There were a few things that I just knew I had to achieve before I finished up my winter break: first, I had to get my hair cut (badly); second, I had to finally try my hand at making aligot (look of the recipe!); and finally, I had to go see the new movie Hidden Figures. The reviews of the film were amazing, and it became the most popular movie in America soon after its release. Once I saw it, I was not disappointed.
Hidden Figures follows the intertwining stories of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan, played by Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Octavia Spencer, respectively. Though each of these women originally worked as NASA's "computers", women who did all the math that kept the space program afloat in lieu of computer power, their individual paths soon took them to some of the most important areas of NASA, from the Space Task Group to the engineering groups designing the rockets, NASA's control room to the new IBM computer system.
The movie is fast-paced and has some nail-biting moments--space launches certainly aren't relaxing--but the real star of the film is the focus on racial and gender inequality, portraying the many, many (many!) roadblocks that are put in the way of Katherine, Mary, and Dorothy. Facing racism and sexism both in the workplace and outside in their communities, the film looks into what happened after the Civil Rights movement and how, along with gender inequality, these women were forced to overcome societal prejudices while simultaneously helping make America's first visits to space possible.
These are some pretty heavy themes, but Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, and Octavia Spencer act out these legendary ladies with exceptional talent. I was immediately invested in these the lives of these women, and I loved the way each woman's story was explored within the bigger, more commercial story of the Friendship 7 rocket launch. Along with the acting, I also found the costuming and soundtrack to the film to be very well done. The story takes place in the sixties, and the costuming reflects the time period while also taking notes from modern fashion, colorful colors abound! The soundtrack, written by Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams among others, is alternately emotional and exciting, keeping the audience interested.
While the costuming, the soundtrack, and especially the acting in Hidden Figures are top notch, I also found that the film's themes are especially relevant to today's current events. With our focus as of late on racial and gender-based inequalities, the film plays an important role in reminding us of the power found in everyday people...even if those people are genius NASA scientists.
