Based on a true story, SOMETHING THE LORD MADE tells the absorbing tale of two doctors who bucked tradition and racial prejudice to revolutionize the medical world. The American south in the 1940s could be a fearsome place for anyone attempting to ply a well-meaning trade, as it was riddled... [More]

Based on a true story, SOMETHING THE LORD MADE tells the absorbing tale of two doctors who bucked tradition and racial prejudice to revolutionize the medical world. The American south in the 1940s could be a fearsome place for anyone attempting to ply a well-meaning trade, as it was riddled with strictly-enforced racial boundaries. The two men in question--Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and African-American lab technician Vivien Thomas (Mos Def)--work fastidiously on a new technique for helping babies with heart problems, and achieve some impressive, and innovative results. Under any other circumstances the men would have been exhilarated by their advances, and widely applauded throughout the medical profession. But the dark heart of the south causes innumerable problems for the brave pioneers, as the prejudices brought to bear on the men become unbearable. Moving and dramatic in equal measures, director Joseph Sargent's film is a bold retelling of a vital chapter in the history of the medical profession. [Less]