During the space race of the sixties, NASA relied on human "calculators" to figure out mathematical equations. 'Hidden Figures' documents the uphill fight three women faced in order to help get an American man into space. In what could have been a boring, by the numbers biopic, director Theodore Melfi has crafted a compelling film to inform, entertain, and promote diversity.
Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) finally gets the advancement she deserves when she's moved up to help astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) become the first American Man to orbit the earth in the capsule named Friendship 7. Her friends and coworkers Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) also seek advancement in the the company. Dorothy spends her time running a group of mathematicians but doesn't have the title of supervisor, while Mary is set back when NASA changes the rules for their engineering department, forcing her to go to a school that doesn't accept black people in order to fulfill their requirements.
The movie strikes a nice balance of civil rights issues and the stress that NASA felt as a whole while racing the Soviet Union to space. All three women have a strong part to play in the success of the mission, while pushing barriers and gaining the respect they deserve. You feel their struggle as they try to provide for their families while surrounded by coworkers who don't see them as equal. One character that helps enforce equality in the workplace is Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), who Katherine works under. He cares about the mission as a whole and ensures there's no barriers to obstruct Katherine and her work. It's the actors' commitment to the roles that make the story inspiring and memorable.
When it comes to inspiring progress and equality, 'Hidden Figures' succeeds on all fronts. The story is heartfelt and gives its great cast an important message to share.
