By April MacIntyre Feb 1, 2009, 1:26 GMT
TNT has a terrific week of programing ahead for viewers.
Gooding Jr as Dr. Ben Carson, Photo by Andrew Eccles courtesy of TNT
The week ends on a high note on Saturday February 7 with a great family TV movie with a message for parents: Give your child a book and your full attention.
Academy Award winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr. stars in the film, the story is of Dr. Ben Carson. Carson was blessed with a determined mother who made sure he succeeded despite huge obstacles.
TNT's "Gifted Hands" is an inspirational movie based on these true events.
The latest TV movie installment in Johnson & Johnson's Spotlight Presentations, a series of true-life docudramas depicting triumph over adversity, which airs at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7 on TNT.
Dr. Ben Carson is now a renowned pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. The film uses flashback to show Carson as a discouraged and failing student.
Taken from "Gifted Hands," the autobiography co-authored by Carson (with Cecil Murphey) the film is Mother Sonya's story too; a single mom in Detroit who was illiterate at the time. She fought tooth and nail for her two sons.
Kimberly Elise is the actress who plays Sonya Carson. Elise paired with Denzel Washington in the remake of "The Manchurian Candidate."
That led to her next project, the independent film "Woman Thou Art Loosed," which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress.
This was swiftly followed by another independent film, Tyler Perry’s "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," which gave her the opportunity to show her comedic side. Her performance won a BET Comedy Award and an NAACP Image Award. She earned her second NAACP Best Actress Image Award for her portrayal of prosecutor Maureen Scofield on Jerry Bruckheimer’s CBS television show "Close To Home."
Elise also starred opposite Terrence Howard in the film "Pride" and teamed with Washington for a third time in "The Great Debaters."
Her character Sonya limited her boys to two hours of TV a week, made them read two books weekly and write book reports that she would then grade (They didn't know she could not read them).
Once fitted for eyeglasses and instilled with academic discipline, young Ben succeeded well enough in high school to win admission to Yale.
The movie highlights Dr. Carson's landmark surgeries at John Hopkins.
Carson has co-authored a total of three books, delivers motivational lectures and last year was invited to the White House by President Bush to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Cuba Gooding Jr. is one of the busiest actors in Hollywood; he recently completed Kevin Bray’s drama "Linewatch" and an untitled horror thriller with Ray Winstone and Ron Perlman.
He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame honoring his achievements. He is currently involved in several charities, including The Boys and Girls Club of America.
Highly recommended for the whole family.
Also on TNT:
Monday, February 2nd
The Closer (TNT):
“Junk in the Trunk” – Premieres Monday, Feb. 2, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) – TV-14-V
An extremely overweight body turns up in the trunk of a car, a body that happens to be that of a man who stole $3 million in diamonds from his own jewelry store. But the body is in such bad shape, it’s impossible to determine the cause of death. When the team finally tracks down a possible witness, they get quite a shock.
Special Guest Stars
Willie Ray Johnson – Frances Sternhagen
Clay Johnson – Barry Corbin
Trust Me (TNT):
“All Hell the Victors” – Premieres Monday, Feb. 2, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT)
Mason is under pressure to get his team to come up with a new tagline for a client after the first line was rejected. But the replacement line Conner feeds Mason, a line that the client loves, is fraught with problems that could cost Mason his new position and damage his trust in Conner. Sarah is determined to get the office she was promised, but she’s not too keen on the partner Mason wants to hire for her.
Tuesday, February 3rd
Leverage (TNT):
“The 12-Step Job” – Premieres Tuesday, Feb. 3, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) – TV-14
To discover where an investment broker hid money he swindled from a charity, the team tricks the financier into entering a rehab facility to deal with his addictions to nicotine patches, porn, gambling, lying and eating…to name a few. But they soon learn they aren’t the only ones out to get him. And the rehab setting of their con starts to have an effect on Nate.
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