Hidden Figures (2016, PG)

Not to be confused with Hidden Fences, the critically-acclaimed mashup that’s not actually a movie.  I’ve been on pins and needles for this film since I first heard about it, and I’m so glad it’s finally here (a few spoilers.)

Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary are three Black women working as computers (people, mainly – entirely? – women who calculate and check equations written by guys from a higher pay grade) for NASA in 1961.  Despite the obvious racism and sexism of their world, all three work their tails off to prove how brilliant and magic they are as NASA prepares to send the first Americans into space.  As they challenge the forces holding them back, our heroines break barriers through dreams, determination, and hardcore STEM prowess.

I absolutely need a based-on-a-true-story film like this now and then.  The battles are definitely hard-fought, and the finale doesn’t bring shiny racial and gender equality for all now and forever more (of course not,) but the overall trajectory is one of triumph.  Katherine, Mary, and Dorothy are heroines in every sense of the word.  They’re STEM geniuses, naturally, but they’re also savvy, knowing which battles to pick as well as how to prepare for the technology of the changing world.  They maintain grace under pressure, they can stand up to giants, and they can win their own wars.  But at the same time, they’re not the saintlike figures you can sometimes see in civil rights stories, where the film does incredible real people a disservice by making them feel so uncomplicated as characters.  Throughout the film, we also see the moments where they’re discouraged, where they back down when they’re aching inside to speak up for themselves, where they’re so weighed down by their frustrations that they can’t see the path to a solution.  These are all such human struggles, and seeing them shows how human these women are, which only makes their achievements all the more fantastic.

All the acting is excellent.  At the top, of course, are our three leading ladies.  Taraji P. Henson strikes a delicate balance with Katherine, giving us a woman who’s used to taking refuge in numbers learning to use them to fight for what she wants.  Janelle Monáe’s Mary is a definite crowdpleaser, combining a lust for life, big ambitions, and a keen sense of invention.  And I really enjoy Olivia Spencer as Dorothy, a woman negotiating how she fits into two different worlds, one in which she can be a respected leader, the other in which she’s considered little more than an errand girl.  The film also features Kevin Costner, Mahershala Ali, Jim Parsons, and Kirsten Dunst, all doing fine work. 

Additionally, I want to shout out Glen Powell, who I’m not familiar with at all, as John Glenn.  I don’t know if his characterization here is true-to-life, but I hope so, because I love Glenn’s portrayal in this film.  I really like the thought of him taking time during the astronaut meet-and-greet with the computers to make sure the Black women got a little facetime too, and the scene of him requesting Katherine (in a sweetly nonchalant way) for his launch check is great.  In light of Glenn’s recent passing, these moments are so nice to me.

Warnings

Thematic elements, a little swearing, and some drinking.