I usually like the movies and original series that TNT produces, which is why I was elated when I was asked to review this movie.  I decided to review it here on my homeschooling site because, although it is not about homeschooling directly, it shows the same values that we all hold.  It shows a mom who “homeschooled” her sons while they were going to and failing at the Public schools.  It was because of her non-tradtional way of teaching them and pushing them that made her son Benjamin Carson that great man that he became.

Oscar® Winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and Kimberly Elise

Star in TNT’s Inspirational GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY,

A JOHNSON & JOHNSON SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATION® Movie

GIFTED HANDS, Based on Pediatric Neurosurgeon’s Moving Memoir,

To Premiere Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. (ET/PT)

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is based on the memoir written by Ben Carson himself.  This is an inspirational movie about a young boy who is disadvantaged in every sense of the word, except where it counts, at home.  His mother, Played by Kimberly Elise, thinks that she is dumb because she can’t read.  Afraid that her sons are going to take after her she does everything in her power to push them to learn more.

In the public school in Detroit, Ben Carson is treated and feels like he is stupid.  The teacher praises him when she thinks he only got 9 answers right, the other children taunt him as being the dumbest kid in school.  His mother however, tells him differently.  She starts making both of her sons study after school and aren’t allowed to  go play until they’ve learned their multiplication tables by heart.  Then later she turns off  the television and tells them that all their free time will be spent reading and then writing reports to turn into her about what they’ve read.   The brothers are only allowed to watch 2 television shows a week, and one of the shows they pick is a trivia game show.  Soon both boys are learning things on their own, going to museums, libraries and wherever they can find more information about everything they can get their hands on.

This movie may not have meant to be pro homeschooling, but it definitely was.  If their mom hadn’t taken their education into her own hands, then the system would have let them drop through the cracks.  In fact, when Ben Carson won an award at Jr. High Graduation for best student, a teacher got extremely angry at the awards ceremony and told all the other kids that because Ben Carson was black and from a single parent household, that all the other kids should have done better than him and they should all be ashamed of themselves for not doing better.  This was in the 60′s, so her attitude didn’t get reprimanded, but it did spur his mother on to move them out of the area and into a new state and put her sons into good schools.  Though she still had to push them and eventually they learned to push themselves.

Dr. Ben Carson is an amazing man, both professionally and personally.  He is the first surgeon to every successfully perform many pediatric neurosurgeries.   He pushes himself to be the best there is and has helped to save many children’s lives.  He is definitely an inspiration.

I highly recommend seeing this movie on saturday, whether you’re a homeschooler or not.   I watched it with my two sons, and it sparked some great conversations about reading and pushing yourself even when everyone else thinks you can’t do something.  I cried, which it isn’t hard to make me cry at a movie, but this story was so beautiful and he helped so many lives that I cried, even though it wasn’t sad at all.

Watch it this weekend, Saturday, Feb 7 at 8pm (ET/PT), check your local listings for details.

About Ben Carson:

Benjamin Solomon Carson Sr., M.D.
Professor of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center

Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D., 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.  While that appeared to preclude the realization of his dream, his mother, with only a third-grade education, challenged both of her sons to strive for excellence.  Carson persevered and today is a full professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and he has directed pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center for nearly a quarter of a century.  He became the inaugural recipient of a professorship dedicated in his name in May 2008.  He is now the Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D. and Dr. Evelyn Spiro, R.N. Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY

Format:    Two-hour made for television movie

Network:  Turner Network Television (TNT)

Premiere (ET/PT):   Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. (ET)

TV Rating:   TV-14   Viewer Discretion Advised

GIFTED HANDS comes to TNT from Sony Pictures Studios

Directed by:  Thomas Carter

Written by:   John Pielmeier

Executive Producers:  Margaret Loesch
Dan Angel
Bruce Stein
Thomas Carter

Produced by:  David Rosemont

Co-Executive Producers: Lester Parris
Lennox Parris

Director of Photography: John Aronson

Production Designer: Warren Young

Editor:  Peter Berger

Casting by:  Denise Chamian Casting

Music by:    Martin Davich

Costume Designer: Karyn Wagner

Starring:    Cuba Gooding Jr. (Dr. Ben Carson)
Kimberly Elise (Sonya Carson)

Aunjanue Ellis (Candy Carson)
Gus Hoffman (Teen Ben)
Jaishon Fisher (Child Ben)

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