-Holding. Left tackle. SJ: Michael! Come on.
Oher.
Come here, son.
If you're going to hold him, hold him inside here, between the tits. You got it?
Will you look at me, son?
If you grab him outside here like this or with that horse-collar thing you just did...
you're going to get flagged and I am going to be pissed, you hear?
All right, let's go!
Baby, watch my stuff, all right?
SJ: Okay.
Well, at least he will look good coming off the bus.
They will be terrified till they realize he's a marshmallow.
Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane.
Give me a minute. Bert.
-We're in the middle of a practice. -You can thank me later.
LEIGH ANNE: Come here.
Michael. Remember when we first met and we went to that horrible part of town...
to buy you those dreadful clothes?
I was a little scared. You told me not to worry, you had my back.
-You remember that? -Yes, ma'am.
And if anyone tried to get to me, you would have stopped them, right?
And when you and SJ were in that car wreck, what did you do to the air bag?
-Stopped it. -You stopped it. You stopped it.
This team is your family, Michael. You have to protect them from those guys, okay?
Listen.
Okay. Tony here is your quarterback, all right? You protect his blind side.
When you look at him, you think of me, how you have my back...
how you have his. Okay?
All right, Tony, go back.
All right.
Oompa-Loompa here is your tailback. When you look at him, think of SJ...
and how you'd never let anyone or anything hurt him. You understand me?
All right. Go back.
-Got it? -What about Collins and Mr. Tuohy?
Fine, they can be on the team too. Are you going to protect the family, Michael?
-Yes, ma'am. -Good boy.
Now go have some fun.
[PLAYERS MURMURING]
Yelling at him doesn't work. Bert. He doesn't trust men.
In his experience, they pretend to care about you till they disappear.
want to run a play?
[ALL CHATTERING]
SJ, you're going to want to get this.
Okay.
Come on, Michael.
TONY: Ready!
Set, go!
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
-Yeah. -All right, Michael, come on.
TONY: Set, go!
-Whoo! Yes! Michael! COTTON: All right, way to go. O, way to go!
Ready! Set, go!
Yes!
That a boy.
MICHAEL: You all right? MAN 1: Hey, get over here. Let's go.
MAN 2: Come on, son!
Okay. What'd you say to him?
You should get to know your players, Bert.
He tested 98% in protective instincts.
I said you could thank me later.
It's later. Bert.
[MARCHING BAND PLAYING]
CROWD [CHANTING]: Milford! Milford! Milford!
So much for home-field advantage.
You ever see so many rednecks in one place?
NASCAR. Not even close.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUDE]
Crusaders! Get ready for 48 minutes of hell!
Look at that fat ass.
[PLAYERS LAUGHING]
Pay them back on the field.
Coming through. Hold on. Listen up! Listen up!
Don't let them get inside your head now. Keep your composure! You ready?
PLAYERS: Yeah! -All right, let's go, Crusaders!
[PLAYERS YELLING]
LEIGH ANNE: Go. Wingate! -Let's go. Crusaders!
Michael!
Damn, that ain't fair. They got a big old black bear playing for them.
-What is this, a circus? -Right.
Eyes forward, SJ. Sticks and stones. Sticks and stones. Come on!
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
Go!
-All right, all right. Good start. -Nice.
MAN: Ready. PLAYERS: Break!
-Let's go. O! Let's go! PLAYER: Whoo!
Hey, you guys, look at this big buck we got right here! Whoo!
Coming after you! Coming after you!
You're all mine. All mine.
Ready, set, go!
Yeah!
Don't let him rip through. Oher! Come on, son.
Yeah! That's right, boy!
-All night long, fat ass! All night long! MAN: Good job.
I got you, boy! All night long. Whoo-hoo-hoo!
Now that's my boy.
It's all right, Michael.
-It's all right. Come on. -Let's go.
Shake it off. Come on.
Here we go. Round 2, baby, round 2.
Ready!
-Set! -Switch! Switch!
PLAYER 1: Got it! Got it! PLAYER 2: Go!
Whoo! Yeah!
Oher, don't let him get the inside gap on you. Come on. Use your head!
-What is Bert doing? Nothing. PLAYERS: Break!
