By Paul Hall
In the new film Hidden Figures, we pull back the curtain to see some of the brave African-American women who worked behind the scenes to put a man into orbit and bring him back home safely.
Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) knew her math. Always ahead of boys and girls her age, she grew into one of the smartest mathematicians around. But there was a challenge that Katherine couldn’t easily solve. She was an African-American woman and was looking up from the bottom of the societal totem pole.
NASA hired African-American women, but still had segregated bathrooms. It employed these bright ladies, but hid them away until an assignment came along. Being hidden would not be enough for Katherine and her friends Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). Together these three amazingly bright and driven women were about to change the culture at NASA and help put a man into orbit.
Both Mary and Katherine were under the Dorothy’s wing. When a task came for a “computer” (the term the people at NASA used for highly intelligent mathematicians), Dorothy immediately knew her smartest person for the job was Katherine. Off she went, to become a trailblazer in a white-male-dominated team that first viewed her as someone to get coffee and double check their “obviously” correct work. But it didn’t take Katherine long to start solving mathematical equations that hadn’t been developed yet and establishing herself as one of the brightest and most knowledgeable people in the room.
At the same time, Mary was trying to become the engineer she desperately longed to be. Her male superiors knew she had the talent for the job, but a certain level of education was required. To get that education, and achieve her dream, Mary would need to fight a system that was still not open to African-Americans.
And Dorothy wanted desperately to obtain a supervisor position that was denied to her for years, so she took matters into her own hands and studied everything she could to make herself more qualified than anyone in the building. Then she couldn’t be denied, could she?
Hidden Figures is an amazing story of perseverance against all the odds. Based on a true story, this film does that thing that we need more of: It tells an inspirational story that hopefully drives the next generation to do more. These three amazing women didn’t let anything stop them. Some people they met supported them and understood their talents while looking beyond the color of their skin and their gender. Others preferred the way things were and didn’t want to change the status quo.
Katherine, Dorothy and Mary knew what they were doing was bigger than them; they were creating a tidal wave and something that would have far-reaching institutional implications.
Hidden Figures is an inspirational film with a gentle touch. What these women have done for the science program is measureable and significant. What these women have accomplished for women and girls everywhere is immeasurable.
As a parent of a daughter, I am pleased to see strong female role models who fight for what is right and long for the way things could be instead of the way things are. Get inspired by Katherine, Dorothy and Mary — I know I am.
Paul’s Grade: A- / B+
Hidden Figures
Rated: PG
Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Mon√°e
Director: Theodore Melfi
Brought to you by the publishers of TV Guide, the ultimate TV resource packed with celebrity news and commentary on what’s new and what’s good to watch. Get TV Guide at 88% off the cover price: call 800-866-1400 or visit tvguidemagazine.com. ©TV Guide 2017.
NEW THIS WEEK
The Bye Bye Man
Rated: PG-13
Stars: Douglas Smith, Carrie-Anne Moss, Lucien Laviscount
Director: Stacy Title
If you say his name, or even think it, he will come for you. When three college friends move in to a house together, they start to see and think things that aren’t there — thoughts put into their head by the mysterious figure known only as the Bye Bye Man.
Live by Night
Rated: R
Stars: Ben Affleck, Scott Eastwood, Zoe Saldana
Director: Ben Affleck
In the early 1920s, one man attempts to leave his mark on the corrupt and underground worlds that encompass Boston. The son of a prominent police captain, Joe Coughlin looks to make his mark and, in this world, no one can be trusted.
Monster Trucks
Rated: PG
Stars: Lucas Till, Jane Levy, Thomas Lennon
Director: Chris Wedge
As a high-school senior, Tripp is ready to get away from life in his small town and begins his exit plan by working to create a Monster Truck from scrapped vehicles. Along the way, he finds a creature that may just be the friend he needs to help him succeed.
Patriots Day
Rated: R
Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin Bacon
Director: Peter Berg
In Boston, Patriots Day is a celebration that includes the annual running of the Boston Marathon. Two bombs exploding near the finish line in April 2013 scarred what was an easygoing and peaceful day. This is that story and the story of the days that immediately followed.
Silence
Rated: R
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson
Director: Martin Scorsese
Two Christian missionaries travel to Japan to search for their mentor, who has gone missing. It is an ultimate test of their faith as, at the time, Christianity was outlawed and their presence in the country was forbidden.
Sleepless
Rated: R
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan, Dermot Mulroney
Director: Baran bo Odar
As revenge for a heist gone wrong, some bad men take the son of Las Vegas police officer Vincent Downs. In one sleepless night, Downs will need to rescue his son, avoid internal affairs and bring the kidnappers to justice.