User reviews

I'm an engineer. I designed computers, I grew up in the south during the 1950s and 1960s. I was heavily involved in the space race at an early age and watched every launch and recovery on black-and-white TV. I never saw separate restrooms and drinking fountains for "colored" but they were there. I never rode on segregated public buses, but they were there and I knew it. This movie, "Hidden Figures," brings all of these worlds back to me. No, it's not a painstakingly accurate picture. NASA didn't have flat-panel screens back then. Communications between the ground and the Mercury capsules were not static-free. But a lot of this movie feels real. Very real.

The protagonists in this movie are three women of color working in one of the most unwelcoming environments they might hope to find: NASA Langley, Virginia, in 1961. As women, they were employed as human "computers" because they were less expensive and they got their numbers right. As "colored" folk, they got their own separate (and sparse) restrooms and their own, separate dining facilities. This was not America's shining hour, even in some place as lofty as NASA.

At the same time, civil unrest was rising in the towns. This is the time of Martin Luther King's rise to prominence. It's a time just before the rise of militant civil rights groups. It's a time when resistance to segregation and discrimination was still civil, but as the movie shows, that resistance was beginning to firm up and become widespread.

There are several reasons to see this movie: from a civil rights perspective; from a feminism perspective; from the perspective of the early space race when we lagged the Soviet Union, badly. If you lived during this time, see the movie to remember. If you were born later, see this movie to see what things were like.

In the opinion of this reviewer, an extraordinary achievement.

The characters on which the film is based were special and unique on their own, and well deserving of the sort of semi-documentary films that Hollywood likes to serve up.

However, to take that story and bump it up to a major "feel-good film" that engages the viewer from the getgo and does not let up until the very end of its 2 hour and 5 minute running time, THAT is what elevates this project to greatness.

I want to be clear on this because it is important. There are two ways to do a feel-good film. One is (ironically!) by the numbers, using proved plot arcs and other script devices to make it work. An example of this for example is the latest Disney release MOANA which has taken some heat from critics for being derivative and not original. But that, you see, is the tried and true method to achieve the effect that the producers wanted. And it works.

The other way to make a film engaging and fun is to use your instincts and your actors to get the most from each scene. No rule book, no fixed way of doing a scene, just doing what works. This is, I believe the way that writer/director Theodore Melfi set out to do Hidden Figures, and boy did he pull it off! The acting is stellar. Costner has matured in his latest film roles and his work here is as far from the nonsense he used to do (like the dreaded Robin Hood) as the earth is from the sun.

Taraji P. Henson finally lands a great role, the kind of role she was looking for when she left the hit series Person of Interest a tad early.

And every good film or TV series needs a character who is "the glue" or a reference point that the viewer can use, like a compass needle, to see where we are in the main story. Here Octavia Spencer gives the performance of her life as that "glue" and helps the director to pace the film.

Highly recommended.

There was a world not long ago where lines were drawn, where demarcation was defined when you were born, opportunities were withheld, life's ambitions cruelly quelled, aspirations, dreams, desires could not be formed. Although the ladies down at NASA had some fight, and to complement their toughness they were bright, conjuring numbers, equations, to prevent Russian invasions, as they conquered syntax, these girls had some byte. Now because of this great film they are recalled, it will leave you captivated and enthralled, the meaning of the great space race, exacted with finesse and grace, although at times you may just feel, slightly appalled.

This is the true story of three African-American women who worked for NASA on the Mercury program in the early 1960s. Solid performances by all, some laugh-out-loud scenes, and some very emotional moments. It's also an important look back at the civil rights issues of the time period. The climax is a bit Apollo 13ish, and I'm fairly certain some scenes were embellished, but who cares. You should walk away from this film smiling, maybe even a bit choked up.

