Every year there's a film that occasional moviegoers embrace -- "The Bucket List," "Gran Torino," you get the picture.

This year, "The Blind Side" fits the bill. It's a consistent tearjerker that teaches, enlightens and uplifts.

First, the teaching: If you're not a big football fan, listen carefully to Sandra Bullock's lesson on the game. It's brilliant -- and amazingly simple. The primer starts the film, then leads into the story of an overweight boy who is taken under wing by a Memphis couple and their two children.

Based on the life of football player Michael Oher, it's a testament to the power of one -- what one person can do to make another's life better. Leigh Anne Tuohy (Bullock) isn't just a socialite who plans fundraisers for those less fortunate. She's a mother who understands what kids need most. Realizing the young boy doesn't have a place to go for Thanksgiving, she invites him home and, quickly, becomes a safety net. She buys him clothes, gives him a room and urges him to play football. When he can't quite get the game, she steps in, distills the information and puts it in terms he can understand. In no time, he's a star, helping his private school zip to the top of the high school ranks. Enlightening? Tuohy's work is practically a beacon.

When college looms, she's eager to see him land a scholarship. To get his grade point average up, she hires a tutor (Kathy Bates) and the die is cast.

"The Blind Side" looks like it's headed down a road of predictability, but Tuohy's rushing doesn't produce an easy touchdown. Indeed, there are fumbles in her game plan and a lot of luck.

When she meets with Michael's birth mother (Adriane Lennox, in an emotional, award-worthy performance), she's what every guardian hopes to be -- sympathetic, understanding, helpful.

When she confronts the boys in the 'hood, she's as feisty as Erin Brockovich. Indeed, this is Bullock's Brockovich.

While Tim McGraw (wearing a bad wig) is fine as her husband and Jae Head is delightful as her son S.J. It's the one-on-one between Tuohy and Oher (Quinton Aaron) that makes this work.

The two have moments of silence that are potent. The two have a scene near the end that will make you weep.

Best of all, they've got a relationship that really works. When Leigh Anne shouts down her friends at an $18 salad luncheon, "The Blind Side" is eye-opening. It says we all need to be a bit more vigilant. We all need to channel our inner Leigh Anne. We all need to quit turning our heads and pay attention.

Yes, there are moments that director John Lee Hancock hasn't quite finessed but this is the kind of film that makes you glad there are people in the world who still care.

You'll cry. You'll get angry. And you'll cheer. "The Blind Side" will make you thankful you live in a world where people still believe there's good in everyone.

Rated PG-13, "The Blind Side" features violence and adult situations.

On a scale of four stars, "The Blind Side" gets:

3 stars