Hidden Figures: A True Story Brought Beautifully to Screen

I have said it before and I will say it again, I never liked the subject of history or historical films. But I am convinced that “Hidden Figures” completely made that impossible for me to say ever again because of how much I truly enjoyed the film. I’m not a big reader either, but I am determined to read the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, which describes the events depicted in the film and shares the film’s title.

Now, I like the idea that movies are stories we watch unfold in front of us and going with that, the dialogue the actors portraying the characters deliver is the ‘text,’ and sometimes that text can get wordy and lose us all together.

Like text, certain movies can use too many words.
(https://www.pexels.com)

Never once did that happen with “Hidden Figures.”

*SPOILERS [while minimal] AHEAD*

Every piece of dialogue the characters deliver has a purpose; their words are never wasted and therefore the movie never drags. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

There are a few subplots that are happening as the main story does and none outshines another. The subplots and main plot tie well together and are crucial to one another. There is no story if one is without the other; they come together beautifully on screen to show the most important pieces of a true story that is part of American history and should never be forgotten.

Octavia Spencer, who played Dorothy Vaughan, was nominated for a Golden Globe for this performance and it is very easy to see why. In her role, Spencer encompassed what makes a real person, like having to put on a happy face for one’s family all while keeping it professional at work and doing your best to improve when everyone surrounding you is waiting for you to fail.

I have been a fan of Taraji P. Henson since I saw her in the film “Hustle & Flow” and am an avid watcher of the Fox series, “Empire.” It almost goes without saying, but Henson has quite the range as an actress going from playing someone shy and damaged like Shug (from “Hustle & Flow”) to someone who hides behind material items like Cookie (from “Empire”) and then breathing life into and telling the story of Katherine Goble Johnson, a very real and important person in the history of the United States. I will continue watching “Empire,” and I can’t wait to see her next movie!

Janelle Monáe played the role of Mary Jackson. Out of the group of the three women, she was considered the ‘mouthy’ one. I related to her character the most because I’m something of a mouthy latina who has been told time and again to watch her mouth. I am also a big fan of Janelle Monáe and her music. I was wondering how she would fair as an actress and I was certainly impressed.

All women watching this movie should take some of the fearlessness of Mary Jackson and attempt to incorporate that into themselves somehow. She fought against dated segregationist laws that were going to prevent her from becoming an engineer and she won her case. She went on to become the first female engineer — and the first black female engineer at that — to work at NASA.

In the movie, Monáe delivered a line about ‘being first’ and that such a thing is very important. That, 100 years after the fact, it would still matter that she was the first black female engineer. I’d argue that such a detail will matter forevermore after because it will encourage Americans of all colors to go out there, fight the good fight, and make their dreams come true.

I will leave the ‘spoilers’ at that. Though, I must share that the film and soundtrack share this quality: they are both incredibly uplifting.

The “Hidden Figures” soundtrack is just like the film: beautifully uplifting.
(screenshot from my iTunes library)

The film’s music is a Pharrell Williams-produced soundtrack along with some help from Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch.

Now, I was a bit worried when I learned that Williams was involved in the music because I have a certain hatred for a song from a children’s film that he had a hand in writing. That song which I will not mention by name has become an annoyance to all music listeners everywhere.

But, that kid’s movie and song aside, Pharrell Williams is a musical genius in his own right; one minute he can make rap-rock fusion music with his band N.E.R.D. or make music on his own or offer an outstanding feature on a rap song and the next, he’s producing music for Ed Sheeran. And, the beautiful music to accompany the lovely film showed Williams’ musical genius once again.

At risk of sounding cliche, the phrase “when the going gets tough, the tough get going” is brought to life in the music of the movie and the story that unfolds as the film progresses. I recommend “Hidden Figures” to everyone, especially anyone who needs a little bit of positivity right now.

(https://www.pexels.com)