Henson), this intelligent trio of minority mathematicians and engineers would be marginalized for only so long before mission leader Al Harrison ( Kevin Costner, who seems to embody the virtues of 20th Century Americana) could deny their needed contributions no longer. It has the power to give all kids (and minorities especially) a vision for life.Ĭleverly titled for its dual meaning, Hidden Figures tells the inexplicably unknown true story of three African-American women (and their female colleagues) who played a vital role in computing the elusive and complex flight trajectory for John Glenn’s historic Friendship 7 mission. It’s the kind of movie every history teacher would be excited to show their students – from grade school through high school – and that kids would actually engage, think about, and be changed by. Hidden Figures is that movie, a safe, PG-rated crowd-pleaser that doesn’t compromise smart story (and truth) telling in order to broaden its audience appeal. Most of these movies are inaccessible to kids, and so an appropriate introduction to these realities remains all-the-more necessary.

Previous films to highlight this era have often, and rightly, depicted segregation through brutal, graphic portrayals of racial injustice. Hidden Figures reminds us of these achievements while also focusing on new ones, and they’ll always rank among our country’s greatest whether we ever learned about them in a history book or not. But we also rose to some of the most vital. In the 1960s, the United States saw some of the biggest tests to its national character. Then they transcend that line to provoke legitimate, hard-earned, applause-worthy inspiration that engages your mind along with your morals, and caps it all off by putting a lump in your throat. But instead, writer / director Theodore Melfi and his superb cast walk that line of tonal accessibility with confidence. Initially it appears as if it might be antiquated, even schlocky, or that the 1990s might call wanting their Oscar bait back. The most pleasant surprise of this formulaic dramatization is how sincere it is, told with a veracious spirit. Hidden Figures wears its history on its sleeve just as much as its heart. It also layers in the personal lives of the three leads to emotionally rewarding results.

It tackles a trifecta of historical turning points without shortchanging any of them, and handles each better than similar films of recent memory that have tried to focus on just one of the three. Ranked #13 (Honorable Mention) on My Top 10 List For 2016, and 2016 Academy Award nominee for Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer), and Best Adapted ScreenplayĮqual parts civil rights drama, suffragette fight, and space race nail-biter, Hidden Figures is a gift on multiple levels. Proceeds from purchases made through these links go to support this blog. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parson, Mahershala Ali, Glen PowellĪvailable to rent through Amazon Video or buy on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K. (for thematic elements and some language) Henson) and Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) celebrate their stunning achievements for NASA’S Apollo program, in HIDDEN FIGURES (2016) Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), Katherine Johnson (Taraji P.

Hidden figures movie rental