Something the Lord Made
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Movie Reviews of Something the Lord Made
Movie Review: Once in a while a great movie....
Summary: 5 Stars
Watching the progress of many of the films bravely created for television viewing by HBO move into the DVD market is gratifying. Such a decision rubber stamps the importance of these 'small films' and makes them available to the general public.
Such is certainly the case for SOMETHING THE LORD MADE which is a tender epistle about the growth of trust and bonding between two men for the good of science and mankind. Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) is a cardiovascular surgeon whose importance in the field of medicine is still being recognized. An early pioneer in the hemodynamics of vascular and cardiac surgery, this brief portion of his life focuses on his benevolence in hiring a bright but impoverished young African American Vivien Thomas (Mos Def) and through a recognition of the latter's fine mind and bright spirit, bonds in a way that for the day was completely dissonant to the rest of racially prejudiced America.
How these two men finessed the surgery for a congenital disorder of the great vessels of the heart which had always meant death to those born with this Tetralogy of Fallot before Blalock and Thomas intervened is but one aspect of this sensitive film. The even more important statement is the one of racial equality that preceded many other more famous movements. Much of the power of this film is in the portrayals of Mos Def and Alan Rickman who are both brilliant in their interpretations. This is a subtle film and one that is greatly enhanced by a superb supporting cast and the capable direction by Joseph Sargent. Simply stated, this is one of those films that everyone should see. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, May 05
Movie Review: Truly Inspiring Movie--My List of Must see movies
Summary: 5 Stars
Something the Lord Made: This movie was unbelievable. It is based on a true story about a rich white doctor and a poor black carpenter. Those in the medical field will most likely know both of these names. The rich white doctor was Dr. Alfred Blalock and the poor black carpenter was Vivien T. Thomas. What made this movie so terrific to watch is it kept you interested and it moved quickly. It was really quite true to the period of time it was set in (About the 1940's)......It covers a 40 year span though and does it effortsly.
MARY STUART MASTERSON plays Dr. Helen Taussig, an intregal part of this story.
SOMETHING THE LORD MADE is a moving story of men who defy the rules and start a medical revolution. Their patients are known as the "blue babies" - infants suffering from a congenital heart defect that turns them blue as they slowly suffocate.
Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and Vivien Thomas (Mos Def) make a brilliant team. But even as they race against time to save one particular baby, the two occupy different places in society. Blalock is the white, wealthy head of surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Thomas is black and poor, a skilled carpenter whose dream of going to college and becoming a doctor was ruined by the Great Depression, although he was naturally gifted with the intuition and dexterity of a great surgeon.
Even as they save lives and invent a whole new field of medicine, social pressures threaten to tear them apart. Ultimately, however, Thomas finds his dreams coming true in unexpected ways.
Movie Review: Something the Lord Made
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie tells the story of the extraordinary 34-year partnership which begins in Depression Era Nashville in 1930, when Blalock hires Thomas as an assistant in his Vanderbilt University lab, expecting him merely to perform janitorial work. But Thomas' remarkable manual dexterity and scientific acumen shatter Blalock's expectations, and Thomas rapidly becomes indispensable as a research partner to Blalock in his first daring forays into heart surgery. The film traces the groundbreaking work the two men undertake when they move in 1941 from Vanderbilt to Johns Hopkins, an institution where the only black employees are janitors and where Thomas must enter by the back door. Together, they boldly attack the devastating heart problem of Tetralogy of Fallot, also known as Blue Baby Syndrome, and in so doing they open the field of heart surgery. The movie dramatizes their race to save dying Blue Babies against the background of a Jim Crow (Racial Segregation) America, illuminating the nuanced and complex relationship the two sustain. Thomas earns Blalock's unalloyed respect, with Blalock praising the results of Thomas' surgical skill as being "like something the Lord made", and insisting that Thomas coach him through the first Blue Baby surgery over the protests of Hopkins administrators. This is a compelling, touching movie, with wonderful performances all around. Absolutely magnificent.
Movie Review: So many powerful lessons, so little time...
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow! What a fantastic movie! I've seen this movie two times and would see it TWO HUNDRED times! The story was true to history and the acting was superb. I found myself letting out a tearful exclamation for Mr. Thomas' triumph as the movie regrettably came to an end. There are so many powerful lessons one can learn from this movie. Here are just a few (just my opinion):
- The degradating racism that black people had to face in years past is a shameful chapter in American history and should never be forgotten. But a more powerful lesson...
- Someone with a strong desire to succeed, the ability to learn, the ingenuity to side step road blocks, and the courage to put those traits into action cannot be stopped by ANYTHING! Faith can move mountains! And still another powerful lesson...
- The anger at the racism we may face--and we still face--must not blind us to those of a different color who present us with opportunities. Yes, sometimes it is with reluctance, but often their kindness is offered with a heart-felt desire to help one succeed.
I'm buying this movie and will show it to my nephews at my next opportunity. We must not forget the burdens our ancestors had to bear in order for us to benefit. And we must not forget our responsibility to continue that hard work for the next generation. We owe it to those who toiled in those rough fields!
Movie Review: Accurate portrayal of genius recognized late
Summary: 5 Stars
My interpretation of the title, Something the Lord Made, refers not just to the genuis of the black assistant's (Vivien Thomas played by Mos Def) "feel" for surgery but also to his incredible restraint at the lack of recognition shown by lead surgeon, Dr. Blalock (Alan Rickman). Clearly, the latter's surgical achievements would have been delayed at best if not for the former's unique abilities.
Of particular interest is the response of Blalock to Thomas within the racial/social context of the time (1944). In the film, Blalock excludes Thomas from any social recognition. This occurs most notably following the successful "blue baby" reversal procedure. During the subsequent press conference, Thomas isn't included. Could this have been an innocent omission by Blalock or was Thomas intentionally excluded? The film doesn't provide a definite answer to this important question delving into the character of Dr. Blalock. My opinion: Blalock deliberately excludes Thomas from recognition because he was frightened of having to share his success with a second-class citizen of the time. To admit that a black man orchestrated the preliminary canine-research leading to open-heart surgery was too much for Blalock and the majority of whites in 1944 to swallow. Fortunately, Thomas receives his long-overdue honorary doctorate at the end of the film.