Something the Lord Made (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers (WGA):

Peter Silverman (written by) and
Robert Caswell (written by)

Release Date:

30 toukokuu 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

A breakthrough that changed the face of medicine. A unique partnership that broke the rules.

Plot:

A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Heart | Heart Surgery | Patient | University

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 12 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Alan Rickman	...	Dr. Alfred Blalock
Mos Def	...	Vivien Thomas
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Mary Blalock
Gabrielle Union	...	Clara Thomas
Merritt Wever	...	Mrs. Saxon
Clayton LeBouef	...	Harold Thomas
Charles S. Dutton	...	William Thomas (as Charles Dutton)
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Dr. Helen Taussig
Cliff McMullen	...	Lodel Williams
Luray Cooper	...	Charles Manlove
Irene Ziegler	...	Frances Grebel
John Emmanuel	...	Man at park
Harold J. Abell Sr.	...	Man #1
Michael E. Russell	...	Bank officer
Henri Edmonds	...	Mary Thomas

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Argentina:13 | UK:15 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Finland:K-3 | Germany:6 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Trivia:

Based in part on the magazine article "Like Something The Lord Made" by Katie McCabe. It was published in the Washingtonian and earned McCabe the 1990 National Magazine Feature Writing Award.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: At five minutes, after Clara takes her seat on the bus and begins talking to Viven, three modern day vehicles are visible in a parking lot behind them for a few seconds; a SUV, a sedan, and a pickup truck.

Quotes:

Alfred Blalock: You can begin the incision.
Vivien Thomas: I'm not ready for that.
Alfred Blalock: If I say you're ready, you're ready.
[Long pause]
Alfred Blalock: I'll mark out the line. And you cut along it. Just like you did for your old Daddy.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

medical miracle surpasses racial climate of the times

I have seen this movie at least 8 times since it first appeared last summer and never tire of it. I must add that my entire adult working life has been in the field of medicine so maybe I have more interest than some. The names of the residents in this film are names I have heard throughout my career. I am amazed by the genius of Vivien Thomas (or anyone without medical training who could understand as he did) and at the fact that Doctor Blalock accepted him as an individual (most of the time), without regard to his race or lack of medical education. I cannot think of actors who would have done a better job than Alan Rickman or Mos Def and I applaud them, and the rest of the cast, as well as the producers, for bringing this wonderful story to life. I can only hope it will be available on DVD soon, if not yet. I have told at least 100 people about this movie, without giving away too much detail. If you are interested in medicine, and the development of new procedures that change lives, especially of the very, very young, then this is a movie for you. Even if you do not have a medical background, it is worth seeing for the genius and compassion of those two men who did not allow the racial climate of the times to overpower their desire to make a difference. To all the residents who learned at Hopkins from these two gifted men, be forever grateful that their lives touched yours, albeit briefly. We lost two very gifted men who did an exceptional job of training others to follow in their footsteps. Jeers to the staff members who were ruled by race and education and a firm salute to those who were not. I give it a 10!