THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS REVIEWED
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” is quite refreshing for an HBO original movie. Oprah Winfrey plays a woman that is learning about what happened to her mother. Based on the best-selling nonfiction novel, this is a look at a medical mystery as told through a family’s quest for knowledge. What makes the film work is that Winfrey plays such a sweet woman that wants to know what happened to her mother’s cellular samples. When she discovers the truth, it’s stunning.
Henrietta Lacks’ cells were used as the test samples to develop the Polio vaccine, the first AIDS cocktails and other medical breakthroughs. While Henrietta died young from cervical cancer, she had the right kind of genetic code that provided for later boons. The film plays a little short, but it’s the kind of material I could see being taught in science classes around the country. How did I ever miss this airing on HBO? I know that it was a recent airing, but somehow I blanked on it. Luckily, Blu-ray provides the opportunity for me to catch up.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Family Featurette
A/V STATS
- 1.78:1 1080p transfer
- DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track
