A friend of mine just had the privilege of meeting Dr. Carson here in the East Bay. All she could do is rave. Much has changed since I ran the following movie review four years ago. Ben Carson has retired from Johns Hopkins and is now a viable Presidential candidate, so I thought I would brush off the review and give you a peek into the man. Enjoy the movie.
Sometimes you just have to shout about something or someone good. Well, here’s my shout-out about Dr. Ben Carson, the man and Gifted Hands that tells his story. Gifted Hands is a Johnson and Johnson Spotlight Presentation that was originally aired on TNT. Thank you Johnson and Johnson.
Gifted Hands is based on the true story of Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, Sr. whose lifelong journey led him to become Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
Dr. Carson had a childhood dream of becoming a physician, but he grew up in a single-parent home, with dire poverty, poor grades, a horrible temper and low self-esteem. Struggling to help her sons, Sonja Carson, Ben’s mother, did everything in her power to help pull her family out of its circumstances. When kids at school labeled Ben the “Dummy,” Sonja got his eyes checked (yes, he needed glasses), turned off the television and took the boys to the Detroit Public Library. They embarked on a journey of learning. Later in life the boys would realize that their mother, who had only a third grade education, could not read but that hadn’t stopped her from looking earnestly at their two mother-required weekly book reports.
Dr. Carson attended Yale and University of Michigan Medical School. At age thirty-three, he became the youngest major division director at Johns Hopkins. Early in his career he led a team that was the first to successfully separate conjoined (Siamese) twins. His list of accomplishments is incredible: from being a bestselling author, to winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
I was thrilled to see that one of my favorite actors, Cuba Gooding, Jr. was chosen to play the part of Ben Carson. I find Cuba distinguished and versatile. He often shows his “chops” by taking on roles that are diverse and eclectic, as exhibited by his turns in both independent comedies and gritty dramas. It is rare to find an actor that will tackle both Men of Honor and Cool Running, yet both are worthy movies in their own right.
Sonja was played by Kimberly Elise, herself a two-time NAACP Image Award winner. Her performance is exemplary.
I found that once I had viewed Gifted Hands, I wanted to know more about Ben Carson, the doctor and Ben Carson, the man. After 25 years he is still the department head at Johns Hopkins as well as having been awarded 50 honorary doctorates. He has also achieved the status of Living Legend given by the Library of Congress.
One of his most admirable accomplishments though is founding the Carson Scholars Fund which has awarded more than 4,800 scholarships and is still growing. This man is not only a “legend,” he is a devoted husband, father and yes, son. He mother, Sonja is still alive and well.
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a wonderful movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family, but I have to warn you, you’ll want to hit the internet to see what else you can learn about the man with the gifted hands.
As always, I enjoy your comments at chastings@rockcliff.com.
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