'The Blind Side' and Other Films That Use the White Savior Trope

Despite this movie being based on a true story, allegedly, it’s still the most egregious on the list. If you’re unaware, this movie is about a Black homeless boy who is saved by a White woman (Sandra Bullock) and her family who lead him on the right path of athletic superstardom. All the White characters in the movie serve as a positive influence to Michael Oher and nearly all of the Black characters are hindrances to him. Unsurprisingly, this scored Bullock an Oscar.

Filmmakers love using this trope when it’s a white teacher saving inner-city kids in school. In this movie, Erin Gruwell (Hillary Swank) helps her students by buying them composition books to assist them tell their stories. Swank’s character serves as a person who molds these students into “civilized” people. You’ll see similar stories like this one on this list.

Even Viola Davis regrets starring in this movie. It’s about Black maids in the South during the 1960s. While the main characters of the story are Black, they are told through the lens of a white woman, Skeeter (Emma Stone). These maids’ stories are interesting and important, but the way the movie told them does not give them justice. Even Ablene Cooper, the real person the movie focuses on, sued the makers of the film claiming it was humiliating and offensive.

Spike Lee’s reaction to this film winning best picture should tell you everything you need to know. Yes, it’s about the real relationship between Dr. Donald Shirley and his White Driver, Tony Vallelonga, but it doesn’t do it well. It’s done in a way that spoon-feeds racism to white people,” ignoring the racism he actually would’ve experienced as a Black man traveling through the racist deep south.

This movie’s White savior is even worse than the one in “Freedom Writers.” Michelle Pfeiffer plays a teacher who starts to teach at an inner-city school where she gives her students karate lessons and helps them not get involved in gangs. Sound similar to another movie on this list?

The story of the three Black protagonists in this film is important and needed to be told. But the writers for this movie made up details that were portrayed on screen. Remember when Kevin Costner’s character tears down the “colored” bathroom sign? That didn’t happen. In reality, Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) refused to use the segregated bathrooms and opted for the “whites only” bathroom instead.

A White journalist “saves” a homeless, schizophrenic, and talented violinist by writing a story about him in the paper, and reviving his career. It’s as White savior as it gets.

Both the movie and book are well-written, but that doesn’t take away from the plot. A white lawyer attempts to help an innocent Black client and despite failing, he’s still praised for his efforts. Yes, the movie and book have an important place in American literature and film, but it still falls under this trope.

Yes, I also enjoyed this movie as a young child, but I have to be fair. Keanu Reaves plays a gambling addict who is forced to coach a baseball team to repay a debt. Although he attempts to save most of the kids on the team, he fails in saving one. Sorry for the spoiler.

Boy does Hollywood love a Slave movie. Although it’s a powerful and true story, the hero of this film is Brad Pitt’s character, who simply mails a letter that frees Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) from enslavement.

How could I forget about the White savior trope used in sports movies? Cuba Gooding Jr. plays a mentally disabled sports fan who is helped by a white football coach at the local high school.

This movie barely falls into this category because the main character was just a straight-up racist, who hesitantly helps the Hmong Americans in his community.

How many times has Hollywood recycled this plot? A white teacher helps improve the lives of students at an inner-city school.

Alright, I promise this is the last time I’ll do this. But just guess the plot of this movie. White teacher + inner-city students = White savior film.

Although it’s the highest-grossing movie of all time, it’s not too good to be included on this list. It takes the White savior to another level. A white marine goes to another planet and disguises himself as a Na’vi, the alien race. He ultimately leads them to victory against the human military.

Kevin Bacon wearing traditional Kenyan clothing is an image I don’t I will ever get out of my head. In this film, an assistant college basketball coach who is seeking to get a promotion to head coach travels to Kenya to recruit a new star who will help him with his own selfish endeavors.

Yeah, this movie was bad. Like awful. Probably the worst on this list. A European merchant travels to China to find gunpowder. Instead, he finds the locals fighting aliens of all things, and comes in to save the day. Not only was this movie bad, but why did one random white guy have to have such a huge effect on a fictional fight? Plenty of people were frustrated, including actress Constance Wu, who wrote in a post on Twitter, “We have to stop perpetuating the racist myth that only a white man can save the world. It’s not based in fact. Our heroes don’t look like Matt Damon.”

Yeah, I know promised. But I lied. I don’t what it is with Hollywood and “inner city teacher” movies, but they love making them.

That’s right, even animated Disney films aren’t safe. Although I enjoyed this movie as a child, I can’t deny its inclusion of the White savior trope. A white academic happens to know more about Atlantis than actual Atlanteans, so much so that he has to teach them how to read their language. Like really?