Upon watching the trailer for Theodore Melfi’s film, “Hidden Figures,” I made the mistake of dismissing the film as one overly caught up in Hollywood ideals. Although it seemed to be sincere in its mission to showcase the incredible story of three black women who transgressed social boundaries to create incredible careers for themselves at NASA, the general tone of the film seemed designed to appease movie-goers who want the traditional feel-good, happy ending.
And yes, the film was a blockbuster to an extent, at least with its star-studded cast — Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Mahershala Ali are some of the incredible actors that make up the cast. Another feature of the film that brought out this “Hollywood-esque” nature was the unoriginal pattern of conflict within the film; the tension lies in a perfect arc, and of course, ends happily.
However, the film’s diversity is not always found in blockbusters. I was impressed by Melfi’s ability to bring in moments that made viewers cry, smirk, and chuckle in the midst of such a serious film. Right off the bat, the film announces itself as having a lighthearted tone without dismissing the sober subject matter being retold.
We meet Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson (played by Henson, Spencer, and Monae, respectively) with a broken down car on their way to work at NASA, where they are all in the computation/engineering departments. The three black women are questioned and challenged by a police officer, who has trouble believing they are on their way to work at NASA until he is provided with their work badges.
Immediately, viewers understand that the experiences of these women will not be easy or carefree. But humor is immediately inserted into the film as well. Monae’s character insists the officer provide them with a police escort on their way to work and we begin to understand that these women are bold, and they make things happen; they make their dreams come true.
It goes beyond their personal goals, relationships, and general happiness. The film continues to impress on our minds the notion that Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson are all “hidden figures” in the history of our country, which we so often equate with old white men of the early 1960s.
In the true history of early American space travel, which “Hidden Figures” shows, Johnson, Vaughan, and Jackson all worked on the mission to help project John Glenn into space. While Glenn’s mission was an unprecedented one — he was the first American to orbit Earth — Johnson’s position on the NASA team working to get him into space was perhaps even more groundbreaking.
Johnson was not simply the only woman to work in a room full of male mathematicians, but she was the only black person on the team in 1961. The other black women she had been used to working with were kept in an entirely separate building from her. To get to the “colored only” women’s bathroom, she had to walk a mile; she was enduring a lot more than difficult mathematics.
There have been other films that sought to show us the incredible stories of astronauts and those at NASA who have worked so hard to get the ball rolling with space travel. But these movies do nothing to show an inclusive, utterly true picture of what those NASA teams looked like. Films like “Apollo 13,” do nothing to enlighten the public about the women of color who worked so hard to help America launch a white man into space.
Less appetizing to my personal movie palate was the film’s insertion of Johnson’s home and love life. However, I assume for many this will be a draw (I know for my sappy mom, it definitely was). This does ultimately help convey to viewers that these women were not simply brainiacs, but also lived full lives outside of their jobs.
Do I think “Hidden Figures” was especially creative in structure, cinematography, or plot? Not particularly. Do I think the film was exceptional in its strides to publicize a fundamental history that had been concealed for so many years? Absolutely.
The verdict: “Hidden Figures” will heartwarmingly unveil a history that should have been told years ago.
Reach Opinion Editor Rebecca Gross at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @Becsgross
