A Christian retailer has expressed "outrage" over the DVD release of The Blind Side--the blockbuster inspirational film starring Sandra Bullock, who won the Best Actress Oscar for the film earlier this month.

Gerald Hicks, co-owner of Perfect Peace Christian Lifestyle Stores in Wichita, Kan., says he is unhappy because Word Distribution is distributing the film to the Christian retail channel only through Family Christian Stores (FCS)--and not via other chains or independent Christian bookstores. Word Distribution officials declined to comment.

FCS is offering a pre-buy special for the March 23 DVD release of The Blind Side, with the chain announcing that it will give a portion of proceeds from sales to provide tuition assistance for Christian education to foster children.

"I am absolutely outraged by the actions of Word regarding the distribution--or lack thereof--regarding The Blind Side DVD," Hicks wrote in an e-mail to a Word sales representative. "I will ... do business elsewhere unless this situation is corrected."

Hicks told Christian Retailing that he wanted other retailers to know about the situation, so there would be "a huge groundswell of complaint from the Christian retail industry against this decision."

In an e-mail, the Word sales representative told Hicks that The Blind Side DVD is available to retailers through Spring Arbor Distributors, which confirmed to Christian Retailing that the video is available to Christian bookstores.

Based on the true story of an unabashedly Christian white family's adoption of homeless African-American teen who becomes a football star, The Blind Side has made more than $250 million at the box office since its November release. The surprise hit drama received the $100,000 John Templeton Foundation Epiphany Prize for Inspiring Movie last month during the 18th Annual Faith & Values Awards Gala, held in Beverly Hills, Calif.

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