Hidden Figures Story
Hidden Figures is a heart-warming inspiring and endearing movie revolving around three African American women – Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. They work at NASA at a time, when black people were not liberated yet, let alone women. The story is set in the 60s when the US was trying to send a man into orbit. Working their way up, these women face every ordeal and find the courage to rise to the occasion and help in NASA’s successful launch of Freedom 7 and bringing it safely back to Earth.
Hidden Figures is based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book, ‘Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race’. It speaks the true story of Katherine Johnson (the women behind successful calculations of Freedom 7 and many more), Dorothy Vaughan (NASA’s first African-American supervisor) and Mary Jackson (NASA’s first and USA’s first African-American aeronautical engineer). The movie was produced by the musician Pharrell Williams, who also directed the music of the film. The movie was screened free across many theatres in the US in celebration of the Black History Month. Special screenings of the movie were also made by senators at Capitol Hill.
Hidden Figures Review
The movie is endearing and inspiring and at the same time entertaining too. It only gets better with every passing minute. There is not one scene which could have been left out. It’s engaging, especially in bringing out a realistic portrayal of racism at that time, in terms of segregation and being underestimated.
The movie is full of positivity and speaks up about the empowerment of women at NASA, offering the audience, women role-models. Focussing on John Glenn’s 1962 trip around the Earth and his safe return to Earth, most of the events in the movie are historically accurate.
Stafford: “There’s no protocol for women attending.”
Johnson: “There’s no protocol for a man circling Earth either, sir.”
“Get the girl to check the numbers… If she says the numbers are good, I’m ready to go.”
“We all get there together or we don’t get there at all.”
A lot of credit should go to the director for bringing out the best in everything. In terms of acting, Taraji Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae are simply brilliant. The acting feels non-scripted and the actors seemed to own these characters. Juggling between family, workplace pressure, church time and their won leisure, these women carry different attitude and emotions, according to the place and time. Kevin Cosner, Jim Parsons, and Kirsten Dunst have given their best for their role as supporting actors.
The tribute paid to these three women figures towards the end of the movie move you emotionally. There is a sense of individuality to these characters, while at the same time; they are seen working for the greater good of their community and their country. It seems like a story that was needed to be told. It has the power to make the audience run along the emotions of the movie. It’s personally satisfying to see these women taking one small step at a time, every setback finally resulting in victory.
Trailer: