Review of Something the Lord Made (2004) by Miranda G — 30 Jan 2010

I really liked this movie. This is one of them that nodoby's heard about but should see. It was, I believe made for HBO, and won a few Emmys. Set in the 1940's segregated American South, this story follows a white cardiologist Dr. Blaylock,(Alan Rickman) working at Vanderbilt in Nashville who hires a black man, Vivien (Mos Def) mainly for janitorial purposes at his Lab. Over the course of his job, Vivien learns surgeon's skills on the practice dogs in the lab which eventually lands Vivien a promotion as Dr. Blaylock's assistant in cardiothoracic surgery specializing in "blue babies". Being in the 40's segregated south, this is unheard of therefore Vivien is never recognized for his gifted work at pioneering the first cardiac bypass surgery in America until shortly before his death where he received an honorary doctorate at Johns Hopkins U.

I give it an 8.4/10.