And in spite of it being an overall positive experience, I could feel the oppression at certain points - Dorothy at the library just trying to find the right book, but it is in a part of the library to which she cannot gain admittance due to her race. Mary being reminded that she must sit in the back of the court room, again because of her race. Katherine runs across campus just to find a bathroom that she is allowed to use and never once complaining about it until she is publicly berated about her use of time. Kevin Costner's character appears to be a generally good person who doesn't care about race, and yet still never even thought about the difficulty of being forced into a certain bathroom half a mile away.

You don't need to understand the mathematics to enjoy the film, but I admit, it was fun to hear some concepts I haven't heard since my college days.

The theater was almost full, with people of all ages. I was particularly happy to see some kids there, as there is much for them to take away from this film.

Twice during the movie the audience broke into applause, and then applauded at the end credits as well. I don't recall the last time I heard that at a film. And most importantly - I did not see a cell phone light up the whole time - truly a miracle.

Not knowing what to expect, I checked out to see how the story of three female individuals made a difference at NASA back in 1961. I've witnessed in past historical dramas of where racism included violence, but that is not the case regarding Hidden Figures. Rather it focused more on how it was overcome in casual, everyday life (especially the workplace).

The story revolves around three brilliant African-American women by the names of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson as they live their lives working at NASA among a nearly all-white staff. Despite segregation still circulating at the time, each of them proved that no matter what color they were, it's their intellect and willpower that got them through each obstacle of the day and also helped make history for astronaut John Glenn to be the first American astronaut to completely orbit the Earth.

With an interesting balance of wit and drama, I found its tribulations to be the main focus. Since the movie was based on true events, to me it felt like a wonderful tie-in to the 2014 drama "Selma" since that too revolved around a time when people marched to spread the word of ending segregation. But unlike Selma where black people and Dr. Martin Luther King fought for the right to vote, Hidden Figures tackled both the obstacles of racism and even sexism in of all places NASA. It was very jarring to see that despite the characters' extensive knowledge in their work and upon receiving their own respective degrees in their studies, it's still looked down upon by the self- righteous higher-ups. Taraji P. Henson (Empire) sure brought out a splendid performance as mathematician Katherine Johnson. Likewise for her costars Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Janelle Monae as they helped balance the drama, including sass to boot. Kevin Costner and 'Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parsons also helped give some depth (though I wouldn't call them antagonists) in these women's lives.

Personally, I enjoyed the events that unfolded overall. When it came to the racial undertones and confrontations in a few scenes, myself and a few others in the theater old or young were left curious and appalled at the same time by how this was a thing in the 1960s compared to the present. It's sure to go far with various accolades.

The moral: If you put your mind to it, things can be accomplished no matter how many would say otherwise.

Some stories take too long to be told, but when they are done right, they stay with us. Hidden Figures is one of them. For years, the story of these three women was forgotten, despite their crucial work at NASA in the space race. Finally, Hidden Figures gives these women the recognition they deserve, and it does so wisely: without excessive dramatization or forced emotion, letting the story speak for itself. It knows how to move us at the right moment, allowing humor and energy to flow naturally, so the message resonates without feeling imposed.

Much of the credit goes to the leading trio: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe. Their chemistry is impeccable, and each brings a unique personality to her character, making the story feel alive. Although it follows the classic biopic structure, its pace is dynamic, the dialogues feel natural, and the balance between drama and lighter moments makes it feel fresh and engaging.

It doesn't rely on unexpected twists or aim to reinvent the genre, but it knows exactly how to tell its story effectively. Some scenes are designed to be emotional and may seem predictable, but the message is solid and delivered with the honesty needed to work without unnecessary embellishments.

Ultimately, Hidden Figures is a film that inspires and leaves a mark. It doesn't stand out for being innovative, but for the story it rescues and how it presents it. With a brilliant cast and a powerful message, it's one of those films worth remembering and sharing.