-Hey, fat boy.
We're not done yet. All game long, boy. All game long!
PLAYER: Slot right, slot right.
Ready, set, go!
Pass, pass, pass!
Stop this-- Oh!
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
Yeah.
Why another pass. Bert?
Hey, where you going, fat boy?
You better stay off my field. You are not welcome here! This is my field!
-66, get back to your own bench! -Bert! Be quiet. Bert!
[PHONE RINGING]
Hello?
Enough with the trick plays, Bert. Run the dang ball.
You heard me. Run the dang ball. Run it!
Wait, did he just hang up the phone?
-No, I think he lost service. -He did not lose service.
-Whoo! DAD: Oh, that's my boy. Jimmy!
Number 66! Kicking that blue gum's ass.
Hey. Crotch-mouth.
Yeah, you. Zip it or I will come up there and zip it for you.
Sticks and stones?
You know what, SJ, just turn forward.
Just pick up the camera and keep shooting. Come on.
PLAYER 1: Push it, push it, push it!
PLAYER 2: And go!
Squeeze in!
Hah.
It's all right. All right, all right, we can come back from that.
[BLOWS WHISTLE]
Set, go!
PLAYERS: Break!
PLAYER: And go!
Come on!
MAN: Get him! -He's gone. He's gone.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUDE]
-He's got to shut that hole off. -No.
Unbelievable. 3 plays. 3 plays. What were we in, 4-3? Come on!
[BLOWS WHISTLE]
PLAYER 1: Ready. PLAYERS: Break!
66: Whoo! That's right, biggie, me and you.
Me and you, biggie, one more time. Here we go.
Ready!
Set! Go!
All right. Bobby, cut back. Son, you got to cut back.
-Come on. Let's go. Back to huddle. -You fat, black piece of crap.
Hey! Hey! Ref, are you going to do something about this?
He just kicked my boy in the head and he cussed him!
Thank you.
Unsportsmanlike conduct. Wingate. 15 yards.
-What? -You shut up, you get another 15.
This young man plays for my team. My team!
And I will defend him like he's my own son against you...
or any other redneck son of a bitch!
Don't worry, coach. I got your back.
[MURMURS]
Come here, son, come here.
-Try Gap. -Gap?
Gap.
All right. Gun rip. 47 Gap. On one, on one. Ready.
ALL: Break!
Your coach ain't here to protect you now, is he?
Ready!
LEIGH ANNE: This team is your family, Michael.
TONY: Set!
Go!
[GRUNTING]
Cut back, cut back. Block him. Oher.
He's got a hole! He's got a hole!
-Get him, Michael. -SJ!
SEAN: Get him, Michael. Come on, go! LEIGH ANNE: Run, Michael!
Go, go, go!
-Go, Mike! -Go, Michael!
Yeah, touchdown!
Hey! Hey! Touchdown!
[YELLS]
Ooh.
[BLOWS WHISTLE]
Yo! Deliverance!
You see number 74? Well, that's my son.
Way to go, bro! Ha-ha-ha.
Okay, here's what we got. Dead ball foul.
-Now what? Was he holding? -No.
-Did he hit after the whistle? -I don't believe so.
Then what was the flag for?
I don't know. Excessive blocking.
You're kidding me.
[GROANS]
Sorry, coach. I stopped when I heard the whistle.
Where were you taking him, Mike?
To the bus. It was time for him to go home.
Attaboy, Michael Oher. Attaboy!
Go get them! Go get them, Crusaders!
TONY: Ready, set, go!
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
[CHEERING]
TONY: Ready, set, go!
[GRUNTS]
[WHISTLE BLOWS]
-Whoo! -Whoo! Michael!
TONY: Set, go!
[GRUNTING]
Yeah!
Hey! Hey! Rub the head, rub the head. All right, let's go!
-Oh. -Tackle, over there.
Ready, set, go!
[GRUNTING]
Stay.
[GROANING]
Ready. 21!
Set!
Pull it!
[CHEERING OVER TV]
[MICHAEL GRUNTING OVER TV]
[TV CLICKS OFF]
[PHONE RINGS]
Tom Lemming Recruiting, please hold.
