Something the Lord Made (TV 2004) 8.0
A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas. Director:Joseph Sargent |
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Something the Lord Made (TV 2004) 8.0
A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas. Director:Joseph Sargent |
|
| 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Alan Rickman | ... | ||
| Mos Def | ... | ||
| Kyra Sedgwick | ... |
Mary Blalock
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| Gabrielle Union | ... |
Clara Thomas
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| Merritt Wever | ... |
Mrs. Saxon
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Clayton LeBouef | ... |
Harold Thomas
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| Charles S. Dutton | ... |
William Thomas
(as Charles Dutton)
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| Mary Stuart Masterson | ... |
Dr. Helen Taussig
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Cliff McMullen | ... |
Lodel Williams
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Luray Cooper | ... |
Charles Manlove
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| Irene Ziegler | ... |
Frances Grebel
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John Emmanuel | ... |
Man at park
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Harold J. Abell Sr. | ... |
Man #1
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Michael E. Russell | ... |
Bank Officer
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Henri Edmonds | ... |
Mary Thomas
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Alfred Blalock (1899-1964), a cardiologist (therefore, self-confident to the point of arrogance), leaves Vanderbilt for Johns Hopkins taking with him his lab technician, Vivien Thomas (1910-1985). Thomas, an African-American without a college degree, is a gifted mechanic and tool-maker with hands splendidly adept at surgery. In 1941, Blalock and Thomas take on the challenge of blue babies and invent bypass surgery. After trials on dogs, their first patient is baby Eileen, sure to die without the surgery. In defiance of custom and Jim Crow, Blalock brings Thomas into the surgery to advise him, but when Life Magazine and kudos come, Thomas is excluded. Will he receive his due? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
I saw this movie this morning in my hotel room in Washington, DC. I was packing to go home as it was on and just a few minutes into it, I had to stop and just sit and watch. I was so moved by it, that I had to wait a while before I could leave. The tears were just streaming down my face. Later, as I was driving home, I passed an exit on the highway that indicated it was the road that eventually led to "Johns Hopkins University". I almost took that exit, but didn't because I had to get home. But I'm determined to soon make that trip to the University if only to spend a few minutes looking at the portrait of Dr. Thomas. What an incredible story and what an incredible actor Mos is. I do not have HBO at home, so I'm hoping that this movie is released on DVD. If it is, I will be purchasing multiple copies to give as gifts. A wonderful, wonderful story acted out by extremely talented actors.
Definitely, ten stars.