Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures 

                                                                                           January 7, 2017

What a joyous and uplifting movie; but this is not a Disney movie. The movie tackles hard topics like racism, segregation and sex discrimination.

 This is a true story about three African-Americans mathematicians who worked on the space program at NASA Langley field Virginia in the 1960’s.They are: Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson-mathematical genius , Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan, IBM programmer, Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson, engineer.

This movie is referred to as a biographical comedy-drama film. It is humorous but certain parts are serious and historic. It never occurred to me there was discrimination NASA, but why not? It was in Virginia in the 1960’s where discrimination was accepted.   Mathematicians were called computers. These ladies were referred to as the colored computers. 

Henson is outstanding in her role. She could be submissive and stay in her place to advance but she had the courage to confront prejudice. She had to wrestle respect from her co-workers and bosses.  Her advantage was her mathematical genius, she even impressed the astronauts.  

Spencer was the over worked supervisor without a title or appropriate pay. In a quiet and relentless manner, she became the first Afro-American IBM programmer. She surreptitiously learning Fortran on her own. Spencer’s outward calmness underlies her tenacity and intelligence.

Monae was the squeaky wheel. Of the three she pushed the boundaries using moxie and her beauty. Through hard work and undiscouraged she became an engineer.

Kevin Costner played the director of the Space Task Group. Seemingly oblivious to racism until he needed his colored computers. He played a hardened bureaucrat with a heart deeply buried in his chest. Jim Parsons played the peevish head mathematician who was a racist and misogynistic. At every turn, he put up obstacles which Henson knocked down.

This movie is the flip side of The Right Stuff. These women boosted the space program with their No. 2 pencils. Hidden Figures shines a much need light on a neglected part of our history. Stick round for the credit roll to see the real-life people.