The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks DVD Review & Giveaway

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks DVD Review & Giveaway

I remember when HBO announced that they would be making the movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I was very interested because we know very little about Lacks. If you’ve been in the medical field you’ve probably heard of HeLa cells. For years the origin of those cells was unknown until it was released that they were taken from Henrietta Lacks.

About The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks DVD

An African-American woman becomes the unwitting pioneer for multiple medical developments, such as the Polio vaccine, when her cells are harvested to create the first immortal human cell line. Her story, previously lost in history, is brought to life in HBO® Films’ The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Led by Oscar® nominee and TV icon Oprah Winfrey and Emmy® nominee Rose Byrne, the “Intriguing and thought provoking” (The New York Times) HBO® Film, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, is available to own on Blu-Ray^TM and DVD September 5, 2017.

In this adaptation of Rebecca Skloot’s critically acclaimed, best-selling nonfiction book of the same name, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is told through the eyes of Henrietta Lacks’ daughter, Deborah Lacks (Winfrey). The film chronicles her search, along with journalist Rebecca Skloot (Byrne), to learn about the mother she never knew and understand how the unauthorized harvesting of Lacks’ cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs, changing countless lives and the face of medicine forever. With a supporting cast that includes Renée Elise Goldsberry, Reg E. Cathey, Courtney B. Vance, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Leslie Uggams, Reed Birney, Rocky Carroll and John Douglas Thompson, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a story of medical arrogance and triumph, race, poverty, and deep friendship between the unlikeliest of people.

My Thoughts on the Movie

I watched the movie when it debuted on HBO a few months ago. I was already intrigued so I had to learn more about this woman and how her cells helped with medical advancements. Oprah’s character was the star of the film and she was a bit hard to follow at times. It seemed like she had some sort of mental illness because they ran hot and cold. I will say she did do an awesome job showing how this family was fighting to protect themselves and get the compensation they deserve.

Watching the movie made me want to learn more about Henrietta and her family. I wanted to know about her background and I definitely wanted to help them find the right place to look to get help. It was sad learning that because of the laws in place at the time, they were also unaware of how their mother’s cells had helped so many. What was even sadder was that they couldn’t even afford some of the treatments created using her cells. It’s really a sad story but one that must be shared and told all over the world. Even one needs to know about Henrietta Lacks and her immortal cells.

Enter to Win

I’ve partnered with HBO Home Entertainment to give one lucky reader a chance to win their own DVD copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The giveaway is open to US residents, 18 and older. Giveaway ends September 15th, 2017. Good Luck.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks