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There are currently more than 100,000 people in the States waiting for an organ transplant—so when an organ becomes available, a critical decision must be made. And in The God Committee, a group of doctors, administrators, and lawyers meets to decide who gets a new chance at life.
The God Committee follows the heart transplant committee at a New York City hospital as they try to decide who will receive the heart that is in transit to their hospital. After the intended recipient dies on the operating table, the committee has just minutes to choose who deserves to live: an angry older single woman who doesn’t even want the heart, an overweight father whose medical and psychological factors are a concern, or the hard-partying son of a wealthy businessman who stands to give the hospital a very large donation in return.
As the minutes tick by, the committee members raise questions about ethics, morality, and the value of life. Forced to make this possibly life-or-death decision, they weigh all of the possibilities. Does the old woman have enough life left in her? Will the dad’s weight restrict his quality of life? Should they take a stand against an obvious bribe, or should they give the heart to a kid with a known drug habit, knowing that the money will benefit so many of the hospital’s patients? Is that enough to justify the risk?
For the most part, this part of the story is a lot of talk—issues, debates, and disagreements. It’s a fascinating topic but maybe not enough to fill an entire feature-length film. In order to fill the time, the story also skips ahead to follow some of the characters into the future, as former heart surgeon Dr. Boxer (Kelsey Grammer) races against time (and his own health) to complete research that could change the future of transplants. While this part of the story is also fascinating, though, it doesn’t offer the same kind of thought-provoking drama. At times, in fact, it feels more like a distraction from the real story, and some storylines seem unnecessary. Together, though, these two parts come together to offer an eye-opening look at the challenges—and the politics—of organ transplants.
Though the film itself is quite simple—mostly just a lot of talk—The God Committee is still tense and challenging. And, in the end, the two different aspects of the story will give viewers a lot to consider about the value of life long after the film ends.
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