Something the Lord Made (2004)
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A black cardiac surgery pioneer and a white surgeon form a complex partnership to pioneer modern heart surgery during a period of intense racial segregation.
The story
In 1930, Dr. Alfred Blalock hires Vivien Thomas as an assistant at his Vanderbilt University lab. Although initially expected to perform janitorial work, Thomas's remarkable manual dexterity and intellectual acumen lead him to become an indispensable research partner to Blalock. The pair eventually moves to Johns Hopkins, where they face the challenge of treating 'blue baby' syndrome. Despite the prevailing racism of the era, which forces Thomas to enter the institution through the back door, the two surgeons work together to develop and perform groundbreaking heart surgeries, ultimately launching the field of cardiac surgery.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film depicts the 34-year partnership between Dr. Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas, beginning in 1930 at Vanderbilt University. Despite being hired for janitorial work, Thomas's skills make him an essential partner in heart surgery research. In 1943, they move to Johns Hopkins to treat 'blue baby' syndrome. The film follows their experiments on dogs and their successful surgeries on human infants. While they are close partners in the lab, they are separated by racial segregation; for example, Thomas is excluded from a public ceremony honoring their work. After a falling out due to lack of recognition, Thomas eventually returns to the lab. The film concludes in 1976, where Johns Hopkins finally awards Thomas an honorary doctorate and places his portrait alongside Blalock's, acknowledging his vital role in launching the field of cardiac surgery.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- American
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Joseph Sargent
- Writers
- Peter Silverman · writer; Robert Caswell · writer
- Cast and characters
- Alan Rickman · Dr. Alfred Blalock; Mos Def · Dr. Vivien Thomas; Kyra Sedgwick · Mary Blalock; Gabrielle Union · Clara Thomas; Charles S. Dutton · William Thomas; Mary Stuart Masterson · Dr. Helen B. Taussig
- Genres
- biographical drama; television film
- Themes
- racial segregation; medical advancement; partnership
- Tone and mood
- dramatic
- Setting
- Nashville, Tennessee and Baltimore, Maryland, from 1930 to 1976.
- Premise and plot tags
- medical; biographical; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- Like Something the Lord Made by Katie McCabe
- Content notes
- racism
- Reception
- The film was based on a National Magazine Award-winning article and was noted for its portrayal of the history of cardiac surgery.
- Awards and nominations
- Primetime Emmy Award · Outstanding Made for Television Movie · winner
- Production trivia
- The film was partially shot on the East Homewood and Homewood campuses of Johns Hopkins University.; The story was first brought to public attention by writer Katie McCabe in a 1985 interview.; The film was shot in part in the historic Warfield Complex, Hubner, and T Buildings of the Springfield Hospital Center.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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