Hidden Figures - A Movie Review

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"Hidden Figures" is a biographical drama that was released in 2016. The movie received mostly positive reviews. It was nominated for numerous awards and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. The film was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2016. CAST Taraji P. Henson - Katherine Goble Johnson Octavia Spencer - Dorothy Vaughan Janelle Monae - Mary Jackson Kevin Costner - Al Harrison Kirsten Dunst - Vivian Mitchell Jim Parsons - Paul Stafford Glen Powell - John Glenn This movie is based on a true story. 1926 - White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia - School officials want to send Katherine to a school for gifted students; but the only school for "colored" students starts at the sixth grade; and Katherine is only 8. She would have to skip several grades; and the family would have to move. They decide to do it. In her new school the teacher asks Katherine to solve an algebra problem which she does without hesitation. Then she explains it to her teenage classmates. 1961 - Hampton, Virginia - Katherine Goble and two co-workers are stuck by the side of the road. A racist police officer stops and asks to see an ID. Katherine explains that they are with NASA; and he is impressed. They get the car running; and the police officer gives them an escort with siren blaring and lights flashing. The three women work at the West Area Computing division which is segregated from the rest of Langley Research Center. They are considered computers -- they do math by hand. Mary wishes to work as an engineer; but she finds out that she will be assisting the male engineers. The Space Task Group needs a new computer who can do analytic geometry. Dorothy assigns Katherine who can do analytic geometry and is best at numbers. Vivian, (Mrs. Mitchell to the black women), escorts Katherine to the Flight Research Division. On the way she tells Katherine that skirts are to be worn below the knee and no jewelry is allowed except perhaps a string of pearls. Vivian doesn't expect Katherine to last long because it's a tough department and several other computers have been let go. She warns her not to speak to Mr. Harrison unless he speaks to her first. There have never been any "colored" in that department before and Vivian warns, "Don't embarrass me". If you want to know what happens next, you will have to watch the movie. I can't tell you what an education this movie has been...not only to show me a part of NASA that I never knew existed; but to also remind me how ignorant society was in those days. This is an excellent movie. I'm definitely going to watch it again; and I recommend it. This movie is rated PG. Photo Credit: Pixabay