Coach Saban wants his monthly recruiting updates FedExed.
Does he really think getting it one day early is going to give LSU a leg up?
Hey, have you filled all the slots in the Army all-star game?
Yeah, why?
You might want to open one up.
[PLAYERS YELLING AND CROWD CHEERING OVER COMPUTER]
Oh.
Wow.
[LAUGHING]
What did I tell you?
I want him. I want him bad.
ALL: Y-E-L-L, everybody yell. Say, everybody yell.
Y-E-L-L, everybody yell.
Nice kick this time, Collins. Nice job.
What in the world?
All right, you all keep practicing. Remember, point your toes.
PLAYERS: 1, 2, 3, 1! 1, 2, 3, 2! 1, 2, 3, 3!
You going to buckle up today, son?
Shoot, man. Fulmer's here. Might as well go home.
What do you say, fellas? Doing all right? Good to see everybody.
Came all the way from Knoxville to see for myself.
Heck, coach, we drove from Clemson, 9 hours.
Coach Fulmer. It's a real honor.
My pleasure. I have watched your program. You have done really well.
I don't think there's any question you will be at the next level soon.
Oh, well, you know, we do what we can with what we have got.
Is that--? Is that Michael? Is that O'Hare?
It's Oher. Like a paddle in a boat. Oher.
You think we might see some drills. perhaps?
-I think all the coaches would appreciate it. -Oh, yes, sir. You bet.
[BLOWS WHISTLE]
Listen up, fellas! We're going to do a board drill.
Big Mike. Jay Collis, best on best right here.
Let's go, come on, come on!
[PLAYERS YELLING]
On the whistle, men.
[BLOWS WHISTLE]
[GRUNTING]
[CROWD YELLING]
Wow.
[PHONES BEEP]
Coach. Thank you.
-Where are you off to, coach? -Back to South Carolina.
You tell Michael Oher, if he can qualify with the grades. Clemson wants him.
Yeah, good luck with that. Brad.
You have done a great job with this young man.
He was a little raw when we first got him...
but we have, you know, coached him up a little bit.
Where is that?
Well, make me guess.
Hello. Mama.
Did you know to be eligible for a Division I scholarship...
-Michael will need to make a 2.5 GPA? -Really?
His ACT is low and I don't see it getting any better if he retakes it. Right there.
Well, what's his GPA now?
1.76.
That's not bad when you consider where he started.
Well, he's going to have to make all A's this year.
I am serious. And that might not even be enough.
So he goes to a junior college.
Unh-uhn. Most inner-city kids that go to JC drop out in the first year.
And his shot at the pros would go out the window.
Pros? Are we even sure he's going to get college offers?
NICK [OVER MACHINE]: Michael, Nick Saban from LSU.
Looking forward to you coming down and visiting.
LOU: Greetings, I am Lou Holtz from South Carolina. I am call--
MAN: We are very interested in having Michael over to Knoxville for a visit.
Phil Fulmer. Tennessee.
There's 20 more of them on there. And these things right here. 50 of them.
-Any of those from Ole Miss? -No.
They're not going to start recruiting till they hire another coach.
Doesn't make any difference unless Michael makes his grades. Ahem.
What are we going to do?
I understand you applied for a teaching position at Wingate.
I wasn't religious enough for them.
I am a spiritual person, Mrs. Tuohy, but I have certain, shall we say, doubts.
Well, I appreciate your honesty, Miss Sue.
What's the situation with Michael?
-He needs to do better in school. -Obviously.
But why the big push?
Well, he's in line for a football scholarship if he gets his grades up.
-Is he considering Ole Miss? -Better be.
I'd love to work with him.
Well, when would you like to start?
Mrs. Tuohy, um, there's something you should know about me.
I don't usually tell many people...
but it's something I feel you should be aware of before you hire me.
Uh-- What is it?
I am a Democrat.
Okay.
-I don't understand it. -Yet.
You don't understand it yet.
How big is your head, Michael?
Big.
And what's in there?
-A brain. -A brain.
It's full of knowledge.
Like a file cabinet with maps, and shortcuts for figuring things out.
You will get there, Michael Oher, because I am here to help you use those maps...
and reach your destination, like Sacagawea led Lewis and Clark.
