Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures – During the 1960s, America was battling with Russia in the space race. Katherine, Mary, and Dorothy, as three black woman working for NASA in segregated Virginia, must overcome prejudice and lowered expectations in order to fulfill their potential. When Russia gets a man into space first, the pressure is on to figure out how to calculate the safe re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere but this requires math that hasn’t been invented yet. Can mathematical genius Katherine rise above the limitations bound around her? 

Hidden Figures (2016) – Director: Theodore Melfi

Rating: PG

Running Length: 127 minutes

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner

Genre: Drama, Period

REVIEW: ‘HIDDEN FIGURES’

The narrative on the U.S. side of the space race in the 1960s has been so covered that you’d think every angle has been shown. It’s therefore astonishing to have a movie like Hidden Figures shine a light on the the stories of Katherine Johnson (mathematician), Dorothy Vaughan (early computer programmer) and Mary Jackson (engineer), as three prominent African American woman battling against segregation. Such a compelling story which combines something as iconic as the space race along with a key point in national identity such as the civil rights movement is a tale essential to tell.

‘Hidden Figures’ follows the lives of three friends and their varying struggles. Each of the women have their battles against the barriers put in their way by white dominance, whether this be something as basic as a lack of bathroom facilities for ‘colored’ people during the time of segregation, or something more insidious such as constantly moving the goalposts to prevent meaningful career progression. Katherine, Dorothy and Mary all cope in their own distinct ways which makes for compelling viewing: Katherine (Henson) slogs within the system until breaking point is reached; Dorothy (Spencer) secretly studies to make herself invaluable; and Mary (Monáe) goes to court to get permission to attend an all white school.

Such battles are rich in and of themselves, yet the very real story of such struggles taking place whilst these three intelligent woman work hard at NASA to help get an American into space (and back, safely) adds further dramatic heft. Henson’s Katherine is a wonderful demure performance that is all the more powerful for when she grows in confidence and pushes back. Her scenes with boss Al Harrison sparkle, as Kevin Costner puts in a wonderfully subtle but powerful performance.

Director Melfi clearly chooses to let the fascinating space race angle be prominent as the backdrop of racism is decidedly PG, limited to the every day battles that grind a person down rather than big fights against overtly racist people. “It’s just the way things are,” says a supervisor when denying a promotion. “That’s just the way things have to be,” says a Judge when talking about Virginia segregation in opposition to the Supreme Court’s ruling. ‘Hidden Figures’ shows how hard it is to get ahead when a whole system is gamed against you. This makes it all the more thrilling when, as a very real story, these three Hidden Figures go on to achieve so much.

CONTENT: IS ‘HIDDEN FIGURES’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

Three black women are working on a broken down car. A police car pulls up and one warns another to not talk back to the white officer. He says that it’s a bad place to break down and one replies that they didn’t choose the place, the place chose them. He barks back, “You being disrespectful?” to which the woman hurriedly look subservient and says, “No, sir”.

In the early 15 minutes or so of the film there is frequent mild blasphemy in characters exclaiming ‘Jesus’ or ‘Lord’ in irritation or exasperation.

The nature of segregation becomes a plot issue as when Katherine starts her new position and asks where to find the bathroom the supervisor replies, “I don’t know where your bathroom is.” She has to run out of the building to her old building in order to find a ‘Colored Women’s Bathroom’. Her co-workers stare are her as she pours herself a coffee from the communal urn. Later, a smaller separate urn appears on the coffee table with ‘Colored’ written on it, although no one says anything.

There is a brief Civil Rights march with African Americans chanting “Segregation Must Go!” whilst holding placards. When in the library Dorothy is asked if there is going to be a problem when she is looking for a book in the ‘wrong’ section. She is then escorted out by a large security guard who pushes her young children out and she snaps at him to keep his hands off of her kids. Later, in the bus home, Dorothy reveals that she stole the book she needed but says that she pays her taxes and that taxes bought the book so it can’t be stealing.

Katherine has a brief chaste kiss with a man who is dating her whilst they are doing the dishes.

Katherine is criticised by her boss for being absent from her desk so frequently (he is unaware of her bathroom situation). She loses her temper and shouts emotionally about all the issues she is putting up with.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘HIDDEN FIGURES’ FOR KIDS?

Whilst there is very little unsuitable content in ‘Hidden Figures’ the adult nature of the drama and themes mean that it is not a movie with kids in mind. The movie is geared for adults although would be a good movie to show teens in order to talk about the issues concerning race and segregation in America in the ’60s. On content alone we would say the movie is suitable for all ages.

• Violence: 0/5
• Emotional Distress: 2/5 (There is national worry for the safety of John Glenn, the American astronaut. When Katherine shouts at her boss she gets very upset at having to do so)
• Fear Factor: 0/5
• Sexual Content: 1/5 (very chaste dating and Mary Jackson makes occasional mild comments about attracting men)
• Bad Language: 1/5 (mild blasphemous exclamations)
• Dialogue: 2/5 (most scenes cover an issue surrounding racism, how to ‘behave’, and how thing ‘should’ be)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of segregation in America, white privilege, having to modify your behaviour to survive, the struggle to get by when success is controlled by the dominant, sexism, the space race, fear of Russian supremacy, and fighting the system to achieve your goals.

Words by Michael Record