9Fest Brian Bennett reviews HIDDEN FIGURES (2016) (99) – EXCELLENT
Numbers up system – 99 Excellent, 96 Very Good, 69 Good, 66 Mediocre
HIDDEN FIGURES (2016)
Cast
Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson
Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughn
Janelle Monae as Mary Jackson
Kevin Costner as Al Harrison
Aldis Hodge as Levi Jackson
Kirsten Dunst as Vivian Michael
Glen Powell as John Glenn
Mahershala Ali as Jim Johnson
Jim Parsons as Paul Stafford
Olek Krupa as Karl Zielinski
Director
Theodore Melfi
It’s Academy Awards time and HIDDEN FIGURES was nominated for Best Picture. It’s best to watch this film without knowing the plot line. I didn’t know, so the title HIDDEN FIGURES stayed with me as the film developed.
After last years’ award nominations, there was an uproar about not all races being represented in the awards. This year, the nominations made up for last years, disgrace.
HIDDEN FIGURES is a true story about an epic time in American history. The NASA space program and the first astronauts into space.
The well written, well-acted film launches us into the bigotry and disgrace of America. Even in NASA, our research and launching site for missions into space, we see discrimination. The repeated scenes of the brilliant Katherine Johnson having to run ¼ of a mile to use the colored only restroom (even in rain storms) is enough to turn the audience’s stomach.
Katherine Johnson used her analytical skills to send John Glen into space. In spite of the bigotry and discrimination, Katherine and her fellow colored female workers were important to the success of America’s first astronaut launch.
HIDDEN FIGURES is an important film. This a perfect example of the power of films. I don’t think Donald Trump has watched this film or any of his cabinet picks. I don’t think they could sit through the whole film!
[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK8xHq6dfAo[/embedyt]
