Just finished watching “Something the Lord Made” starring Alan Rickman and Mos Def. The least I could say is that the actors put on a stunning performance, and I don’t say that simply because Alan Rickman is one of my most favorite actors. Set in Depression Era Nashville, the story follows the life of Vivien Thomas, a young African American carpenter pursuing a life in medicine. He finds an opportunity as a janitor in the lab of Dr. Blalock (Rickman). Eventually, Dr. Blalock recognizes Thomas’ manual dexterity and medical acumen and takes him on as a lab technician/research assistant. The two friends battle a racist bureaucracy while they push forward their research, opening the frontiers of heart surgery.
An excellent film, which has brought my attention to a moving story within the greater civil rights movement. I highly recommend.
Learn more about Dr. Blalock and Dr. Thomas here.
Sounds interesting, and definitely the kind of movie I like to watch. I’d never heard of either of those gentlemen. Love the direct to the painter look of Thomas in the picture, a strong character – me thinks.