Sacagawea?
We will get to that. And the history books have it wrong.
All you need to know is I will get you there.
Do you believe me?
You trust me, Michael?
Yes, Miss Sue.
Try it again.
What's the next one? Read that to me. Okay, what does it say?
First we have to find the constant. Now, where is the constant?
Good. See?
Who'd have thought we'd have a black son before we knew a Democrat?
[DOORBELL RINGS]
LEIGH ANNE: Doorbell! SEAN: I got it, guys.
Coach, how are you? Come in. Sean Tuohy.
-Nick Saban, nice to meet you. -Nice to see you. My pleasure.
I appreciate the opportunity to come in your home.
-This is my daughter, Collins. -Pleasure to meet you.
-And you must be Leigh Anne. -That would be me. Coach Saban.
-Nice to meet you. -You too.
Just call me Nick. This is an incredible home.
The Windsor valances are a nice touch.
Well, thank you. You obviously have excellent taste.
NICK: Well, we appreciate quality...
and recognize it when we see it.
Michael, why don't you come in and say hello?
-Nick Saban. Nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.
NICK: And you must be SJ. -That's me.
Michael, why don't you and Nick go into the living room and talk?
Can SJ come?
Absolutely. We will recruit the both of you. All right.
I find him extremely handsome.
Yeah, I am right here, Leigh Anne.
Yeah, I know.
NICK: So, Michael, we would love to get you down to LSU for a visit.
We have got a great thing going right now.
You have an opportunity to be successful as a person, as a student...
and an opportunity to be a part of the next national championship team at LSU.
So, what do you say? Would you like to commit to a visit?
SJ: Can I ask a question? NICK: Sure.
My brother and I are very close, and so...
I am very afraid that if he goes off to school.
I might not get to see him.
-So... -Go on.
I guess I was just wondering how much access I'd have to him.
NICK: Well, SJ, you would have total access to Michael.
But better than that, in his first game in Tiger Stadium...
we would like for you to lead the team out of the tunnel.
-What do you think about that? -Sounds good.
[CROWD CHEERING]
[GRUNTING]
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Come on in.
Greetings. I am Lou Holtz from the University of South Carolina.
Leigh Anne Tuohy. Nice to meet you. Come on in, Michael?
Hello, I am Tommy Tuberville. Auburn University.
Leigh Anne Tuohy. Nice to meet you. Michael?
-Houston Nutt. University of Arkansas. -Leigh Anne Tuohy. Nice to meet you.
-Ole Miss cup, huh? -Michael?
[SIGHS]
Oh, come on. You know this.
It's logical.
I guarantee, you come to University of South Carolina...
it will be the smartest decision you have ever made.
We want you, we need you, but the other thing is, Mike, you need us.
Ow!
Knoxville is a tremendous place to live and--
HOUSTON: I know there's Lions, there's Tigers, there's Bears.
Hey, there's only one Razorback in the world.
And not only that, you will look great in Gamecock red.
What's in it for me?
SJ, I am going to get you a hog hat and the whole family a hog hat.
Are you telling me that's the best you can do?
SJ, you remind me of me as a boy.
Coach, help me help you.
I can give you a Gamecock headdress. and with real feathers.
-What do you got for me. Phil? -I have been thinking a lot about that...
and one of the things I think would be special...
is we will walk arm-in-arm to the center of Neyland Stadium in the first ball game...
and do the coin toss together. How's that sound?
Coach Fulmer, it's a pleasure doing business with you.
My pleasure. CJ. You bet you, buddy.
[CROWD CHEERING]
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Congratulations on getting hired.
Thank you, ma'am. Ole Miss is my dream job.
You're coming a little late to the party and we're diehard Rebels...
so I am going to pretty much give you a road map.
-Got it. -LSU is out.
Everybody knows Saban's going to the NFL.
Don't want to name names, but on Michael's first 2 trips...
-somebody took him to a titty bar. -Terrible.
Tell me about it. He had nightmares for weeks.
So when he visits, I want you to feed him Italian.
He likes fettuccine Alfredo. And take him to a movie.
Not Chainsaw Massacre because he will just cover his eyes.
