Though The Blind Side may be about an underdog, it's more a family drama than a sports film. Football may course through the veins of the movie from The Rookie director John Lee Hancock, but at its heart, The Blind Side is a story about overcoming adversity and denying defeat outside the boundaries of the football field. It doesn't add anything new to the sports drama playbook, but this film from director John Lee Hancock is surprisingly effective and affecting.

Based on a true story — and Michael Lewis's nonfiction book "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game" — the film stars Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Touhy, an upper-class Memphis mother who takes in struggling young teen Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron). Leigh Anne is steel in high heels; she's a Southern woman who steamrolls people around her, but she does it all with politeness and genuine concern for their well-being. When she and her rich family encounter a freezing Michael on the roadside on a rainy night, she insists that he stay with them. Michael is on scholarship at her children's expensive private Christian school, but he routinely stays on friends' couches and at the local laundromat until the Touhy family takes him in.  

The Touhys' affluence feels foreign to Michael, aka "Big Mike," but Leigh Anne and her husband Sean (country star Tim McGraw, Four Christmases) try to make Michael feel welcome in their home. He especially bonds with S.J. (Jae Head, Hancock), the Touhy's young son. The family and his teachers gently push Michael to improve his grades, and he is soon eligible for athletics. Though Michael bears the broad shoulders and strong physique of a football player, he struggles to understand the game until his adopted mother explains in terms that make sense to the gentle giant. But while Michael finds new purpose in football, he occasionally has flashbacks to his life as a child with a crack-addicted mother.

Though fans of NCAA football and the NFL are surely familiar with real-life star Oher's name, the sport only figures largely in the film in its second half. Those hoping for two hours of gridiron action are better off staying home and watching ESPN, but The Blind Side is likely to be a crowd pleaser anyway. It isn't in the running for an Oscar, but it knows its audience and plays to them, boasting both an inspirational storyline and numerous college football cameos. For those who aren't glued to the tube on Saturday and Sunday afternoons in the fall, the film provides enough background and explanations so that the larger meaning isn't lost in the confusion. A fine epilogue features footage and photos of the real people behind the actors.

Bullock has made a solid career of playing the nice girl in lighthearted comedies, but The Blind Side allows her to stretch a bit. As Leigh Anne, she's strong yet soft, and her performance feels entirely genuine. As written, the character could take on a too-saintly aura, but Bullock makes her human. McGraw doesn't get to do much — this is Leigh Anne and Michael's story — but he proves that not all singers-turned-actors should stick to music. There's real warmth in his on-screen persona that adds to the film's feel-good mood.

As Michael, Aaron turns in a nice, often silent performance. He has a few roles on his resume where he is credited as simply "Bodyguard," but his part here takes him beyond the mere physical presence of the now-famous football player. There are flashes of joy and pain for Michael, and Aaron communicates both without saying a word. As young S.J., child actor Head is hammier than Christmas dinner, but it's a surprisingly good fit with his outgoing character. The always reliable Kathy Bates makes a brief appearance as the tutor who helps Michael improve his grades (and scholarship chances).

The Blind Side is like the cinematic equivalent of macaroni and cheese. It's cheesy comfort food with more fat and calories than nutrients, but you know what you're getting when you dig in and it's enjoyable while it lasts.