Hidden Figures (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
In an awards season chock full of BRILLIANT, but super-serious dramas (Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, Fences, Silence, etc.) watching 'Hidden Figures', directed by Theodore Melfi, was an absolute pleasure. 'HF' tells the inspiring (mostly) true story of 3 African-American women who worked for NASA in the 1950s & '60s. They served as "human computers", doing complex math & engineering tasks to help launch the spaceflight program which sent astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) into orbit. Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson, warm), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer, wonderful), & Mary Jackson (R&B singer Janelle Monae, dynamic) are our 3 whip smart heroines; best friends who work as those "computers" (though, banished to the segregated West Area Computers division, where they perform the menial computations which allow the MALE engineers/scientists to plot orbits & determine safety margins for rocket launches).
When Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), director of the Space Task Group, needs someone who can do theoretical math calculations that would outperform the Russians in the Space Race, Katherine is assigned to his team. Katherine, who graduated summa cum laude from college, suffered daily humiliations, such as not being allowed to use the bathroom in the building she was re-assigned to. Even Katherine's loving fiancee (Mahershala Ali, so good in this yr.'s Moonlight), underestimates her aptitude for math. Meanwhile, Katherine's colleagues are similarly humiliated. Dorothy struggles to get the respect & $$ deserved for her in a supervisorial role. And Mary must battle in court, just so she can go to a segregated grad school for engineering. Having to endure these prejudices & workplace obstacles (based on both their sex & race), they nevertheless pushed forward with determination, integrity, & perseverance to be the best they could be in their careers & home life.
What a great mainstream movie this is. Henson, Spencer, & Monae's charismatic performances bolster this feel-good bio-drama that teaches us about a little-known aspect of NASA's history. I mean, these women are AMAZING! How could I have never heard about them before??? Though 'HF' shows us the ugly institutional racism that African-Americans endured - while also showing some relevance to today's society - the film remains a crowd-pleaser because it shows how these 3 black women, while facing that day-to-day discrimination (segregated bathrooms, libraries, offices, schools), were able to keep their heads high & burst through the white male corporate power base -- very inspirational. They're role models in the face of such unfair repression.
Taraji P. Henson is fantastic as Katherine, the genius mathematician/widowed mom who works with the team that launched John Glenn into orbit. Octavia Spencer is bang-on as Dorothy, who is hell bent on making sure her group of black computers do not lose their jobs once the "real" IBM computers arrive. And Janelle Monae impresses - as she did in Moonlight - as the spunky Mary. The friendship btwn. the 3 leads are the heart of the story. Kirsten Dunst is solid as condescending Mrs. Michael. Jim Parsons is prickly as task force supervisor, who's unhappy that his figures must be fact-checked by Katherine. And though he doesn't have a big 'moment', Kevin Costner is great as Al Harrison, a pragmatic leader who sees past skin color to have his space mission to go off without a hitch.
If I had to fault anything in 'Hidden Figures', it might be parts of the screenplay; which takes some liberties with the lives of those involved. The script massages some facts to fit Hollywood's vision of how the tale should be told. It's mostly accurate, but there are some too-glossy plot points, and our protagonists seem impossibly virtuous. But regardless of some of the creative licenses, the pre-credits tribute picturing the real Katherine, Dorothy, & Mary makes it crystal clear that 'HF' is a story that needed to be told ... and told in a joyous, hopeful, triumphant manner. The production is handsome {set design, costumes}, there are heartwarming moments when you'll need some Kleenex, & I just loved learning about these pioneering women; who overcame so much to make their mark at NASA & beyond.
When Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), director of the Space Task Group, needs someone who can do theoretical math calculations that would outperform the Russians in the Space Race, Katherine is assigned to his team. Katherine, who graduated summa cum laude from college, suffered daily humiliations, such as not being allowed to use the bathroom in the building she was re-assigned to. Even Katherine's loving fiancee (Mahershala Ali, so good in this yr.'s Moonlight), underestimates her aptitude for math. Meanwhile, Katherine's colleagues are similarly humiliated. Dorothy struggles to get the respect & $$ deserved for her in a supervisorial role. And Mary must battle in court, just so she can go to a segregated grad school for engineering. Having to endure these prejudices & workplace obstacles (based on both their sex & race), they nevertheless pushed forward with determination, integrity, & perseverance to be the best they could be in their careers & home life.
What a great mainstream movie this is. Henson, Spencer, & Monae's charismatic performances bolster this feel-good bio-drama that teaches us about a little-known aspect of NASA's history. I mean, these women are AMAZING! How could I have never heard about them before??? Though 'HF' shows us the ugly institutional racism that African-Americans endured - while also showing some relevance to today's society - the film remains a crowd-pleaser because it shows how these 3 black women, while facing that day-to-day discrimination (segregated bathrooms, libraries, offices, schools), were able to keep their heads high & burst through the white male corporate power base -- very inspirational. They're role models in the face of such unfair repression.
Taraji P. Henson is fantastic as Katherine, the genius mathematician/widowed mom who works with the team that launched John Glenn into orbit. Octavia Spencer is bang-on as Dorothy, who is hell bent on making sure her group of black computers do not lose their jobs once the "real" IBM computers arrive. And Janelle Monae impresses - as she did in Moonlight - as the spunky Mary. The friendship btwn. the 3 leads are the heart of the story. Kirsten Dunst is solid as condescending Mrs. Michael. Jim Parsons is prickly as task force supervisor, who's unhappy that his figures must be fact-checked by Katherine. And though he doesn't have a big 'moment', Kevin Costner is great as Al Harrison, a pragmatic leader who sees past skin color to have his space mission to go off without a hitch.
If I had to fault anything in 'Hidden Figures', it might be parts of the screenplay; which takes some liberties with the lives of those involved. The script massages some facts to fit Hollywood's vision of how the tale should be told. It's mostly accurate, but there are some too-glossy plot points, and our protagonists seem impossibly virtuous. But regardless of some of the creative licenses, the pre-credits tribute picturing the real Katherine, Dorothy, & Mary makes it crystal clear that 'HF' is a story that needed to be told ... and told in a joyous, hopeful, triumphant manner. The production is handsome {set design, costumes}, there are heartwarming moments when you'll need some Kleenex, & I just loved learning about these pioneering women; who overcame so much to make their mark at NASA & beyond.