Review of Hidden Figures (2016) by Smswpartners P — 25 Feb 2017

I'm not surprised at all that there are still untold stories of the early days of the space race and NASA. I'm also not surprised that one of those stories is of the crucial role played by intelligent African American women. Hidden Figures is the story of three of those women: Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) whose work helped send men into space. The film that tells their inspirational and genuinely interesting story is, unfortunately, a conventional one.

In the early 1960's NASA was based in Langley, Virginia; both Virginia and NASA were segregated. Stress and frustration levels are high at NASA as at this point in the space race, the U.S. was routinely surpassed by the Soviet Union. It is in this climate that our three heroines find career and life changing circumstances. Katherine Johnson, a mathematical prodigy, is assigned to the elite (and all white and all male) Space Task Group to create and compute-Johnson's official title is "computer"-the calculations for Alan Shepard's spaceflight and John Glen's historic orbit. Mary Jackson is working with engineers to construct the Mercury capsule but needs to further her knowledge of physics to remain with the project. This means she has to seek the permission of a judge to attend classes at a white college. Dorothy Vaughan is the supervisor of the "colored" computer division at NASA, all she lacks is the official title and pay. When she discovers that an IBM computer is being delivered that will make her division obsolete she sets about teaching herself and then her staff computer programming. Each has an overwhelming job to accomplish and they have to do so in the face of institutional racism and sexism.

Though this is an ensemble movie, the focus is Henson's character, Katherine Johnson. Her scenes working with the Space Task Group are what keeps the story moving. Kevin Costner plays Al Harrison, head of the Space Task Group, as a stern man of few words whose main concern is results. Jim Parsons plays the lead member of the group whose main concern having Johnson compute his calculations, write up his reports, and expecting her to stay silent and in the background. She, of course, does not and a big dramatic speech ensues. Did such a moment actually happen? Perhaps. Many scenes in Hidden Figures feel simultaneously true and contrived or embellished for the sensibilities of a 21st century audience. These scenes, however, are still satisfying because the racism and prejudice, both casual and direct, these women experienced is so awful and absurd that it feels good to see it confronted. Did Al Harrison really end segregation at NASA by ripping the steel "colored bathroom" sign down with a crowbar? I wouldn't be surprised if this scene was more symbolic than factual, but it's very satisfying to see happen.

Hidden Figures is directed by Theodore Melfi in a very straightforward, conventional way. It is most concerned with telling a true and inspirational story and making sure the audience leaves the theater with a warm, happy feeling. It does this quite well. There are good performances from the three leads (Octavia Spencer has picked up a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination) and the film moves along at a steady pace. Snappy one-liners and Johnson's romance with a Colonel played by Mahershala Ali (who has a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role in Moonlight), take Hidden Figures to the brink of feeling like a made-for-TV movie, but thankfully the cast and the Oscar nominated screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi keep the movie on track. As a film, Hidden Figures is nothing out of the ordinary, but its story and cast make it enjoyable.