Then get him in bed by 10. Got it?
-Yes, ma'am. -All right.
-What about Tennessee? -Mm.
Breaks my heart. but they're still in the hunt.
Ahem. Fulmer made SJ a sweet deal.
-I hear that kid can really pepper the gumbo. -Hmm.
He's his daddy's boy. You ready?
-Let's do it. -All right.
ED: Mike, do you love barbecue? I tell you what, Mike.
You can go to a gas station and get the best barbecue you ever got.
It's a wonderful place to live.
Fried catfish, all the good food that we love to eat and that's not good for us...
you can have it there, Mike. I promise you.
And for you, SJ, this is what I can do.
At Ole Miss, we have The Grove by the stadium.
We walk it before every game in front of thousands of people.
It's a sacred ritual. And I am in front.
Seen it a thousand times.
Ever seen it from the front of the line? Next year, you and me, leading the team.
Tennessee offered to let me run on the field and flip the coin.
I will throw in a sideline pass.
Have you decided yet, Michael?
No, Miss Sue.
But you like Tennessee?
Yeah. That's a good school.
Not at the academic level of Ole Miss...
but they have a outstanding Science Department.
You know what they're famous for?
They work with the FBI...
to study the effects of soil on decomposing body parts.
What's that mean?
Well, when they find a body, the police want to know how long it's been dead.
So the fine folks at Tennessee help them out.
Oh, they have lots of body parts.
Arms and legs and hands...
from hospitals and medical schools.
[CHUCKLES]
And do you know where they store them?
Right underneath the football field.
So while it's fine and dandy to have 100,000 fans cheering for you...
the bodies you should be worried about are the ones right under the turf.
Set to poke up through the ground and grab you.
Well, it's your decision where you want to play ball.
Don't let me influence you.
[APPLAUDE]
All the other teachers are on board. I don't know what your problem is.
I am sorry. I will not give a student a grade he or she doesn't deserve.
Well, Michael needs a B.
What does he have to do to deserve that?
Right now Michael's doing C-minus, D-plus work.
His best chance at improvement is the written essay at the end of the year.
It counts for a 3rd of the grade.
Well, that's it. We're sunk.
[GAME PLAYING ON TV]
Why don't you write about Great Expectations?
You're a lot like Pip.
I mean, he was poor. He was an orphan and someone kind of found him.
You should be able to relate to that.
Fine. We will go through the reading list.
But you're going to have to pick one, Michael.
Pygmalion.
A Tale of Two Cities.
"The Charge of the Light Brigade."
Half a league, half a league Half a league onward
I love that one.
He loves it.
Why don't you do this? And I will watch basketball.
SEAN: Okay.
All in the valley of Death Rode the 600.
They named LSU's stadium Death Valley because of this story.
Alfred. Lord Tennyson was writing about LSU-Ole Miss.
-You're kidding. -No.
-It's a great story. -It's a poem!
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
That's like the offense.
"Charge for the guns," he said:
It's the end zone.
Into the valley of Death Rode the 600.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!" Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew Someone had blunder'd:
Someone made a mistake?
Yeah. Their leader.
Their coach.
But why would they go ahead if they knew he messed up?
Theirs not to make reply
Theirs not to reason why
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death Rode the 600.
They're all going to die, aren't they?
Yeah.
That's really, really sad.
I think you just found something to write about, Michael.
MICHAEL: Courage is a hard thing to figure.
You can have courage based on a dumb idea or a mistake...
but you're not supposed to question adults...
or your coach or your teacher because they make the rules.
Maybe they know best, but maybe they don't.
It all depends on who you are, where you come from.
Didn't at least one of the 600 guys think about giving up...
and joining with the other side?
I mean, valley of Death, that's pretty salty stuff.
That's why courage is tricky.
Should you always do what others tell you to do?
Sometimes you might not even know why you're doing something.
I mean, any fool can have courage.
But honor, that's the real reason you either do something or you don't.
It's who you are and maybe who you want to be.
If you die trying for something important...
then you have both honor and courage, and that's pretty good.
I think that's what the writer was saying.
That you should hope for courage and try for honor.
And maybe even pray that the people telling you what to do have some too.
Kevin Lin.
