Movie Review: Gifted Hands and The Story of Dr Ben Carson

This is kind of a short post today. I am an avid movie watcher. You also know me as a conservative Christian. So, when I see a great movie about a conservative American, I jump at the chance to watch it.

Ben Carson is most recently known for his work as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during the first Trump administration. He was often on network and cable TV. He also ran as a Presidential candidate during the 2016 election.

What many don’t realize is that he is a brilliant pediatric neurosurgeon. The movie is an autobiographical look at the life of Ben Carson. It examines his self proclaimed temper when he was a youth growing up in Detroit. It portrays a loving mom who struggled with a lifetime of mental illness. He then attended Yale, the University of Michigan Medical School, Johns Hopkins Medical School for neurosurgery residency, and then became director of pediatric surgery at Johns Hopkins. As for his medical achievements, watch the movie and see for yourself.

While I wouldn’t put this in a five star movie list, it is well worth your time. Ben Carson is one of the best medical professionals that our country has ever produced. He worked in a field of study which is maybe the most challenging (in my opinion) of all medical fields. I might add that Cuba Gooding Jr does an excellent job of portraying Carson.

Reading activates and exercises the mind. Reading forces the mind to discriminate. From the beginning, readers have to recognize letters printed on the page, make them into words, the words into sentences, and the sentences into concepts. Reading pushes us to use our imagination and makes us more creatively inclined. ~ Dr Ben Carson Think Big: Unleashing Your Potential for Excellence

ProTip: The story of Ben Carson can be adopted into many facets of the educational curriculum. I tend to use a movie like this in an integrated thematic unit which involves Literacy, Science, and Social Studies. When our students see the success of Dr Ben Carson, they could potentially unlock similar potential within themselves.