Review of Hidden Figures (2016) by Amani N — 06 Dec 2018

When people think of ï¿ 1/2The Space Race,ï¿ 1/2Â? or the intense competition over space exploration between The Soviet Union and The United States in the 1950s, they tend to think of brave astronauts risking their lives in the ï¿ 1/2cold heart of spaceï¿ 1/2Â?. But they were not the only people making a sacrifice in this epic contest. Countless scientists, mathematicians, and engineers had to dedicate their time and effort into making those spacemen liftoff. Hidden Figures is the true story of three African-American women who challenged both racism and sexism to help their country. Although the movie does not completely portray the brilliance of the three ladies and is somewhat historically inaccurate, Hidden Figures is an inspiring movie, based on a true story about overcoming discrimination and ï¿ 1/2reaching for the stars.ï¿ 1/2Â?

When people think of ï¿ 1/2The Space Race,ï¿ 1/2Â? or the intense competition over space exploration between The Soviet Union and The United States in the 1950s, they tend to think of brave astronauts risking their lives in the ï¿ 1/2cold heart of spaceï¿ 1/2Â?. But they were not the only people making a sacrifice in this epic contest. Countless scientists, mathematicians, and engineers had to dedicate their time and effort into making those spacemen liftoff. Hidden Figures is the true story of three African-American women who challenged both racism and sexism to help their country. Although the movie does not completely portray the brilliance of the three ladies and is somewhat historically inaccurate, Hidden Figures is an inspiring movie, based on a true story about overcoming discrimination and ï¿ 1/2reaching for the stars.ï¿ 1/2Â?

Hidden Figures tells the tale of three African American women working for NASA in 1962, Katherine Goble, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, who work to make John Glenn become the first American man in space. Katherine Goble is a genius mathematician who is promoted from being a computer to working with white men to calculate the landing point for John Glennï¿ 1/2(TM)s spaceship. Mary Jackson is an engineer who dreams of working on the shuttle but must win the right to attend night school so she can learn the necessary skills. Dorothy Vaughan is the unofficial supervisor of the African-American computers who strives to be recognized with the title and pay of a supervisor. The three women have to defy stereotypes to win their co-worker and bossesï¿ 1/2(TM) approval and achieve their dreams.

The movie was engaging and inspiring in multiple ways. One of the most impressive parts of the film is how real footage from the Friendship 7 launch in 1962 was used (Scubafiend). The historical accuracy added some extra detail to the movie and made it more enjoyable to watch. Also, the use of symbolism in the lot, such as the ï¿ 1/2pearl necklaceï¿ 1/2Â? that Katherine Goble does not own, added an extra layer of depth to the script (JRS). The three women were so inspiring, it would have been tough to create a story that does not demonstrate their perseverance and strength. The movie had a clear message and anyone would be in awe of Goble, Vaughan, and Jacksonï¿ 1/2(TM)s accomplishments after watching it.

While much of the Hidden Figures story is true to real events, many of the details were made up by Hollywood to make the plot more appealing. One of the most memorable parts of the movie occurs when Katherine Goble has to run to the ï¿ 1/2coloredï¿ 1/2Â? restrooms across the NASA campus every day, but this is fictional, as are the characters of Al Harrison and Paul Stafford to show the racism and sexism of the time (JRS). Also, the characters in the movie are slightly one-sided and do not have many personality traits (Olcese). These women were geniuses, and do not deserve to be portrayed as any less. Finally, the movie focuses mainly on Katherine Goble story. Although it was possibly the most interesting, it made it seem that Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson did not work as hard as she did to achieve her dreams, when all three women were extremely perseverant (Olcese). If one is looking for a more historically accurate version of Hidden Figures, they should read the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly.

Hidden Figures had an inspiring moral and was entertaining to watch. Although some details were made up, this was done to make the storyline more interesting, and photos of the real people behind the stories were shown at the end of the movie. While the message to ï¿ 1/2never underestimate othersï¿ 1/2Â? is clear, the story could have had more complex characters and gone more in-depth with Jackson and Vaughanï¿ 1/2(TM)s stories if it were longer. These womenï¿ 1/2(TM)s astonishing history is too complicated to be summed up in two hours. Hidden Figures should be recommended to any age group, especially for younger children, because it is important for children to see how unfair discrimination is, and the inspirational message to ï¿ 1/2reach for the stars,ï¿ 1/2Â? in this case, literally, are fit for anyone.