Something the Lord Made (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

30 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | 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:

Dr. Irving Sorkin, a retired Washington, District of Columbia, USA dentist, was instrumental in getting the article by Katie McCabe made into a feature film. He died in Los Angeles, California, USA of lymphoma on 18 October 2007 at the age of 88.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The Reader's Digest published a photograph of that first operation, and one of the participants was identified as Dr. Michael DeBakey. Although a professor at Tulane, he was on leave as a consultant to the Surgeon General in Washington.

Quotes:

Alfred Blalock: Vivian, that's a girl's name.
Vivien Thomas: Yes, my mother was so sure she was having a girl, she picked the name early and kept it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

Sometimes it just feels good to be part of the world...

I admit it - I was angry that HBO gave 'The Sopranos' a week off in order to air this movie... So much so that I didn't even watch the premiere. But moping around after the Piston's blew a huge lead against the Laker's in game 2 of the NBA finals, I was flipping through and saw that it was on again. I thought to myself, 'Why not? there must be some reason they replaced 'The Sopranos' that week'. Indeed... This is a heartfelt, emotional, and inspiring film filled with performances of the like. Granted, it has its fair share of "cheesy" devices and predictability, but then again, so does "King Lear." I knew I recognized the main actor, but couldn't quite put my finger on it... Was I surprised (as well as ashamed) to learn here that it was Mos Def. I had always dismissed him as a 'hip-hop/rapper-actor' wannabe. He made me eat those words though, by delivering a simply OUTSTANDING performance... and while he and Rickman really carry the film, the supporting cast does a nice job as well.

10/10 (which I don't take lightly).