Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed

2009
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

YOUR RATING

Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed (2009)

The story introduces Vertus Hardiman and nine other children, each attending the same elementary school in Lyles Station Indiana in 1927, were severely irradiated during a medical experiment conducted at the local county hospital. The experiment was misrepresented as a newly developed cure for the scalp fungus known as ringworm. But in reality, the ringworm fungus was merely the lure used to gain access to innocent children whose unsuspecting parents blindly signed permission slips for the treatment. My friend Vertus was only five years old and the youngest.

As remarkable and shocking as the story may appear, this film is not an indictment of inhumane government-sanctioned medical experimentation. Rather Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed reflects the unique strength of one man who survived the harshest imaginable circumstances through the power of his attitude. His simplicity and life philosophy always lifted the spirits of all he touched. The film and book stress a mentoring relationship, based on love and forgiveness.

Play trailer3:22

1 Video

1 Photo

Biography Documentary Drama History Musical

'Hole In The Head: A Life Revealed' tells the extraordinary life story of Vertus Hardiman, as expressed primarily through the personal video chronicles of his friend, Wilbert Smith. Vertus r... Read all'Hole In The Head: A Life Revealed' tells the extraordinary life story of Vertus Hardiman, as expressed primarily through the personal video chronicles of his friend, Wilbert Smith. Vertus reveals to Wilbert a tragic and horrifying secret that he had hid under a wig and beanie fo... Read all'Hole In The Head: A Life Revealed' tells the extraordinary life story of Vertus Hardiman, as expressed primarily through the personal video chronicles of his friend, Wilbert Smith. Vertus reveals to Wilbert a tragic and horrifying secret that he had hid under a wig and beanie for nearly eighty years - A secret that leads the two friends on a journey of the heart that... Read all

Director
- Brett Leonard
Writers
- Brett Leonard
- Wilbert Smith
Stars
- Vertus Hardiman
- Dennis Haysbert

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

YOUR RATING

Director
- Brett Leonard
Writers
- Brett Leonard
- Wilbert Smith
Stars
- Vertus Hardiman
- Dennis Haysbert

6User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos1

Trailer 3:22

Hole In The Head: A Life Revealed

Photos

Top cast2

Edit

Vertus Hardiman

Self

Dennis Haysbert

Narrator
(voice)

Director
- Brett Leonard
Writers
- Brett Leonard
- Wilbert Smith
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews6

7.727

Featured reviews

10smile-brian

Wonderful Story! Great life lesson!

What a wonderful story this is! It taught me that through adversity, pain, and trauma we can still be successful. I will no longer complain about the small things in life we all tend to complain about. It is a great story of love, forgiveness, and triumph. I think each and every person should experience the spirit or Mr. Vertus Hardiman. & What a class act Mr. Smith is! I"m not sure I would have been able to do the things he did. To remain strong despite seeing a friend or love one going through something of this magnitude takes a lot. I would Love to hear more about this story and types of things we never learn about in history class. Thank you Mr. Smith for sharing this with us and I will do my best to expose more to the lessons learned from this.

10hansbernabe

Excellent, Uplifting

I first saw this film at my old university, during a career center workshop. I wasn't expecting much, I was focused more on the rest of my day rather than to watch some documentary. But as the film went on, I found myself caring more and more for Mr. Hardiman. It was as if he became a member of my family and I grew concern for him. The way the film portrays his love and forgiveness is excellent, and it has taught me to be a more humble person in my everyday life. Sometimes you don't realize the blessings you have until you see someone else's point of view. I also enjoyed the historical aspects of the film. There are many underground stories in this world that you have never heard of. This is one that truly deserves to be shared.

1cai-carney17

Absolutely the Worst

The writing, sound, lighting, mood, theme, story line, and editing were atrocious. I can't BELIEVE I sat through this "documentary" and watched the whole movie. I didn't know whether to feel sorry, or be happy that he was courageous because the movie never gives me an opportunity to feel both at the same time. Sometimes I laughed during this "documentary" because of how bad it was. The thing that put me off the most was the unnecessary singing. It made absolutely ZERO sense and could have easily cut down the already short run time. Production wise, the sound quality was the worst thing about this movie. There were times I couldn't understand what they were saying because of the poor editing and overuse of the noise gate feature. AWFUL.

2montshopettaway

Watching this felt like someone radiating my head

Amazing story. HORRIBLE MOVIE. I think Wilbert Smith got confused somewhere along the way and thought this film should be about him. He starts the film saying he's not a writer--it's evident. He's not a writer, not a narrator, not a director, not a documentarian. The soundtrack is God awful. Between the horrible karaoke singers who are completely irrelevant to the film and the off key choir singers who literally sing the same two songs repeatedly throughout the film, I almost could not make it through this train wreck of a documentary. I bought the book and now I'm petrified to even open it. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS FILM. It's unfortunate that someone qualified did not the film because there is a story here, but this film did a truly terrible job telling it. I'm giving 2 stars for Vertus. He was a better narrator than Wilbert Smith.

beechamg

Regarding Post by wilbertsmith

I am Dr. Rosalyn Beecham-Green, director of a program that has used Hole in the Head: A Life Revealed. While our program has utilized this film, the above quote by user wilbertsmith is falsely attributed to me. I have never provided any statement, comment, or quote as a review of the book or film. Additionally, the book and film have not in any way been endorsed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lastly, the recruitment and outcomes of program participants cannot be attributed to the Hole in the Head book or film. Dr. Rosalyn Beecham-Green, Ph.D. Director, NC Health Careers Access Program (NC-HCAP)