Hidden Figures

UK Release Date. 17 February 2017
Certification. PG
Running Time. 2 hours 7 mins
Director. Theodore Melfi
Cast. Mahershala Ali, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe, Jim Parsons, Glenn Powell, Octavia Spencer.

Rating. 60%

Review.

Hidden Figures tells the story of a trio of brilliant, black, female mathematicians employed by NASA in the 1960s at the height of the US-Soviet space race.

• Katherine Johnson. The film primarily focuses on Taraji P. Henson's portrayal of Katherine Johnson. Johnson helped determine the mathematical data necessary for the Mercury 7 astronauts to re-enter Earth's atmosphere after orbiting the globe. Henson finds real grace and quiet dignity in depicting the internal frustration she feels as she is faced with prejudice as both a woman and an African-American. 

• Dorothy Vaughan. Octavia Spencer brings a dogged determination to her portrayal of Dorothy Vaughan, who battles FORTRAN and Vivian Mitchell (Kirsten Dunst) for the right to be acknowledged as a supervisor. 

• Mary Jackson. Finally, Janelle Monáe, in her portrayal of Mary Jackson, exhibits colossal strength in her ambition to be the first African-American woman engineer at NASA. 

These three women all have interesting backstories and personalities. The film wisely chooses to show each of these women's personal lives, as each has significant obstacles to overcome, both at work and a home. Johnson is a single mother of three. Vaughan is repeatedly overlooked for promotion, despite her intelligence and hard work. Jackson has issues in her relationship with her husband (Aldis Hodge), while also facing the difficulties associated with trying to attend classes at the still segregated schools of Virginia.

The three leads are outstanding in their respective roles. Equally, Kevin Costner (as Space Task Group Chief, Al Harrison) is afforded the kind of supporting role he can’t help but lend gravitas to. Kirsten Dunst (the aforementioned Vivian Mitchell) and Jim Parsons (Head Engineer, Paul Stafford) are perhaps a little weak. Parsons, in particular, his petulance, while believable, is overplayed to the point of caricature. 

Allison Schroeder, Margot Lee Shetterly and director Theodore Melfi were nominated for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Adapted Screenplay in 2017. While Hidden Figures primarily focuses on Katherine Johnson, not enough screen time is devoted to Mary Jackson (and Janelle Monáe). Monáe is the undisputed star of the show. With Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Welcome To Marwen, and, more recently, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Monáe is establishing herself as a fine actress able to handle both comedy and melodrama.

Hidden Figures should have been a compelling story of NASA's past. An important piece of cinema. Ultimately, the end result is a film that feels sadly inconsequential.