"Hidden Figures" is an old-fashioned inspirational tale about a little known story, illustrating the racism and sexism that permeated all facets of American culture during the middle of the 20th century and highlighting the triumphs of three African American women as they assist NASA in getting its space program off the ground. Kathrine (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy (Octavia Spencer) and Mary (Janelle Monae) are best friends who work as 'computers' in NASA's pre-electronic era. The racially segregated computers are women who perform the menial computations that allow the male engineers and scientists to plot orbits and determine safety margins for rocket launches. Katherine and Mary are selected to work directly with the men while Dorothy supervises the black computer room without the title and pay that should go along with her job. Working on a team designing heat shields for capsules, Mary determines that she has an aptitude for engineering and, despite obstacles based on both her sex and race, she pushes forward to gain the degree that requires a court challenge of segregation laws. Meanwhile, Katherine's skills as a mathematician get her noticed by Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), the director of the Space Task Group, who gives her increasingly important tasks as the Friendship 7 (John Glenn's Earth orbit) mission approaches.
Director Theodore Melfi has assembled a strong cast, led by Oscar and multi-Emmy nominee Taraji P. Henson, Oscar winners Octavia Spencer and Kevin Costner, multi-Emmy winner Jim Parsons (in a straight role) and multi-Golden Globe nominee Kirsten Dunst. Recording artist Janelle Monae gives a solid performance in one of her first dramatic roles (she's also in Moonlight). Henson is the heart of the movie while Costner demonstrates that maturity has added layers to his acting effectiveness. "Hidden Figures" proves that determination and talent can triumph over an unfair and repressive system, something that resonates today. This is a must see.
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