Before Hidden Figures, I had no idea three black women were integral to the success of America’s space program. That’s not the only surprise here: Even the film’s title has a double meaning, referring to both the unheralded women who helped us catch up in the space race, and the calculations that were missing before their contributions.
Spending much of its runtime dealing with issues that persist today—segregation, racism and sexism in the workplace—Hidden Figures focuses on the black women who had to balance being tenacious and docile in order to get ahead, even as they were underestimated and undervalued every step of the way. To a soundtrack that’s jazz- and soul-inspired—with songs written and produced by Pharrell Williams—we meet Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), the first African American female engineer at NASA. (Who knew Monáe could act!? Well, anyone who saw Moonlight, for starters—go see it!) While Monáe’s a never-failing source of comic relief, Octavia Spencer plays the super-sharp Dorothy Vaughan, who brought to NASA leadership and knowledge of mechanics and computing. And Taraji P. Henson gives a stunning portrayal of Katherine Johnson, who calculated flight trajectories, launch windows, and backup return paths for early NASA missions.
