Everyone has an important moment where they have to decide what they believe in and stand up for themselves. In the film ‘The Blind Side’ directed by John Lee Hancock an important scene was where Michael is interviewed by the college sport investigator. She thinks that the Tuohys are “boosters” who only helped him so that he would play for Ole Miss, the college football team they support. This scene is important because it is where Michael has to really think about his situation and his place in the Tuohy family. It leads to a turning point for him and shows not only how far he has come. However it also shows how the preconceptions of others could threaten his future. Hancock used to close up, low angle and dialogue to highlight the significance of this scene and to get the audience drawn into the tension of the moment.
Firstly, Hancock used close up to show us the pressure Michael was under. In this scene the close up is of Michael’s hands as he rubs his knees under the table while the investigator asks him a series of aggressive and pointed questions. The director has included this shot because he has used it in other parts of the movie when Michael is nervous or upset. It is a small movement and only those who really know him would know what it means. However we quickly realise that this moment has more riding on it than other times when he has been nervous so this is going to be an important turning point for him and we want him to make the right decisions. It also shows us that he is different to the stereotype of an angry young man as he does this rather than be violent and lash out.
Secondly, the director uses low angle to show us the tension within this scene. During this scene low and high angles are used to show that the investigator is trying to intimidate Michael. For example we see her from his points of view as she leans over him and asks why he thinks the Tuohys helped him. She is using both her physical location and her tone of voice to try and make him tell her what she thinks she knows already. This is important because traditionally Michael is seen as the one bigger than everyone else but this shows he is can be just as scared and vulnerable as anyone else. It also shows that the women has her own ideas about his situation and is trying to force him to agree. This illustrates the idea of