Beautiful film. I enjoyed every moment watching this movie. Telling the stories of those in history who experienced a level of segregation and discrimination that most would never remember is hard. To be entertaining while respecting and celebrating the achievements while reminding viewers of how far we have come is even harder. At the same time the film takes care to not trivialize nor sensationalize those struggles in a beautiful display of cinema and story telling. I am late as usual to most parties but I liked, then loved the film enough to watch it twice then buy it. Glad to help support this. A great story for women, people of color, and all Americans. Enjoy and reflect deeply about who we are and where we can be yet- together.

Such a great movie, it definitely knew how to balance handling multiple topics at the same time and even has a lot of great actors giving amazing performances. The movie was entertaining and interesting from start to finish. Personally I am also amazed that people who are that mathematically inclined exist/existed, as I definitely can not relate.

Highly recommend watching! The movie is also highly re-watchable.

To answer my question brought about in the intro of this review, 'Hidden Figures' falls in the ranks of being a titan in its class. This film brings on an array of emotions throughout the duration of its run time. From delightful happiness, to laughter, to anger, and more. Overall though, it was a pure delight and feel-good film to witness and enjoy. The story is empowering to see what these three women overcame during their life and stopped at nothing to achieve what they set their minds to. For a dialogue heavy drama, I was impressed by how attention-grabbing the story of 'Hidden Figures' was. Usually, I have a tendency to lose focus on dramas but this film did such a great job at delivering a captivating performance of the story through the multitude of emotions it presented to the audience... The cast of 'Hidden Figures' all are such powerhouse performances during their respective screen time. Easily, my favorite was Taraji P. Henson, the "star" of the film, so to speak, all though surrounded by other equally powerful actors and actresses. Alongside of her, Kevin Costner had a great performance and very memorable one on top of it for me. If there were any negatives I can truly put together for 'Hidden Figures', it may be that I feel Janelle Monáe's character was a bit underplayed with the screen-time given to Taraji's and Octavia's, but it was still an enjoyable performance to witness.

A rightful film deserving of its 2017 Oscar nominations. 'Hidden Figures' is a delightful film to watch with a story that captivates its audience through an array of emotions. A highly recommended film from Oberrated.

-- Oberrated.com --

This film gives us a set of characters that I never knew existed. They were women involved as "computers" during the early days of the space program. We get to know each of them a bit. Unfortunately, they are defined a bit too much by their work. It would have been interesting to get into more of the day to day pressures they experienced when they were not at NASA. With that said, it still is interesting to see what went on and how they strove for dignity and acceptance in the face of racial prejudice. Of course, NASA was (is) in the South, so hanging over everything are all the things that those who simply lived normal lives had to deal with. I understand that the whole thing with running to the bathroom was fiction. But it made a point. The writing on the blackboard and standing on a ladder is visual, but it was more likely done in notebooks or on pieces of paper. Did an entire group of these women march into the IBM computer room and take over? Probably not en masse. But I gave it a nine because it was a hallmark in showing us what these ladies, who were every bit as competent as their white counterparts, had to do to get respect. The movie is touching and exciting. I was pleased to see the events surrounding John Glenn's historic flight. I remember as a high school kid, how much we feared for his fate. The performers are quite delightful in their own ways. I thought the relationships with the husbands and husbands to be were a bit too contrived, but that's fine. We weren't there. See this movie.

Someone commented that this movie was almost of an Oscar winning quality if it was not so length. This is besides the point. The real argument for this movie is that it details the facts about African Americans contributions to the collective efforts of everyone who made it possible for the Astronauts to venture into space. Most importantly, in a society that has made attendant efforts to discredit African American's knowledge even in the study and field of the sciences. Consequently, this movie gives the general populace a clear understanding of the contributions of these 3 African American women as an affirmation that no race is essentially gifted beyond others and particularly not beyond African Americans who have in all aspects of American history stood head to head with other races in every aspect of development regardless of the immense efforts by some to malign them as inferior or lazy people.

Lastly, this movie along with others in similar categories is an affirmation to young African Americans that those who came before them have done better and they must endeavor to follow in those footsteps not minding the systematic lies that has been continually perpetrated by certain elements in the American society against African Americans.

