(I’m not crying YOU’RE crying. JK, I’m totally crying!)
Hidden Figures is one of those movies that brings up so many questions: why didn’t we know more about these women and others like them? What was their life like? What did they go on to do after the events of the movie? So of course I hit up Google once I was home and ready for at least till two in the morning on their lives and work.
The Costumes!
60s dresses, cropped pants and men in well-tailored suits? YES!
The music!
I loooove 60s, I love soul and I love movie music and this was an amazing soundtrack. The song that plays during the incredibly intense moment surrounding the rocket lift off is so gorgeous, it’s orchestral with a solo female voice, vocalizing over it and it is… bananas. Listen to track called “Lift Off.”
Pharrell and Kim Burrell’s Victory is my new theme song.
Janelle Monae’s Performance
After the judge grants her character Mary the right to be able to take night classes at the all white school so she can begin doctoral work in engineering, her reaction was one of the best parts of the movie. The entire scene in fact is the best, it goes to show you, if you do your homework, show up prepared, be polite and charming if possible, you can open a lot of doors, even with dusty old judges.
Taraji P Henson’s Performance
There are too many wonderful scenes to recount but I think one of the highlights is a scene where she has to explain to her boss (Kevin Costner) why she’s soaking wet from running a half mile to use the restroom was… electrifying.
Octavia Spencer’s Performance
After an awful encounter in the library where the librarians told her essentially she can only check out books from the “Colored” section, I cheered so loud when she pulled out the book from her purse and showed her kids on the bus. Anyone who pays taxes and has dealt with government ineptitude (and racism) in this case cheered Octavia on as she told her children it wasn’t stealing because she pays her taxes and those taxes pay for those books… and the book was on FourTran Computer Programming. Cheers again!
The Men of Hidden Figures
I guess it’s a testament to who this story is really about, but it’s actually pretty hard for me to find a picture of all the men who are stand outs in the film. From Katherine’s colleagues played by Kevin Costner and Jim Parsons to the husbands of these awesome women played by Aldis Hodge (VooDoo to all the Friday Night Lights fans), Mahershala Ali (who is also in the Oscar nominated Moonlight) and the cute guy, Glen Powell, behind the astronaut John Glenn who personally demanded that Katherine Johnson double check the figures for his very first launch into space.
The REAL Women of Hidden Figures
Vice chatted with Katherine Johnson herself, still alive and kicking at 98 years young! They also touched on one of my favorites scenes featuring Taraji and how the scene ended, you can catch a glimpse of it half way through. Beyond Katherine, reading about each woman featured in the movie and watching a dramatization of the times was a reminder that history is both shitty and redemptive. We read about segregation but to see if acted out on a screen is a reminder that we’ve come so far (with miles to go) and as I sat in the movie and these scenes played out, people are me reacted to the overt segregation of the times and how these brilliant, astonishingly smart women lived within those constructs, yet rose above them to go amazing things for themselves and others.
And now it’s officially raked in the most money of any Oscar nominated movie released this year! GIVE THEM THE AWARDS!
WATCH THIS FILM!
The first bit with the girls following the cop in this trailer is one of the funniest part of the film!
