Super Cinema Sunday
Leanne MariaOn Super Bowl Sunday, a winner emerged, and a loser returned to the locker room, dejected. No, I am not talking about the victorious New Orleans Saints or the toppled Indianapolis Colts. I am referring, of course, to Sandra Bullock and Patton Oswalt. (This is an Arts & Entertainment post, after all.)
Yes, on the biggest sports day of the year, my guy and I took in two football films before the big game itself, Bullock’s Oscar nominated The Blind Side, in theaters now, and Oswalt’s overlooked indie Big Fan, recently released on DVD. For the record, I loved both movies. Football and its inherent tensions make for a natural backdrop to a dramatic film, as characters overcome the odds on the field, or demonstrate their fervent fandom or gut wrenching disappointment from the sidelines. While Bullock receives her due praise and trophy after trophy this awards season for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy, Oswalt is ignored, at least outside the indie world, for his astonishing turn as Paul Aufiero. But each movie is worth your time.
The Blind Side tells the true pre-NFL story of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher, played here as a gentle giant by Quinton Aaron. As a young boy, Michael is removed from a broken home (absent father, drug-addicted mother), and placed with various foster families, each of which he leaves to live on his own or to seek out his mother. His latest foster parent convinces a football coach at a Christian high school to grant “Big Mike” admission. The foster family doesn’t stick, as Michael takes off lest he becomes a burden, but he remains at the school and struggles to learn. He spends nights wandering the streets, sneaking his clothes into running washing machines at laundromats, and hitting the books.
Enter Leigh Anne Tuohy, the matriarch of a wealthy Memphis family with two kids enrolled at the academy. Driving home after a school function, Leigh Anne notices Big Mike alone on the road, shivering. She invites him to stay the night. One night turns into two, and so on, until it seems that Michael is there to stay.
The story belongs to Michael Oher, but the show is stolen by Bullock. (This point has sparked controversy and accusations of racism, but I urge you to see the film and form your own opinion.) Her Leigh Anne is a fiery pistol with a heart of gold, and what she wants, she gets. She will stop at nothing to see Michael happy and successful.
I expected to dislike The Blind Side¸ having never been a fan of Bullock’s previous movies. (Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous? No thanks.) But she endeared herself to me when she took the stage at the Golden Globes, and again at the SAG awards, to receive her statues for Best Actress and admitted that of late, she “wasn’t doing good work.” After her turn in The Blind Side, she can say that no more. When taking Michael to his old neighborhood to pick up his belongings, Bullock shows Leigh Anne’s fear of the rough area in her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and nervous gulps, but for the sake of Michael, her eyes never betray her, never let on that she is scared. During a lunch with Leigh Anne’s rich and disapproving girlfriends, Bullock is inspiring and heartbreaking in her firm dismissal of the women’s biases, and in her declaration that Michael is enriching her life, and not vice versa. Leigh Anne’s motives come into question when recruiters from Ole Miss, the alma mater of her and husband Sean (Tim McGraw), come courting Michael for their college team. The sincere self-doubt Bullock displays as Leigh Anne questions her own actions shows a rare crack in the tough veneer of this strong southern woman. In a role that could have easily been outsized and overacted, Bullock shows impeccable control, thus rendering Leigh Anne honest and believable, a fully formed woman and mother instead of a brash, self-serving caricature.
While Bullock is known to devote time to both comedy and more serious fare, dramatic acting chops don’t come to mind when one thinks of Patton Oswalt. Mainstream audiences have heard him voice cuddly rat Remy in Disney/Pixar’s animated Ratatouille. Elsewhere, he has earned laughs for his stand-up comedy and recurring role as Spence Olchin on CBS’ King of Queens sitcom. On the surface, his Paul Aufiero in Big Fan isn’t a far cry from Spence. Both thirty-somethings live with their mother. Both work in a ticket booth (Spence in a subway, Paul in a parking lot. Both are single, with no romantic prospects in sight, and both spend Game Day with pals, rooting on their respective New York teams. But here, in their dedication to the sport, is where Spence and Paul deviate, as Paul is no casual fan. In fact, his very happiness hinges on how well the New York Giants perform in a given matchup.
