Something the Lord Made

2004

Something the Lord Made

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93%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 8,976
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Movie Info

The true story of two medical pioneers -- one celebrated, one overlooked -- is brought to life in this made-for-cable drama. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) is chief surgeon at Johns Hopkins University, where he is pioneering new techniques in heart surgery. Blalock makes the acquaintance of Vivien Thomas (Mos Def), a carpenter hired to work at the University, and to his surprise discovers a man of keen intelligence who has a great interest in medicine. However, as a poor black man in the Jim Crow South, Thomas lacks the financial resources to obtain a medical degree, though he certainly has the knowledge and the desire. Blalock takes Thomas on as his lab assistant, and together they develop a technique that allows them to correct a common congenital heart defect in children. However, while they work side by side in the lab and in the operating room, Blalock and Thomas do not walk the same paths in society, and Thomas develops a deep resentment that he has been given little credit for his contribution to a medical innovation that makes Blalock famous. Produced for the premium cable network HBO, Something the Lord Made also features Gabrielle Union, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Charles S. Dutton.

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Cast

Alan Rickman
as Dr. Alfred Blalock
Yasiin Bey
as Vivien Thomas
Mary Stuart Masterson
as Dr. Helen Taussig
Kyra Sedgwick
as Mary Blalock
Gabrielle Union
as Clara
Charles S. Dutton
as William Thomas
Robert F. Chew
as Janitor
Clayton LeBouef
as Harold
Doug Olear
as Mr. Saxon
Merritt Wever
as Mrs. Saxon
Marty Lodge
as Father Aucott
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Critic Reviews for Something the Lord Made

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Audience Reviews for Something the Lord Made

  • Oct 23, 2009
    A story of a prominent doctor and his black lab assistant who suffers the inequities of a racially biased society that pioneers the practice of open heart surgery at John Hopkins Hospital A slow moving drama to be sure but the best performance I've seen by MosDef to date .
    CivilZen H Super Reviewer
  • Jun 02, 2008
    I was intruiged by this movie for some reason, not the least of which was the pairing of Flixster favorite Rickman with hip-hop star Mos Def. One of the best movies I've seen in years, even as the deck was stacked against Vivien for years.
    Derek D Super Reviewer
  • Aug 12, 2007
    A true story about one of the first heart operations ever done at Hopkins. Not only a good medical history movie but also a great black history film as well.
    Ida K Super Reviewer
  • Apr 17, 2007
    Love this movie! Very touching and I amazed by the extent of the plot. Mos Def portrayed a remarkable character.
    Leo L Super Reviewer
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