Naman Shrestha
Directed by John Lee Hancock, ‘The Blind Side’ is a biographical sports drama movie based on Michael Lewis’ 2006 book titled ‘The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game.’ It revolves around a homeless boy named Michael Oher and how he rises above all his hardships and traumatic experiences to become a professional football player with the prestigious National Football League (NFL). In times of doubt and lack of motivation, he is encouraged and pushed to his true potential by his adoptive parents — Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy.
Starring some Hollywood heavyweights like Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, and Lily Collins, the movie does a great job of portraying how perseverance and resilience, along with a little bit of encouragement, can take people to heights they never thought were possible. Moreover, the various backdrops depicting different phases of Michael’s life make the viewers curious about the places where the movie was shot. If you are eager to know more, we are here to put your curiosities to bed!
The Blind Side Filming Locations
‘The Blind Side’ was filmed in the state of Georgia, specifically in Atlanta and Decatur, which double up as Memphis, Tennessee, in the movie. According to sources, principal photography for the biographical drama commenced on April 13, 2009, and wrapped up on June 7, 2009. Now, let’s take a look at the specific filming locations that serve as a backdrop for the making of the movie!
Atlanta, Georgia
‘The Blind Side’ was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia, for the most part, with different locations used for exterior and interior sequences in the film. Apart from being lined with skyscrapers, Georgia’s capital is also known as the “City of Trees” or “city in a forest” for a reason. The visuals in the movie reflect both these aspects quite beautifully. With the modern architecture combined with the flurry of trees all across Atlanta, it provides a versatile backdrop for film and television production. Over the years, several movies have been lensed in the city, such as ‘Red Notice‘ and ‘Baby Driver.’
The school scenes portrayed in ‘The Blind Side’ were lensed in Atlanta International School, which is located at 2890 North Fulton Drive in the Buckhead district. At the same time, a few pivotal sequences were also shot in The Westminster Schools, a private school situated at 1424 West Paces Ferry Road North West. Using the campus of two actual schools added more authenticity to the narrative of the film.
To depict the Tuohy family house, the production team lensed the interior and exterior scenes at two different properties in the Buckhead neighborhood. For the interior scenes, a house on 3394 Knollwood Drive Northwest was used as it looked quite similar to the actual house of the Tuohy family. As far as the exterior shots were concerned, the team lensed several shots at a nearby house located at 3617 Tuxedo Court Northwest.
In an interview in March 2010, one of the executive producers of the movie, Timothy M. Bourne, explained that Atlanta was a good choice for filming since most Southern cities share several similarities. So, they found that it was not very different from Memphis in terms of geography and essence. Moreover, Atlanta has the infrastructure and skilled manpower to support filming projects.
In the same interview, production designer Michael Corenblith shared that the real Leigh Anne Tuohy helped tremendously in the production process. In fact, she worked closely with set decorator Susan Benjamin who got the opportunity to visit Leigh Anne’s home and spend time with the family. This helped Benjamin style the set to closely resemble the Tuohy family’s house. Moreover, the production team was also spotted taping a few scenes for the Sandra Bullock-starrer in The Shed at Glenwood. Once located at 475 Bill Kennedy Way in Southeast Atlanta, the restaurant is now permanently closed.
Decatur, Georgia
Agnes Scott College in the city of Decatur doubles up as the University of Mississippi in the film. Located at 141 East College Avenue, the campus is seen in sequences depicting Michael’s college years. These scenes included the actual students of the liberal arts college for women. Decatur has served as a filming location for many movies other than ‘The Blind Side,’ such as ‘Zombieland: Double Tap‘ and ‘Scream 2.’
Read More: Is The Blind Side Based on a True Story?
