Do True Stories Make Better Films?
‘The Blind Side’ Director Says True Stories Make Better Films John Lee Hancock has made three feature films, each based on real people and events. “You know, I really hadn’t thought about that,” the 42-year-old director said in a telephone conversation from Los Angeles. “Everything I’ve ever written has been about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. That’s just me — I’m more drawn to ordinary people than those who fly around in tights. “It’s not like I’m looking for real-life stories,” he said. “I’m just looking for good stories.” So far he has found them. His debut film, “The Rookie,” starred Dennis Quaid as a Texas high school baseball coach who in middle age finds himself pitching professionally for the Texas Rangers. Hancock’s second, “The Alamo,” re-created that famous battle and featured Billy Bob Thornton in one of his finest performances as the legendary Davy Crockett. His third, “The Blind Side” (opening Friday) finds him back in the world of sports, perhaps not s
