I haven't seen it. Probably won't - no offense, too busy - but it reminds me of a disconnect I see in screenwriting. It's too personal for too many people. Screenwriters can't care about theme or culture but only the technical aspects of good character-dialog (yes the "-" means they can't be separated) and dramatic situations.
Sometimes they can consist of tension at the dinner table with a clash of values or a humility based on disbelief or estrangement.
Funny enough I just sold a short to a film maker that was based on distancing myself from my "particular life view."
It really enabled me to concentrate on the cinema and not my feelings about the characters' life view.
That's what WikiPedia and Google are for.

Well said Christian H.

That very disconnect you mention is as plain as day in most of the scripts I read. People are so busy molding and crafting and paradigming and plotting, desperate to make that 'perfect sale,' they (possibly inadvertently) lose the humanity. Lord knows I'm as guilty of that as anybody.

Trying to bridge that gap in my work lately. Failing mostly, succeeding occasionally. It's uncomfortable and disquieting to carve your heart out with a dull blade and upload it into Final Draft, y'know?

Exactly. This is a job - though not like many others. It's flexibility that enables successful assignments where you have little to no control over the story, only the content.

I haven't seen it, so take my comments accordingly, but I'm a little disappointed though not surprised by its success. Not sure the success is due to original characters - 'Precious' has that too, right? Thinking the success may be due to 1) that wacky American prejudice toward upbeat films; 2)the familiar white savior of black people theme; and 3)the sincere Christian thing, which, frankly, scares the heck out of me!

@michele: I don't think you have to be a cynic to wonder honestly -- and perhaps correctly -- that one psychological component which could be driving white audiences to the movie is the desire to believe that most white people, especially in the South and especially Christians, have managed to move beyond a racist heritage. Perhaps, too, the need for this reinforcement has been elevated due to some of derogatory and often blatantly racist language directed toward Barack Obama.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think that is the primary lure of The Blind Side. The big entertainment elements -- football, feel good, underdog, FOOW (Fish Out Of Water), Great American Family, true story, high concept -- are likely the biggest draws to the movie. But given the current nature of public discourse re race and racial politics, I suspect some of that has translated into additional motivation to see The Blind Side.

Scott, can you explain that more? I'm American, but have been outside the country for the last 7 years, though of course I kept up with the election and its aftermath. But how does The Blind Side play into the national discourse on race? And, especially, what does it do that Precious doesn't? Finally - can't a film in which the poor black kid is rescued and set on the right path by the well-meaning white parents with the 'right' values be perceived by some as subtly racist?