Hidden Figures: An Instant Hit!
Science-based movie sparks passion in its viewers.
Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
American musical recording artist, actress, and model Janelle Monáe, left, American actress and singer Taraji P. Henson, American actor, film director, and producer Kevin Costner, and American actress Octavia Spencer arrive on the red carpet for the global celebration of the film “Hidden Figures” at the SVA Theatre, Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016 in New York. The film is based on the book of the same title, by Margot Lee Shetterly, and chronicles the lives of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson — African-American women working at NASA as “human computers,” who were critical to the success of John Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission in 1962. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
March 7, 2017
For many people, when they think about NASA in the 60s they think of white men working at the powerful space program. What many people aren’t aware of, is that there were many intelligent women (both white women and women of color) working at NASA that faced many difficulties in gaining the respect and recognition that they deserved. “Hidden Figures” is a movie based on the true story of inspiring women: Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. These African-American women worked at NASA in Hampton, Virginia, performing important calculations and engineering procedures during the race between the United States and Russia to successfully get a man to space.
While I typically hate seeing a movie twice in the theatre, this was one of those that I felt like I had to see again. The second time I went to see it, I went with my physics class and expected to get a little bored, having already seen it. That was not the case at all. The first time I saw it I honestly left the theatre feeling a little bit inspired.
The second time I went, I enjoyed the movie just as much, noticing more details that I missed the first time. It is easy to see why Hidden Figures is nominated for three oscars, including “Best Motion Picture of the Year.” Senior Shelby Flynn says, “I felt like they sugarcoated the hardships that the women faced but overall I really enjoyed the movie.” This is a valid point. While the movie excels in the plot, it does fall a little short in addressing the extent of the difficulties the women faced. Senior Joie Funk had a different opinion saying, “I thought it was inspiring to see such strong female leads whose stories have been covered up and not really appreciated.”
While many autobiographical movies based on true stories fall short of capturing just how much of an impact the person had on the world, this movie perfectly captures the lasting impact the women had on the world and the struggles they had to overcome to achieve their goals. With a loaded cast including Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, and Kirsten Dunst, this movie feels mature and well done. If you are looking for a meaningful movie, then this is the one for you!