PMG

Hidden Figures is an uplifting movie set in the 1960s, that sheds light on the frequently underappreciated contributions of African-American women to the early years of the American space program. This film was written by Margot Lee Shetterly, an African American author from Hampton, Virginia. The film presents a compelling narrative that skillfully combines history, science, and social justice. The brilliant mathematicians and engineers at NASA are portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe in outstanding performances that give life to the characters and make their struggles and victories incredibly relatable. The discrimination these women endured because of their race and gender in 1960s segregated America is depicted in the movie with skill. It emphasizes their determination, courage, and exceptional abilities, which ultimately broke down barriers and assisted America in making significant strides in space exploration. By reminding us of the countless untold tales of people who made a significant contribution to our world, "Hidden Figures" effectively communicates the significance of diversity and inclusion in science and technology fields. This film shows great examples of un-invisibility and how people of color had to prove themselves to have a voice in society.

During the production of Hidden Figures, Margot said that it had been a whirlwind for her because the film rights were optioned before the book was even published. She talks about how before the movie was even made the producer called her and told her they wanted to make a movie on it and she had to deliver a book that wasn't written yet. Margot would receive drafts of the scripts and point out flaws, but the producer insisted that she and the process be trusted. Margot was ultimately happy that she did because she adored the result.

By showing how the contributions of African-American women in significant roles at NASA were historically disregarded and marginalized, the film Hidden Figures successfully conveys the idea of un-invisibility. Despite playing crucial roles in the success of the space program, these women were made invisible not only because of their gender but also because of their race. They also lived in a segregated society where their achievements were frequently discounted or ignored. By pushing past the barriers of un-invisibility, challenging the general stereotypes and biases, and ultimately demanding recognition for their significant contributions, which were instrumental in advancing science and space exploration, they overcame the barriers of hyper invisibility.

Finally, I believe Margot Lee Shetterly did an amazing job with the book which later portrayed how people of color were treated in a workplace in the 60s regardless of the impactful work they were doing in the movie as well. I also think if one has not seen the film or read the book they should, not only because it was truly well done but because it gives a better understanding about the type of situations a person of color was put in and how little they were thought of by others, as well as not getting enough recognition for the groundbreaking work they were doing that later led to history being made.

"Hidden Figures," a captivating cinematic masterpiece, delves into the untold story of the remarkable black female mathematicians who played pivotal roles in America's space program during the tumultuous 1960s. Directed by Theodore Melfi, this inspiring tale showcases a perfect blend of historical accuracy, heartwarming performances, and a triumphant celebration of courage and intellect.

Set against the backdrop of the Space Race, the film follows the lives of three extraordinary women: Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). Navigating through a time when gender and racial discrimination were rampant, these brilliant minds defied the odds, proving that talent knows no color or gender boundaries.

The film's strengths lie in its masterful storytelling, adeptly balancing the struggles faced by these women in their professional and personal lives. The script, based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, brilliantly weaves together historical facts and captivating character arcs, making it both engaging and informative.

The performances in "Hidden Figures" are nothing short of phenomenal. Taraji P. Henson's portrayal of Katherine Johnson is mesmerizing, exuding intelligence and resilience that immediately connect the audience to her character's journey. Octavia Spencer, as Dorothy Vaughan, brings a powerful blend of determination and wit to her role, while Janelle Monáe adds a touch of charm and tenacity to her portrayal of Mary Jackson.

The supporting cast, led by Kevin Costner as Al Harrison and Jim Parsons as Paul Stafford, deliver compelling performances, adding depth to the narrative and highlighting the challenges faced by these women in a male-dominated space program.

Furthermore, "Hidden Figures" successfully captures the essence of the era through its visually stunning cinematography and an enchanting soundtrack that transports the audience back to the 1960s. The attention to detail in recreating the historical settings is commendable, immersing viewers in the world of early space exploration and civil rights activism.

