Last night I finally caved and went to see The Blind Side. I had heard enough “touching” or “tear-jerker” reviews to convince me that I was simply uncool if I didn’t.

I came out of the theater thoroughly impressed and deeply moved–much more so than I was expecting (and I definitely had high expectations). The Blind Side is a story about a homeless, black teenager who is taken in by a wealthy family and eventually adopted. Under his new family conditions, a noticeable light comes into his eyes. His athletic ability quickly becomes apparent, and with the help of his new family, he is aggressively recruited for college football. The end of the movie shows real footage from when he was selected by the Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.

This true story has a great ending. It also made me realize how much I take for granted in life–from laundry to my very own bed. But I think the most important theme of this story is the importance of a functional family. Michael’s transformation didn’t come from suddenly being able to have all the comfortable things in life; it came from suddenly belonging to a loving family. A family that enjoyed being together, working together, and laughing together. A family where children went to parents for advice or help or simply to talk. A family that felt like home.

If you’ve seen the movie, you probably walked out–as did I–wanting to make the world a better place. And the way I see it, the best way to accomplish that is to focus on improving this “fundamental unit of society.” A loving, functional family is where every success story begins.