[APPLAUDE]
-Good job. -Excuse me. Excuse me...
Matthew Nichols.
-2.52. -Hmm?
Michael's final GPA. Got it off of Paul's computer.
He did it, Sean. He did it.
Wait a minute. You broke into the principal's computer?
Hmm?
Michael Oher.
[APPLAUDE]
[CHUCKLES]
GIRL: Michael.
Where in the world did you find a baby picture of Michael?
Scanned it off an Internet ad for a toddler boutique.
-Congratulations, Michael. MICHAEL: Thank you.
SJ: Michael, up top!
[CHUCKLES]
Way to go, bro.
All right, that's enough.
Young man, I think I need a proper hug.
You're going to be staying in Deaton Hall. Where is it?
It's 109. It's right there.
You will be on the meal plan so you will be eating over here in Johnson Commons.
Johnson Commons, all-you-can-eat self-serve ice cream.
-Mm-hm. -As much as you want?
[PHONE RINGS]
That's how Mama put on her freshman 10.
[CHUCKLES]
-Stop it. -Whew.
Hello.
This is Mrs. Tuohy.
They just want to ask you a couple questions. Michael. You have nothing to hide.
Mrs. Tuohy? Mr. Oher? My name is Jocelyn Granger.
I am the Assistant Director of Enforcement for the NCAA.
Please, call me Leigh Anne.
So let's do this, shall we?
If you wouldn't mind. I'd prefer to speak with Michael alone.
LEIGH ANNE: And how long is that going to take?
A while.
It's all right. It's okay.
Go on.
Michael.
Michael, I will be waiting for you in the lobby, all right?
LEIGH ANNE: I don't know, Sean.
Just have a bad feeling about this one.
This woman is tough, tough... Hold on.
Hey.
The client wants what?
Were you aware that Coach Cotton was accepting a job at Ole Miss?
No.
And that this job offer came after you signed with them?
Sean Tuohy, your legal guardian, went to Ole Miss.
He played basketball.
And Mrs. Tuohy went to Ole Miss as well.
She was a cheerleader.
Is it safe to say that Ole Miss is their favorite school?
Do they like any other universities? What about, say, Tennessee?
No, they can't stand Tennessee.
And your tutor.
-Miss Sue? -Miss Sue.
Miss Sue is an Ole Miss grad too.
Miss Sue ever try to persuade you to attend Ole Miss?
Did you know that the Tuohys make generous donations to Ole Miss?
That even Miss Sue makes donations?
That the Tuohys, they have a condo in Oxford...
so they can attend as many athletic events as possible.
That in fact, both Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy are by our definition boosters.
Mr. Oher.
Do you understand? Do you know why I am here?
To investigate?
Yes. To investigate.
I am here to investigate your odd.., predicament.
Do you find it odd, your predicament?
Michael.
I don't know.
-Can I--? Can I leave now? -No, you can't.
What do you want, ma'am?
-I want the facts. I need the truth. -I didn't lie.
-I want to know what you think about this. -Think about what?!
The NCAA fears that with your recruitment...
a door might be opened...
that boosters from schools in the South...
will become legal guardians of young athletes without means...
and funnel them to their alma maters.
I am not saying I believe it. I am not saying I don't.
But there are many people involved in this case who would argue that the Tuohys...
-they took you in, they clothed you... -No.
they fed you, they paid for your private education.
-They bought you a car, paid for a tutor... -No. No.
all as part of a plan to ensure that you play football for the University of Mississippi.
Michael? We're not finished.
The toile's not available, like I told you months ago.
So why don't we go with the ticking? The low nap. It's a beautiful--
I will call you back. Bye. Michael. So, what happened?
-Why'd you do it? -What?
All along you wanted me to go to Ole Miss.
Well, of course I did. We love Ole Miss.
-Why'd you do this for me? -What?
Everything. Was it for you or was it for me?
Was it so I would go to school where you wanted?
Was it so I would do what you wanted?
-Michael, no. I-- -That's what she thinks.
Is she right?
Michael, honey, I need for you to just listen to me.
Don't you dare lie to me.
I am not stupid.
Michael? Michael, of course you're not stupid. Michael. Mi--
I should have followed him.
