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

Colour:

Colour

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:

Anachronisms: At five minutes, after Clara takes her seat on the bus and begins talking to Viven, three modern day vehicles are visible in a parking lot behind them for a few seconds; a SUV, a sedan, and a pickup truck.

Quotes:

Alfred Blalock: You can begin the incision.
Vivien Thomas: I'm not ready for that.
Alfred Blalock: If I say you're ready, you're ready.
[Long pause]
Alfred Blalock: I'll mark out the line. And you cut along it. Just like you did for your old Daddy.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

So good that it leaves you wanting more

One of the earmarks of a great true story on film is that, when it's over, you find yourself wishing it had been longer and wanting to know more about the subject. This is definitely the case with "Something the Lord Made." I can't wait to do a little reading up on this very intriguing story! Alan Rickman as Alfred Blalock is excellent, as he always is, but the real pleasure is in watching Mos Def as Vivien Thomas. Through his lovely, subtly nuanced performance, we are able to truly appreciate this incredibly gifted and complex man. The writers did an excellent job of making the viewer aware of the racial climate in Viven Thomas' life; note the early scene in which Vivien and a friend are walking and talking, and each time some white people approach them on the sidewalk, they step aside and yield right of way without hesitation. And yet, there is no heavy-handedness or preachy air to these scenes. The racial injustices that Vivien Thomas endured are obvious, but the viewer is not clubbed over the head with them.