However, the film isn't just about space missions and technical prowess; it poignantly portrays the societal struggles these women faced on a daily basis. It challenges viewers to reflect on the persistent biases that marginalized individuals have endured throughout history and the impact of their resilience in breaking through barriers.

At its core, "Hidden Figures" is a powerful tribute to unsung heroes whose contributions paved the way for progress and equality in STEM fields. It serves as an inspiration to dream big, defy limitations, and embrace diversity, as these are the very factors that drive innovation and human achievement.

In conclusion, "Hidden Figures" stands as an extraordinary cinematic achievement. It educates, entertains, and inspires, leaving audiences with a sense of wonder and admiration for the extraordinary minds that reshaped history. This heartfelt tribute to unsung heroes deserves its place among the stars in Hollywood's constellation of great films.

Hidden Figures is a remarkable and deeply inspiring film that sheds light on the untold story of the brilliant Black women who played a crucial role in NASA's space program. The movie masterfully balances history, drama, and emotion, making it a compelling watch from start to finish.

The performances are phenomenal-Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe each bring strength, intelligence, and resilience to their roles, making their characters feel truly alive. Their chemistry is fantastic, and their journey is both uplifting and heartbreaking, highlighting the struggles they faced in a male-dominated and racially segregated environment.

The film's pacing is engaging, with just the right mix of tension, humor, and heartfelt moments. It does a great job of making complex scientific concepts accessible while keeping the focus on the human story. The cinematography and soundtrack also complement the film beautifully.

Hidden Figures is not just a great historical drama-it's an important film that celebrates the power of perseverance and intellect. A must-watch for anyone who loves inspiring true stories.

First and foremost, this is a feel-good movie. I love feel-good movies and this left me feeling good with emotional twinges of happiness verging on tears of joy. You'll feel better and uplifted after watching it, and possibly ashamed of certain aspects of America's past.

Because it's also a story of prejudice and segregation and the inhumanity - and, let's face it, downright stupid ignorance - of man to fellow man, and woman and African-American women in particular. And, yes, even though it takes place in the 1960s, it's about the inherent arrogance and stupidity of men so nothing changes there! Makes you wonder how much better so many areas of life and business would be if women had more input or control.

The three stars - Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe - are superb and Kevin Costner is excellent although his role is hardly demanding. Kirsten Dunst, one of my fave actresses, seems almost to be playing a bit-part, slightly under-acting, but convincing as someone who, perhaps, changes their mind.

The best lines go to Spencer and Dunst:

Dust: "Despite what you may think, I have nothing against y'all."

Spencer: "I know. I know you probably believe that."

Badoom!!!

Yes, the director also had a hand in the screenplay but not solely and it was based on a book so if there were any indulgent excesses they were generally reigned in.

Throw in some info about the space race and this is an all-round excellent movie, well worth watching for many reasons, and family-friendly, too!

Writers Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi have adapted Margot Lee Shetterly's book 'Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race ' for the screen and as directed by Theodore Melfi and a superlative cast, this film makes a major difference in the way both the space program and the ingenuity and intelligence of black women in the early days of NASA will now be forever viewed. It is a thrillingly believable film about the significance of black women producing miracles at NASA during the height of racial struggle.

The time is 1961, JFK was president, Martin Luther King Jr. was the man of attention in civil rights, and the rush to hurdle a man into space was central to America's thinking and desire. As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Based on the unbelievably true life stories of three of these women, known as "human computers", we follow these women as they quickly rose the ranks of NASA alongside many of history's greatest minds specifically tasked by Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) with calculating the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) into orbit, and guaranteeing his safe return. Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), and Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes.

The men in the picture include Jim Parsons (thankfully stepping out of his Big Bang character), Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, as well as the white women in positions of power – Kirsten Dunst, Kimberly Quinn – all offer solid support. But this is a film about a time of transition in so many arenas, and visiting the realities of colored bathrooms, prejudice, and the fierce competition with Russia are well to remember. The film is not with out flaws (the musical score is not at all form the period, though is sounds well) and there is a little too much time spent on the social lives of these extraordinary women, but it is a film everyone should see – it is just that important to realize the major role black women played in the beginning of computers and the space program.

