Something the Lord Made

A touching and very informative film about a doctor and his assistant. Alan Rickman and Mos Def blew me away with their performances and were definetly worthy of the Emmy nods they recieved. Personally I think Mr. Rickman should have won but that is just my opinion.

An awesome picture and worth every minute! I just loved this DVD. Great support of our black brothers and sisters. For those who have an interest in medicine, Vivian will inspire you!
Great Picture to have invested in!

(HBO Made for TV) Won the 2004 Emmy for Outstanding Picture. I don't know what the competition was but this is one of my favorite movies and deserves any awards it receives. It is the true story of Dr. Alfred Blalock and Vivian Thomas. The film begins in the 1930's when white heart surgeon Blalock hires Thomas, an African American, as the janitor in his medical lab. Thomas takes home textbooks at night and teaches himself medicine. He is also very skilled with his hands and wants to pursue a career as a surgeon but America is not a friendly environment for blacks who want to achieve in the scholastic world, especially the world of medicine. It soon becomes apparent to Blalock what a genius Thomas is and what a skilled surgeon he could make. While Thomas perfects a new technique that saves thousands of infant lives (still in use today I understand), Blalock gets all the credit. The acting is outstanding and the story will bring tears to your eyes. It's still hard to believe this was America 50 to 60 years ago. A great movie. Too bad it never made it to the theaters. Other than some brief, rough language on the part of Dr. Blalock this is a very family friendly film, one you will want to watch more than once. Better yet - buy several for family & friends. Five stars for sure. www.lusreviews.blogspot.com

People like Adrianne of "America's Next Top Model" want to do away with Black History Month and anything centering around honoring Black people regardless of all of the holidays, streets, buildings, and stamps that honor those of other cultures. However, what she does not seem to realize is that without months like these, it is much harder for the African American community to be able to learn about the lesser known heroes in African American culture in an educational environment. I went almost 25 years without knowing Vivien Thomas' name, and it took a trip to a Jena 6 rally in simple conversation to even hear about this film. I'm disappointed that Hollywood would not take this movie to major theaters for others to find out, specifically potential African American surgeons who are students now. The fact that this movie could not reach broader audiences by being a major film is disappointing, but I applaud HBO for embracing it enough to let the movie be seen on their station.

This movie is about a young, aspiring African American male, Vivien Thomas, who would like to become a heart surgeon and practice medicine some day. Because a bank is closed, for whatever reason, he was never able to get the money he'd saved for over a decade to go to medical school. Taking a maintenance position with a well-known White doctor, Alfred Blalock, the two team up to become very successful at the first heart surgery for "blue babies" in the middle of Jim Crow law days. Movies like this are essential in African American culture, and I was very impressed by how the movie was written, produced, directed, and acted. I loved Mos Def's role because I love him as an artist but moreso because I think he has turned out to be a phenomenal actor. I hope the Board of Education takes movies like this into consideration during February and any other month of the year so maybe Adrianne can get her wish to celebrate American history and African Americans can get their wish to see more of themselves in history books and onscreen in positive roles.

This is the true story of the predecessors of modern-day heart surgery. The white doctor and his black carpenter assistant, who had aspired to go to medical school before losing his savings in a bank failure, together discovered a cure for "blue babies" - those dying from lack of oxygen. They were partners at a time when prejudice was at an all-time high; nevertheless, at the end of this story, the "carpenter turned doctor" was honored with an honorary doctorate, and his portrait hangs in the halls of Johns Hopkins Hospital beside the other doctor for all the world to honor for the children's lives they saved and for their major contribution to modern-day heart surgery. The movie is well-cast and the acting is superb. I loved it, and give it as gifts.