Movie Info:   
Title:  Gifted Hands

My Rating: 3 ½ star

Released: 2009

Directed by: Thomas Carter

Stars: 

• Cuba Gooding Jr., (A Few Good Men, Men of Honor, Radio) as Ben Carson
• Kimberly Elise, (the Great Debaters,) as Sonya Carson
• Aunjanue Ellis, (Racing for Time, True Blood, The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3) as Candy Carson
• Gus Hoffman, (The Suite Life of Zach and Cody,) as the teenage Ben Carson
• Jaishon Fisher as the Young Ben Carson

Rating: NR

 Premise:   Gifted Hands tells the true story of neurosurgeon Ben Carson.  Following his journey from a troubled young child in difficult circumstances to a successful surgeon, the movie chronicles his struggles with learning, racism and his personal battles with anger, showing how he eventually overcomes all of those to become one of the top neurosurgeons in the world.

Production:   Gifted Hands is a very well put together film.  One thing many Christians will appreciate is the strong emphasis on Ben Carson’s faith.  When struggling with his anger, he eventually appeals to God with a heartfelt plea to change him.  When talking to the parents of a patient, he tells them that, “I pray every day.” We see the same faith in his mother, who although she struggles with depression and extremely difficult circumstances, does her best to ensure her sons are solidly grounded not only educationally, but also spiritually.  These references to the Christian walk don’t come across as cheap or unrealistic, but instead give a very beautiful picture of the changing effects of Christ on hurting and broken individuals.  We also see some very realistic pictures of life in the operating room, and we can feel the pressure that Dr. Carson feels, when he has to make the decision on operations that have never been successfully performed.  Cuba Gooding does an excellent job portraying Ben Carson, and the supporting cast is fantastic as well. 

Cautions:

• Some mild language
• Some Mild Disturbing Images
• Some Tense /Emotional Moments

There was only one moment of profanity, albeit mild, but it was still there.  Also, the operating room scenes are definitely not for the weak stomached.  They were tastefully done, but we still get full screen shots of the brain under operation and there is definitely some blood involved.  Obviously the only other concern would be the tense moments that come as a result of the pressures of the operating room.  When Ben Carson agrees to operate on Craniopagus (Siamese) twins joined at the back of the head in order to separate them, there is a lot of emotional and mental pressure for Dr. Carson and for the family, because such an operation had never been successfully performed without killing at least one of the children.  With these concerns in mind, you might want to watch through Gifted Hands to make sure younger audiences will be able to handle it. 

Conclusion:  This is a heartwarming story of a man’s journey through life, overcoming difficulties through his faith.  As such, I highly recommend it.  It probably won’t be your family’s favorite Friday movie night flick, but it will definitely provide an inspirational and encouraging film to watch as a family, and to share with friends.  The morals found in the film of hard work, faith in Christ, and overcoming obstacles and challenges are relevant to all of us today, and it is truly encouraging to have these principles reinforced and commended in such an excellent way as in the story of Ben Carson’s Gifted Hands.