Movie #949 "Something the Lord Made" was a very inspirational story about the first heart operations on "blue babies." What makes this a better than average historical film is that this couldn't have occurred without the talent and hands of an African American, Vivien Thomas (whose picture now hangs in Johns Hopkins hospital because of this achievement) However, while he was helping, he faced all kinds of racism (like having to walk in the servants' entrance to the hospital, etc.). What esp. makes this viewing worthwhile, is to watch the change on the Alan Rickman character, the chief surgeon who needs to be guided by Mr. Thomas through the operations. He takes the credit and then is sorry for it the rest of his life. So this movie presents a valid theme, and one we don't see a lot of in movies. So hats off to HBO for making this film, and another shout out to Mos Def, who plays Vivien so so well. His quiet, sensitivity steals the film from the usual scene stealer Alan Rickman.
Something the Lord Made
Our best guess for you: 4.2 stars
Average of 629751 ratings: 4.1 stars
This Emmy-winning HBO film based on a true story follows white surgeon Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and his black assistant, Vivien Thomas (Mos Def), who teamed in the 1940s to develop a procedure to save children suffering from a heart defect. But Thomas's status as a second-class citizen prevented him from getting recognition, as Blalock took all the credit. Their relationship, while close, was complicated by the social realities of the time.
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