You had no way of knowing he'd disappear.
Was he right?
What he said about us?
Leigh Anne, be reasonable.
We gave clothes to a boy who had one pair of shorts and we gave him a bed.
To hell with the NCAA. I would do it again tomorrow.
What about all the rest of it?
All the stuff we did to make sure that he got a scholarship.
A scholarship to Ole Miss.
He could go anywhere he wanted. He knew that.
Oh, did he? Did you ask him? Because I sure as hell know I never did.
Hey. Come here.
Yeah.
[SIGHS]
Am I a good person?
Not a joke.
Not rhetorical.
You are the best person that I know.
Everything you do, you do for others.
And why is that?
I have not a clue.
But you obviously get some sort of sick satisfaction out of it.
-Sean. -Yeah?
What if he never comes back?
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]
Oh. Heh. Whoo!
Big Mike. Hey, get your ass on in here, man.
-I am looking for my mama. -Your mama?
Yeah, I seen Dee Dee around.
As a matter of fact...
Oh, yeah, she usually stop by for a taste around this time.
Look, I tell you what, why don't you just come on inside?
I am going to get you a 40, we going to chop it up like real folk.
Just until she get here.
Come on, now. Ain't nobody going to bite you, baby.
Hey.
Hey. Big Mike, go on down there in the living room, man. Have a seat.
Liven this bitch up in here, you all.
Give me a couple of 40s out that refrigerator.
-Sit down, man. -Big Mike, boy.
Damn, sure good to see you.
Yeah, you looking good too. You looking fit.
I heard you playing a little ball.
You all know that old rich-kid football ain't got nothing on that public-school league.
Niggas packing knives in they socks.
[LAUGHING]
Hey, I played a little ball myself.
-Back in the day. You knew that, right? -Yeah, I heard.
Little quarterback. Up there at MLK. Yeah.
Thank you, baby.
What about you, David? You still playing ball over at JC?
-Naw, br-- -No, man. David ain't with that no more.
He with me now.
As a matter of fact, look, I can open up a spot for you too.
I got tired of going to class. People always trying to tell me what to do.
Well, in that case, then, look here, turn that up right there, little-bitty bitch!
-Ha-ha-ha. -Bitty bitch!
Hey, man, I am just messing with D, man.
Ahh. I heard you staying on the other side of town.
Yeah, that what Dee Dee said. Said you got you a new mama now. Yeah, man.
MAN: Hell, yeah. ALTON: She fine too.
Yeah, she fine. Mm-mm. Ooh!
Hey, she got any other kids?
She got a daughter?
You tap that?
[LAUGHS]
Yeah, you tapped that, didn't you? Yeah.
Big Mike!
ALTON: Big Mike done got a little piece, you all! He can't stand hisself now.
Hey. Big--
He done-- He done lost his mind.
Hey, where you going?
I am going to just go wait for Mama at the apartment.
[SCOFFS]
Hey, man. Just go on heading on.
Sit down, man. I am just trying to find out a little bit about your fine white sister.
Because I likes me some of that mommy-daughter action.
Shut up.
"Shut up"?
Who in the hell is you telling to shut up?
I will bust a cap in your fat ass...
and then drive east to pay a visit to your cracker-ass mama...
and her sweet little daughter.
[GRUNTING]
[WOMEN SCREAMING]
Big fella.
[GUNSHOT]
[SCREAMS]
[BABY CRYING]
WOMAN: My baby!
You monster! Get out!
[SCREAMING]
-Mama! -Mama!
[MEN CHATTERING]
ALTON: He gone, snowflake.
Michael was here?
Yeah, but you tell him I will be seeing him around. Oh, he going to get his.
So Michael was here?
Last night. going to come by here and sneak me then run off.
Yeah. Tell him to sleep with one eye open.
You hear me, bitch?
No, you hear me, bitch.
You threaten my son, you threaten me.
You so much as cross into downtown, you will be sorry.
I am in a prayer group with the DA...
I am a member of the NRA. and I am always packing.
What you got in there, a .22? Or a Saturday Night Special?
[CHUCKLES]
Mm-hm. And it shoots just fine all the other days too.