What a breath of fresh air in these dark times! Hidden Figures is an amazing, uplifting, inspiring story focusing on the successes of three African-American women whose mathematical and computer-science skills directly helped NASA launch astronauts into space (and back) and eventually to the moon.

The bulk of the events depicted are from 1961 at the Langley Research Center and Project Mercury. If you had asked me "When did NASA desegregate?" I would have been stumped, because I never knew NASA was segregated. The movie gives a palpable sense of the raw frustration and pain caused by senseless discrimination, and it does so so simply by facing us with the harsh reality and indignity of having to walk over a mile each day just to use the bathroom. The women entrusted to make critical astronomical calculations couldn't even be trusted to share the same space for a minute or two in what is one of the most common, natural, and inherent aspects of humanity.

And it's a double-whammy: they're black, and they're women. Hidden Figures is just as much, if not more so, about sexism and exposing the baseless belief that women either should not or cannot excel at science. There's a great satisfaction when the Director of the Space Task Group literally sledge-hammers the bathroom signs down, ending a practice that never should have started.

Do yourself a favor and catch Hidden Figures on the big screen, see it with a big crowd, and feel a sense of humanity trickling back in.

Frontrunner for my favorite film of the awards season, Hidden Figures contains heavy doses of irony that may not have been intentional at the time of production. Set during the transition to the 1960s, with skinny ties and Jim Crow laws, the zeitgeist of the cold war, and the pressure cooker of the U.S. space program after Sputnik, it was a time before electronic computing was commonplace. Unimaginably, the math for the orbital mechanics of the Mercury missions was being performed on slide rules, pencil, and paper. The revelation of this film is that some of the human "computers" that did this vital work were African American women, who despite their brilliant contributions, were segregated and marginalized because of their color and gender.

Chalk up one for amazing timing… One cannot ignore that for these past few months, making America "great again" has, for an outspoken intolerant minority, meant reverting back to this white male-dominated social structure with all of its overt sexism and racism. In this light, seeing the inhumane treatment visited upon the hardworking heroes of this film moves beyond sepia-toned history and elicits real, contemporary rage.

The superb cast is lead by Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer, who are exceptional and nomination worthy as real-life mathematician Katherine G. Johnson and supervisor Dorothy Vaughan. Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) is terrific as the socially awkward love interest Colonel Jim Johnson. Kirsten Dunst turns in a surprisingly solid performance as a hardened by-the-book supervisor, and Kevin Costner thankfully melts believably into his role as chief of the space program. Jim Parsons' portrayal of an overtly racist engineer is sadly wooden, and is the only weak spot in an otherwise strong ensemble.

Theodore Melfi's film is definitely a glossy Hollywood telling, and effectively pulls at the heart strings with every element, but the work does not descend too frequently into unnecessary sentimentality. Scenes of the heroines' home lives feel sweet but not overly romanticized, and scenes of their hardships are more matter-of-course than melodramatic. The film is beautifully lensed by Mandy Walker, and has a wonderful kinetic energy. This is robust, big studio filmmaking certainly, but it has at its center memorable real heroes, an inspiring story, and great heart.

Highly recommended! Go, and take the kids.

I had never known the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson before "Hidden Figures" got released. Even if it's hard for the viewer to follow the scientific lingo, it's still a fascinating story, as the three women fight tooth and nail to both help with NASA's space program and for acknowledgment of their contributions. I saw a correlation between the fact that landing a man on the moon was a major effort that we could nonetheless achieve, and the fact that taking on institutionalized racism required a lot of effort but was still an achievable goal. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe portray the women as individuals who simply wanted to be able to support their families but also figured out how to contribute to NASA's work. These were some brave women. You may recall that Henson, Spencer and Monáe brought the real Katherine Johnson out on the stage when they presented an Academy Award.

