The Space Race Begins To Become Race-Less

Rating: 8/10 (5 February 2017)

Hidden Figures is one story that needed to be told. One thing is that we as Americans never tire of a good movie about how we became the world's preeminent space explorers, but the human story is what makes it truly compelling. Within that element there's many stories of which this amazing one is a crucial part most folks weren't aware of. It's how a group of talented female colored mathematicians contributed so much. Of that group were three whose contributions were of mission critical importance. This is their story.
Hidden Figures elegantly, and compactly, tells how Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, three young black women, became iconic technical experts in NASA. The world in the early sixties was anything but colorblind but these three women's talents made NASA begin and continue to change. They truly made the space race race-less. It's something almost as remarkable as what they contributed to getting us to the moon. It must have been about as trailblazing and unfriendly. But like NASA itself they persevered. Hidden Figures respectfully tells the true story highlights in just two hours.
As a viewer and an American I find this movie uplifting and very positive. Director Theodore Melfi doesn't waste a scene. There's no dead air or boring side stories here as the movie moves at a brisk pace that just gets better. The blending of period and current cinematography is excellent. Without nitpicking details the sixties is well recreated. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae are uniformly excellent as Johnson, Vaughn, and Jackson. Ms. Henson is especially compelling in her performance as Katherine Johnson. I've enjoyed Ms. Henson in everything I've seen her in and she truly shines here and does an iconic woman's story justice. Supporting her are Kevin Costner as her boss and Jim Parsons as her reluctant supervisor. They bring the right tension and stay out of eclipsing the story otherwise. This is perfect casting aiding to bring a story to life with the impact it deserves. Overall Hidden Figures is an excellent movie telling an important, largely unknown, story as it so richly deserves. This is a reminder of why a colorblind society is so vitally important. Within true equality, acceptance, and cooperation getting to the moon and all things beyond become reality. Highly recommended.