[PHONE RINGS]
-Michael? MICHAEL: Mama?
MICHAEL: You think the police are going to come and get me?
LEIGH ANNE: I imagine the last thing they want in Hurt Village...
is a bunch of cops snooping around.
I swore I would never ask this, but how did you get out of there, Michael?
When I was little and something awful was happening...
my mama would tell me to close my eyes.
She was trying to keep me from seeing her do drugs or other bad things.
And when she was finished or the bad things were over...
she'd say,
"Now when I count to 3, you open your eyes.
The past is gone, the world is a good place,
and it's all going to be okay."
You closed your eyes.
You know, when I was driving all over kingdom come looking for you...
I kept thinking about one thing.
Ferdinand the Bull.
I know I should have asked you this a long time ago, Michael.
But do you even want to play football?
I mean, do you even like it?
I am pretty good at it.
Yeah, you are.
Sean and I have been talking and...
Michael, if you're going to accept a football scholarship...
we think it should be to Tennessee.
And I promise that I will be at every game, cheering for you.
-Every game? -Every game.
But I will not wear that gaudy orange. I will not.
It is not in my color wheel and I am not going to wear it.
Do you want me to go to Tennessee?
I want you to do whatever you want.
It is your decision, Michael. It's your life.
What if I wanted to flip burgers?
It's your decision. It's your life.
Okay.
Okay, what?
MICHAEL: I am sorry I left the other day.
You were pretty upset.
You asked a lot of questions. I am just trying to get to the bottom of this.
But all the questions you asked...
were about why everybody else wanted me to go to Ole Miss.
Okay.
Not once did you ask why did I want to go there.
All right.
Fine, Michael. Why do you want to go to Ole Miss?
Because it's where my family goes to school.
It's where they have always gone to school.
LEIGH ANNE: College will be a different experience for you.
SJ, stop it.
-There's going to be lots of distractions. -Have fun.
Always going to be some nimrod in the dorm who wants to play video games all night...
or fool around on the Internet.
Just have fun.
You will be spending a lot of time at practice...
which means you will have to be very dedicated to your studies, all right?
SJ, if you don't stop it right-- Come here.
Relax. Mama.
I just got back from the library. I reserved a private cubicle for the semester.
Here's your class schedule and our study-hall hours.
Now, if you all don't mind, I am going to go move into my new apartment.
-Thank you, Miss Sue. FAMILY: Thank you, Miss Sue.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. LEIGH ANNE: Let's see what you got.
College Writing, good. Psychology. Math Lab, which is going to be good--
-Hi. LEIGH ANNE: Well, you know why.
A lot of good classes.
-You going to have a lot of fun. COLLINS: SJ!
Michael Oher, you listen to me, all right?
I want you to enjoy yourself, but if you get a girl pregnant out of wedlock...
I will crawl in the car, drive up here to Oxford, and I will cut off your penis.
She means it.
-Yes, ma'am. -All right.
[SIGHS]
Well, the 78's going to be a parking lot so we should get going.
I want everyone to say their goodbyes, all right? Here. Bye, baby.
MICHAEL: Thank you. Mama. -You're welcome.
[CAR ALARM CHIRPS]
Why does she always do that?
She's an onion, Michael. You have to peel her back a layer at a time.
Be right back.
What?
What, Michael?
I need a proper hug.
Subtitles: Arigon
LEIGH ANNE: I read a story the other day about a boy from the projects.
No daddy, in and out of foster care.
He'd been killed in a gang fight at Hurt Village.
In the last paragraph, they talked about his superb athletic skills...
and how different his life might have been...
if he hadn't fallen behind and dropped out of school.
He was 21 years old the day he died.
It was his birthday.
That could have been anyone.
It could have been my son, Michael.
But it wasn't.
And I suppose I have God to thank for that.
God and Lawrence Taylor.
One Mississippi.
[CROWD CHEERING]
The New England Patriots have traded the 23rd pick to the Baltimore Ravens.
And with the 23rd pick in the 2009 NFL draft...
the Baltimore Ravens select
Michael Oher, offensive tackle, Mississippi.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUDE]
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
Synced and divided by Mohamed Elqusbi, LIBYA [ Subscene.com ]