Sorry, But You Can't Rewrite History by Taking Sandra Bullock's Oscar

Though few recall it now, Sandra Bullock's 2010 Oscar win for The Blind Side stirred considerable controversy. Many believed that her performance didn't match the calibre of other nominees, including Gabourey Sidibe in Precious and Carey Mulligan in An Education. However, it wasn't the first time an Oscar had been awarded for what some perceived as a less-than-stellar performance, so the issue soon faded from public memory. That was until recently.

Earlier this month, football player Michael Oher, whose story inspired the film, disclosed that Leigh Ann and Sean Tuohy never actually adopted him. Instead, they established a conservatorship that gave them the authority to broker business deals on his behalf. As a result, they made a huge amount of money from The Blind Side, with Oher never getting even a dime from the movie.

The revelation rekindled the controversy, especially as the film's events, once assumed to be rooted in reality, were now exposed as largely fictional. Given these allegations, some viewers expressed their disillusionment with the film. A few even suggested that Bullock's Oscar should be rescinded.

It goes without saying that such a move is highly unlikely. Bullock merely portrayed a fictionalised version of Leigh Ann and didn't contribute to the film's creative direction. While opinions may vary on whether or not her performance really deserved an Oscar, revoking it over a decade later would be both unwarranted and disrespectful.

It's worth noting that many of the calls to strip Bullock of her Oscar likely came from internet trolls. In this age of pervasive social media, anyone with a contentious viewpoint can broadcast it all over the net, regardless of how absurd it may be.

Both supporters and critics of Bullock remain steadfast in her corner, asserting that she shouldn't even be a topic of discussion in this controversy since she was unaware of the full story when filming.

The lingering question, which still remains unanswered, is whether The Blind Side producers knew the truth about the Tuohys before deciding to base a movie based on their version of the events.