Barnabas File

This is a movie about a committed, gifted physician who takes a stand against a powerful bureaucracy.   No, Concussion is not about Dr. Ben Carson but Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith), the gifted forensic pathologist who fought against efforts by the National Football League to suppress his research on the brain damage suffered by professional football players. On many levels, this is a story about faith.   Omalu is a man of faith but he is also a man of science.   He clearly sees no conflict between the two and when he finds truth in science, he must share it with a religious fervor.    In doing so, he takes on a uniquely American expression of faith—football. As one character points out, Omalu is attacking an industry (not just a sport) that “owns a day of the week, one that used to belong to the church.”   Another character describes football as a “blessing,” “salvation,” and “the beating heart of the city.”   Strong words for a secular e...