Something the Lord Made

PG 8.1
2004 1 hr 50 min Drama , TV Movie

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

  • Cast:
    Alan Rickman , Yasiin Bey , Kyra Sedgwick , Gabrielle Union , Merritt Wever , Charles S. Dutton , Mary Stuart Masterson

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Reviews

ShangLuda
2004/05/30

Admirable film.

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Brendon Jones
2004/05/31

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

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Arianna Moses
2004/06/01

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

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Bob
2004/06/02

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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Dina Reda
2004/06/03

What an epic and awesome movie. this film made me cry. Alan Rickman and Mos Def showed a great, outstanding and unforgettable performance. I like the character of Vivien Thomas much more, who supposed to be black, oppressed but well trusted, frank, hard working quiet and loyal at the time of racism. And even he didn't lose his faith and hope even when he was confused and didn't know what to do after leaving work with Dr Blalock " I don't return for you, I love what I do her" " I don't want any praise but I want something fire my enthusiasm " my beloved quotes out of the movie. I wish I could as brave as you to truly find my passion and always stick to it regardless anyone or anything. Dr Vivien you were the action and the whole world was the reaction. RIP Dr Alfred Blalock, Dr Vivien Thomas and Alan Rickman

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molly-92
2004/06/04

When I first saw the movie 'Something the Lord made' on TV I cried. I was born a 'blue baby' like the children in the movie I also had Fallots of Tetralogy, and was not expected to live. When I was two years old in 1954 my mother took me from Kenya (where we lived) to Guy's Hospital in London. A pioneering British heart surgeon by the name of Professor Russel Brock performed a Blalock 'shunt' as described in the movie. Professor Brock had been to the United States of America and had been trained by Dr Cooley who features in the movie. Professor Brock was later knighted and became Lord Brock. If it was not for his knowledge and training he received from the Blalock, Tussing and Thomas pioneers he may not have been able to save my life nearly fifty eight years ago. I went on to have a complete correction of my Fallots of Tetralogy congenital heart defects in Cape Town in 1970. I'v just turned 60. I have watched the movie several times now.

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sddavis63
2004/06/05

This movie offers a surprisingly low-key account of the work of Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and especially his assistant Vivien Thomas (Mos Def) who, working together, created the techniques that led to the first successful heart surgery in the world. It's ostensibly a medical movie, and it does include a lot of medical jargon which, in all honesty, was over my head although it made the point that this was truly revolutionary work they were pioneering. And yet, while the movie revolved around medical experiments and surgeries, it was much more than that. Without becoming a movie about the civil rights struggle, the movie was definitely set in that context. As a black man, Thomas (who wanted to go to medical school but couldn't afford it) had to deal with all the assorted challenges of living in that time - segregation, racism and a general lack of respect from those among whom he worked. Even Blalock, who obviously did respect Thomas and his knowledge and abilities and who did fight to improve Thomas' salary and working conditions, seemed to take him for granted at times, not understanding Thomas' reaction at being given no public credit for the work in which he had shared (and in which he was, in many ways, more knowledgeable of and more proficient in than Blalock.) The complexities of such an inter- racial partnership were well portrayed in one simple scene where Blalock shows up at Thomas' home one night. Thomas' wife tells him that in 12 years he's never come to their home; Blalock responds that in 12 years he's never been invited to come to their home. As closely as Blalock and Thomas worked, they were still two solitudes - the point was briefly but well made, and it has to be noted that both Rickman and Def were excellent in their respective roles.The conclusion was appropriate, as we finally see Thomas get the credit he deserved for his work, being granted an honorary doctorate by Johns Hopkins, where he and Blalock had perfected their heart surgery techniques and having his portrait hung on the wall beside Blalock's. One certainly couldn't call this an exciting movie, but it has important stories (medical, social and biographical) to tell. 7/10

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danceability-1
2004/06/06

Superb acting in a wonderfully-written film Alan Rickman and Mos Def give superb performances in this wonderfully-written film about the triumph of intelligence and creativity over the effects of racial prejudice."Something The Lord Made" is the real-life story of Dr. Alfred Blalock and technician (later Dr.) Vivian Thomas, both of whom pioneered open-heart surgery in America in the mid-twentieth century.Rickman, as Blalock, gives a flawless, charismatic portrayal of an egotistical surgeon who gains nobility of spirit while he defies (and yet is simultaneously confined by) the customs of his society. Rickman's performance is all the more impressive because he is British, and Blalock was an American from the south; nevertheless, Rickman's southern accent is natural and effortless.Rickman brings likability and humanity to what could otherwise be an unsympathetic character; and this core humanity gives "Something The Lord Made" a depth not often seen in tales of bigotry within American society. Too often, tales of this sort delineate the bad guys from the good guys in an almost cartoonish fashion, but Rickman's Blalock is both good and bad, reflecting more accurately the reality of the times in which both characters lived.Mos Def gives a subtle, moving and sympathetic performance as Vivian Thomas, a gifted man who is caught in the trap of prejudice and the expectations of an unenlighted society. The film clearly demonstrates that Thomas is the intellectual peer of Blalock; it is society and circumstance that for years robs Thomas of the practical opportunity to become Blalock's actual peer in terms of status. Def gives us the portrait of a man who chooses patience over reaction; through him, we feel outrage at the denial of the respect due Thomas, time and again.The writing in this film is low-key and highly effective. Because American society has in some ways changed since the mid-twentieth century setting of this film, younger viewers may not understand the actions and choices made by Blalock and Thomas, both within this film and within real life. Nevertheless, "Something The Lord Made" gives an extremely uplifting and surprisingly accurate portrayal of life as it really existed in those times, and should be appreciated both as an historical and enlightening film.danceability-1, Amsterdam Holland

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