I Saw That!

One woman's opinions about popular entertainment.

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Location: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Amateur boxing coach, Christian (but not so heavenly-minded that I'm no earthly good) singer, writer, self-defense advocate, childfree. feminist www.smartwomenboxingtraining.org

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Hidden Figures (2016)


Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) were three women, brilliant mathematicians who worked for NASA.  They helped America be a force in the space race.  Why we never heard of them until recently?  Unfortunately, because not only they were female, they were also African-American. Subjected to segregation, racism, and sexism in the early 1960's, the women still made their mark regardless of the roadblocks.  They were known as "human computers" who helped formulate the calculations that sent astronauts into space.

This movie did something that none of my grade school teachers, high school teachers, nor college professors could do -- it presented math as interesting.

All of the main actresses were good.  I was really impressed with Ms. Monae, who is primarily known as a singer.  The supporting cast was on point, too: Kevin Costner, playing another stand-up guy at a crucial time in history; Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory") and Kirsten Dunst as two of many people at NASA who kept throwing roadblocks in the way of the ladies; and Marshershala Ali as a military vet who takes a liking to Ms. Henson's character.

One of my favorite moments was when there was a question of whether calculations were correct before a flight could take place.  John Glenn (Glen Powell), the astronaut who was going to take the flight, asked that "the girl, the smart one" (Henson's character) check the figures before he took off.  As in most movies based on true stories, liberties are taken with events.  But I understand that Mr. Glenn actually requested that Mrs. Johnson look at the numbers.

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