Hidden Figures is a biographical film that tells the remarkable
story of Katherine G. Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia
Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), a trio of intelligent African-American
women who worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during
the late 1950’s, when the Space Race and the Civil Rights Movement were in
their early years. The movie follows how
the three friends struggled with the prejudice of their era to help NASA take
the first step in overtaking the USSR space program in the Space Race as well as pioneer the professional
advancement of women of color.
As a kid, I loved everything
about the outer space and space travel.
I even wanted to be an astronaut at one point. Thus, believe me when I say that I read a lot
of books about the subject, including the history of space travel. However, I can’t remember about reading about
these ladies, especially Katherine G. Johnson, who, as the movie depicts, has a
significant part in sending all those NASA rockets to space. So this movie is somewhat of a revelation to
me – this is an important aspect of history which I’ve only learned now. But, as what the movie reveals, that must not
come as a surprise, as her skin color and sex prevented her from getting the
credit due for her work during that period.
It’s well-acted and well-written,
organizing and exploring the women’s plotlines in a way that respectively makes each one investing and rewarding. And
though the movie has a heavy message to tell, its narrative and tone never felt
heavy, always amiable.
Thus, I consider Hidden Figures a terrific achievement of cinema, not because it’s
technically groundbreaking, but because it gives an overdue recognition to people
who provided key yet overlooked contributions to a pivotal point in history
through a pleasing, entertaining manner.
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