, Hancock’s story-telling is clever. He avoids common clichés and never intentionally goes down the path of predictability. With snappy dialogue and likeable characters, it’s merely impossible not to be swept away by its charisma.

What viewers are bound to attach most to, however, isn’t the story in itself and the happy ending that comes with it. Instead, they’ll be sucked in to nothing short of a brilliant performance from Sandra Bullock. This is without a doubt the peak of her career and I’ll be damned if she doesn’t receive a few nods at this year’s Academy Awards.

While “The Blind Side”, at times, nearly becomes trapped in overly used issues regarding race and socioeconomics, Hancock pulls out just in time and scores a tremendous touchdown with one of the most heartwarming sports films in recent years.