Something the Lord Made (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

30 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

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:

Factual errors: At 57 min, when Thomas shows Blalock how to do the anastomosis, we see Blalock suturing with an artery forceps or a kocher, not a needle holder. Artery forceps/kochers are used (amongst others) to grip tissue, not for suture. Also he is holding it with his thumb and index finger, a rookie mistake amongst surgeons, the proper way to hold it would be on the thumb and 4th finger.

Quotes:

Clara Thomas: You know... in 13 years, Doctor Blalock, I don't recall you ever stopping by our house.
Alfred Blalock: I don't recall ever being invited.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Baltimore Bounce

Among the Most Inspirational Movies Ever Made

This is absolutely one of the most inspirational movies I've ever seen. The story line was great - The life and times of one of the greatest surgeons the United States has ever produced (Alfred Blalock), played by Alan Rickman, along with his lab assistant Vivien Thomas, played by Mos Def. The acting was superb. If anyone has studied medical history, we are perhaps more familiar with the work of Denton Cooley and William Longmire. Both have spots in this movie, as students of Dr. Blalock. I highly recommend this movie. It is very much a surprise how the lives of these two men - Blalock and Thomas could have been overlooked for so long. Because of their work with "Blue Babies", they both have achieved immortality. The rating of "R" stems only from the sometimes strong (but very real) language.