Something the Lord Made

2004

Something the Lord Made

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TOMATOMETER

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93%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 8,979

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Something the Lord Made Photos

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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.

Rating:

G
Genre:

Drama, Television
Directed By:

Joseph Sargent
Written By:

Peter Silverman, Robert Caswell
In Theaters:

May 30, 2004 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Jan 25, 2005
Runtime:

110 minutes
Studio:

HBO Video

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

Clayton LeBouef
as Harold

Robert F. Chew
as Janitor

Doug Olear
as Mr. Saxon

Merritt Wever
as Mrs. Saxon

Marty Lodge
as Father Aucott

View All

Critic Reviews for Something the Lord Made

All Critics (1) | Fresh (1)

Moving without being maudlin; it doesn't over-inflate the inherent drama of the two men's relationship or the era in which they lived.

July 2, 2018 | Full Review…

Joyce Millman
Boston Phoenix

View All Critic Reviews (1)

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

See all Audience reviews

Something the Lord Made Quotes

Alfred Blalock:

You know Vivien, they say 'you haven't really lived, unless you have a lot to regret'... I regret...

Alfred Blalock:

Perhaps God is, as you say, trying to kill this child. I am not.

Alfred Blalock:	You know Vivien, I say you haven't really lived lest you have a lot to regret. I have some regret. But I think we should not remember what we lost, but what we've done. All the lives we saved and we did. We saved plenty, didn't we Vivien?
Alfred Blalock:	They say you haven't lived unless you have a lot to regret. I regret... I have some regrets. But I think we should remember not what we lost, but what we've done. All the lives we saved and we did. We saved plenty, didn't we Vivien?

Vivien Thomas:	The dead are with us all the time, I believe. Can't separate the past from the future anymore you can right arm from left arm.
Alfred Blalock:	Aaahh, but you see, they are separated by this, by the heart.
Vivien Thomas:	All connected.