Also appearing are Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Mahershala Ali (of "Moonlight", in which Monáe also co-starred), and even Jim Parsons in a role not too different from Sheldon Cooper. I guess that his character is a stern, socially competent Sheldon.

All in all, it's a fine movie. Maybe not the ultimate masterpiece (and there's the question of accuracy), but I recommend it.

Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson are not household names. In fact, they were not even on the radar until Theodore Melfi's film Hidden Figures told their story. Based on the book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures is about three African-American women working at NASA in the 1960s who broke through barriers of race and gender to become essential contributors to the U.S. space program and without which, famous astronauts such as John Glenn and Allan Shepard would probably have never flown. All three were employed by NASA but only as "computers," people who worked for the engineering and flight sections performing manual calculations.

As the space program pushed through boundaries to match the Russian man in space program, barriers had to be broken on the ground as well to complete a successful mission. Though it was 1961 and the civil rights movement had already begun under the leadership of Martin Luther King, restaurant lunch counters, water fountains in public parks, libraries, and bathrooms were still segregated. In the film which was nominated for Best Picture at the 2017 Oscars, the three women, Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) have to deal with humiliating incidents of racial prejudice they repeatedly encounter on the job though they were as brainy and qualified as their male counterparts.

What they lacked was the title of engineer and mathematician and the respect of equal pay for equal work. Dorothy is denied the title of supervisor by her boss Vivian Mitchell (Kirsten Dunst) even though she is already doing supervisor's work. Mary wants to become an engineer and work in the engineering section, but she requires college courses which can only be taken at a school that denies entry to people of color. Katherine, a mathematics genius, works on a Special Task Force for Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), but her main job is to check the calculations of her white male co-workers, including that of the coldly disdainful Paul Stafford (Jim Parsons). They all feel the pressure to do their jobs without complaining unless they are labeled as troublemakers.

This means the indignity of Katherine putting up with having to walk a half mile to go to the nearest "colored" rest room, Mary having to go to court just to be able to take night classes at the local high school, and Dorothy having to plead her case to her boss to be given the title of Supervisor. Hidden Figures is more than an entertaining feel-good movie, though it is that. It is a long overdue recognition of what life was like for African-Americans under segregation and the special burden that women had to face. While the film is a hard-edged depiction of racial prejudice, it is not preachy or one-dimensional but treats its protagonists as human beings who deserve our respect and admiration.

Melfi cares for his characters, showing Katherine's courtship by Colonel Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali) and the women's family and church life with warmth and humor. Granted the film is not notable for its depth of characterization or its subtlety and Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson were not saints, yet the truth is that saints are not necessarily those who perform miracles, but are also those who stand up for human dignity. In that respect, the three women deserve the title.

Lots of tender moments in this movie. One historical inaccuracy is in the opening scene circa 1926, when it becomes quite apparent that Katherine is gifted as a young girl in elementary school, the teacher uses an electronic calculator to verify Katherine's answer to a complex multiplication problem. Electronic calculators were not invented until the late 60's and not in widespread use until the 1970's. The proof in is the rest of the movie where all the scientists at NASA use mechanical calculators which were indeed in widespread use in the 50's and 60's. Absolutely loved the rest of the movie and the three main actresses are supremely talented in portraying these groundbreaking women.

This movie tells a story of NASA's space program of the early '60s that hadn't been told before: that of several black women-with three showcased here-doing some behind-the-scenes math calculations or figuring out the new IBM operations of their computers as the country is readying the flight of the first American man in space, John Glenn. Taraji P. Henson especially shines as Katherine G. Johnson, who was so advanced in her chosen profession that she graduated from college early and eventually was the one who figured the right distance for Glenn's mission to succeed. Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae are fine in their roles as well. Nothing more to say except, I highly recommend Hidden Figures. This review is dedicated in memory of the late John Glenn.