Director Robert D. Siegel (screenwriter of 2008 sports standout, The Wrestler) deftly exposes Paul’s stunted maturity through the NFL sheets on the grown man’s bed, and the poster of Paul’s hero, fictional Giants linebacker Quantrell Bishop, adorning the wall. Paul spends work hours prepping passionate rhetoric in defense of his team, and his free time calling a local sports radio show to read his carefully crafted speeches live. On the airwaves, he is “Paul from Staten Island,” a regular on whom the DJ and his audience depend to speak proudly for the Giants’ fan base, and the enemy of “Philadelphia Phil,” an Eagles follower who calls to antagonize the rivals. His life has purpose and meaning. Off air, however, Paul is regarded as a joke by his family. His mom shouts through the walls to hush his phone calls, and his siblings proposition him with unwelcome job offers in an effort to get him to grow up.
Oswalt is explosive in his portrayal of Paul. His calls to the station range from giddy to muted, as he reigns in his excitement to appease his mom’s need for quiet, and then veers into thrilling territory as he can no longer contain his excitement when making his final point. The shifts from restraint to unbridled ardor are dynamic, and all the more impressive for how capably Oswalt switches from one mode to the next. Paul’s radio releases are his only respite from the moments of familial nagging, during which Oswalt visibly seethes with outrage at not being left alone.
After a chance sighting of the Giants’ Bishop at a gas station, Paul and a friend follow their idol through a seedy part of town to a nightclub. What happens when Paul gathers the courage to approach the player is a defining moment of the film, and I won’t spoil it here, but the event thoroughly rattles Paul, granting Oswalt ample opportunity to shine as he shows the depth of Paul’s hero-worship.
It’s unfortunate that this year’s lead actor category in the Oscar race is crowded with heavy hitters like Jeff Bridges, George Clooney and Morgan Freeman, leaving room for only two indie-film nominees, Colin Firth and Jeremy Renner. Perhaps in a lesser year, Oswalt could have filled one of those slots, earning the film the attention it deserves, just as best actress nominee Bullock has done for her movie. Up against a star vehicle of a football film like The Blind Side, Big Fan is relegated to the bench, but both are touchdowns.
Reader Comments (4)
Thanks for the intriguing reviews. At first I wasn't going to see the Blind Side because it looked too predictably Disney, but I did hear a lot of good things about it. Your review has pushed me over the edge, and I will make it a point to watch it.
As for the other, Big Fan, I don't really even remember seeing the preview. I'm neither for or opposed to Oswalt. However, I did really like The Wrestler and I didn't know that the director of Big Fan worked on this film as well. I'll have to check this movie out and see if I like it as much, but I don't know if Patton Oswalt can stand toe to toe with Mickey Rourke as actors.
Either way, thanks for the movie reviews. They are pretty much our first ones in months and hope you keep them coming. Your talent and effort at writing in this area show and are much appreciated here on the Lunch Break.
Strong writing and information on two films I would have stayed away from. I will see the Big Fan. It sounds like a great film and one that will affect me.
I read the link about Blind Side being racist in the Dallas Observer and thought that brought much depth to your piece. The idea that you would put a negative review with your glowing review of the actress shows your bravery and your insight that doesn't overshadow your goal to get people to decide for themselves.
You did justice to both movies and thanks for the writing. The site will be better a place to have lunch if you continue to inform us on your passion and thrill us with your professional and indepth writing style. And maybe I will try Blind Side -- though it will be the review that gets me to rent it.
Thanks for the lunch.
Thanks for the welcome. I'm glad to be on board, and look forward to contributing more.
I watch trailers of films quite frequently and also read movie reviews quite often. Most of the time I never actually see most of the films I read about or watch previews of. These are two that I, until reading your review, would have included into this category of non-viewing.
Most previews and reviews do not do the films justice. They seem to focus on a small niche audience who will determine the film's success, but yours provided a strong array of constructive criticism for which to judge the films. I remember watching previews for both these films and was completely turned off. The Blind Side was touted as "The Best Family Movie of the Year", so considering I stopped going to the movies with my mother and brothers when I was 12 and I have no children of my own, it didn't seem to appeal to my demographic. Big Fan was touted more as a dark journey into the deranged mind of an uber-fan, which didn't seem appealing to me. However, your enthusiasm and respect for Oswalt's performance is making me reconsider as well.
As already said, thanks for the lunch and we hope you come back!