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I found this movie deeply moving. As a person of faith, I was impressed by the positive depiction of religion in helping Ben Carson and his mother to strive to overcome negative influences in their lives.

In response to ctomvelu-1 who commented on "evil racist whites (what other kind could there be in a story like this?", I would like to point out that the psychiatrist who helps Ben's mother overcome depression, the science teacher who shows Ben another world in a microscope, the admissions counselor who is impressed by Ben's interest in classical music are positive white role models, just to name a few. The black teenage gang member is also depicted as the kind that holds fellow blacks back by berating those who strive for excellence for trying to be white. More people of all races should see this movie.

Says Dr. Ben Carson upon being asked why he wanted to be a brain surgeon during his screening interview as an applicant for internship at prestigious John Hopkins Hospital. That Carson would become eventually, perhaps, the best and most renowned Pediatric Neurosurgeon in the world is even a bigger miracle! I can identify with those words, because "What the human mind can conceive and believe, it can ACHIEVE!"-Dr. Napoleon Hill. Each time I sit down to write a review, my goal is to find some aspect of the film that inspires me, and then manage to express that in a way that will, in turn, serve to inspire you!

In the case of GIFTED HANDS, there is a lot of inspiration at its core! Dr. Carson's particular well-spring of inspiration is his faith in God. Unfortunately, there are always a few people who seem to find this religious source anathema to their continued existence on this planet! Why is that? I consider myself a spiritual person, but not really religious, in the traditional sense. Yet, I find this attitude just as baffling as those who cannot countenance a storyline where inspiration is NOT faith-based. Inspiration is inspiration, no matter who, where, how, when or why, IMO! GIFTED HANDS deserves KUDOS for several things it doesn't do: Despite being about an African-American trailblazer starting out in the 60's and 70's, there is only one brief scene where Carson is dissed simply for being "different". Certainly, there must have been a number of times in his life where he encountered racism, but one scene was enough to underscore this. (One of the BEST scenes in the film, BTW) Cuba Gooding, Jr. Was excellent (but not great) in the title role. Critiques; even with his wrinkles digitally air-brushed out, at 41, Gooding was too old to play a 19 year-old college Freshman. Also, as is usually the case with TV productions, some aspects were somewhat below par, causing me to rate this 8.5/10*

Tremendous movie of taking what's thought impossible and showing how to try and then do it. Of how Ben Carson went from believing he was stupid to understanding we can do miracles. How that belief put him on a path few get to have as he impacts lives. I'm watching it the second time around on it's TNT premiere tonight and give it 10 stars for transformative potential, excitement, drama, character development, subject and actors. Thank you for this movie! I called my friends & told them to watch. Cuba Gooding is so good as lead character that I forget he is acting:-) The mother character keeps people on their toes as she hides her secrets. Others are also excellent. I laughed, cried, was awed and at times sat on the edge of my seat not knowing what came next. Am touched throughout this movie as I wonder if spirit trumps all. Everyone should watch this!

Gifted Hands is a beautiful story.

I made a random choice of watching the movie and I am glad I chose it. The fact that someone was bullied and called dumb as a kid and turned out to be the best paediatrician makes this story truly fascinating for me. It was touching to see how Ben Carson's mother despite having her own dark secrets and pain did not use it as an excuse to not be able to raise them well. It is a sensitive tale of how a parent's motivation or belief in growing up years can help shape a child's personality.

The story is brilliantly told and evokes emotions. I could enjoy Dr Carson's success and cry in some of the scenes.

And I am also going to tell my child that 'They can do anything they want to do but they need to work for it'

I grew up hearing about some of Ben Carson's amazing surgeries and remember reading about him when I was a teenager, probably, so I was excited when I heard about this movie. I just watched it for the first time, and it's one of the best movies I've ever seen. I can't believe it was a made-for-TV movie! This movie tells the story of how Ben Carson went from being a kid who was a failure in school and had a very low self-esteem to a famous, gifted surgeon. It tells some about his family life and about two of his famous surgeries. This movie kept me glued to it all the way through--it was like a good book you can't put down!