Hidden Figures (20th Century Fox – 2016) Review

1962 America, a time when segregation was enforced not only in public places and public facilities, but also in the workplace.

Mathematician; Katherine Goble had a role with NASA as a ‘Computer’. Calculating trajectories, atmospheric factors and landing zones in the space race against the Russians.

With her two friends, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughn they are apart of the Space Task Group at Langley Research Center, a sprawling campus where whites and black Americans are split in to their specific areas and buildings.

After the successful launch of Russia’s Sputnik, the director of the Space Task Group, Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) is pressured in to doubling his teams efforts to get a man in to space.

A ‘Computer’ is called for to join his team and Katherine becomes the first African-American to join, working under a very arrogant Paul Stafford (Jim Parsons).

Katherine’s two friends also have triumphs of their own, Mary aiming to be an Engineer forces a petition through the Courts to attend night classes at a Whites Only University to obtain her degree. Dorothy who had been assuming the role of a Supervisor without the actual title or pay to reflect the duties very quickly schools herself up on the programming of a new room sized IBM computer. A gargantuan monstrosity of appliances that does calculations, effectively and eventually putting her team of Afircan-American ‘Computers’ out of jobs.

Dorothy knows this and educates her team on how to program the IBM, essentially making herself and her team indispensable and eventual;ly gains the official Supervisor role.

For Katherine, life in the Space Task Group is more difficult than for her pairs. Being the first and only African-American in the group, she is not allowed to use the Whites Only facilities and must make the 40 minute walk to the Blacks Only area to go to the bathroom.

Her colleagues do not make it easy on her either – not allowing her to share their coffee and Paul Stafford taking credit for her work.

Since Katherine was a young child she was able to calculate advanced algebra and beyond, being accepted into higher classes designed for older students from a very young age.

A genius to the likes of Stephen Hawking – Hidden Figures the film is the true story of Katherine Goble during a racially tensioned and full of inequality era.

An inspiring story and a film that is not only excellently directed, but one that shows the audience a glimpse in to the precursors of the Cold War, the Space Race, a nation on edge and it will teach you that what ever is against you, if you persevere, you believe in yourself and your abilities, you can achieve greatness.

Hidden Figures is a film that you will want to see more than once.

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