Hidden Figures (2016)
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Three African-American mathematicians at NASA must overcome racial and gender barriers during the Space Race.
The story
Set in the 1950s and 1960s, the film follows three African-American women—Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—working as 'computers' at NASA's Langley Research Center. As the Space Race intensifies, these women face systemic discrimination and segregation while performing critical mathematical calculations. Katherine is assigned to the Space Task Group, while Mary seeks to become a NASA engineer and Dorothy navigates the arrival of electronic computers. Each woman must fight against prejudice and institutional barriers to prove their capabilities and contribute to the mission of putting American astronauts into space.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In the 1950s and 1960s, Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson work as 'computers' at NASA's Langley Research Center. The film depicts their struggle against segregation and sexism. Katherine is assigned to the Space Task Group and must navigate a workplace where she is initially excluded from high-level meetings and forced to use segregated facilities. Mary faces a legal battle to attend an all-white high school to earn her engineering credentials, while Dorothy teaches herself and her colleagues Fortran to compete with the newly installed IBM 7090 computer. Despite the obstacles, they prove their invaluable skills. Katherine eventually assists with John Glenn's orbital calculations, and the film concludes with an epilogue showing their real-life achievements, including Mary becoming the first African American female engineer and Katherine's recognition for her work on the Apollo 11 and Space Shuttle missions.
- First release year
- 2016
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Theodore Melfi
- Writers
- Allison Schroeder · screenplay; Theodore Melfi · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Taraji P. Henson · Katherine Goble Johnson; Octavia Spencer · Dorothy Vaughan; Janelle Monáe · Mary Jackson; Kevin Costner · fictional head of the space program; Kirsten Dunst; Jim Parsons · Paul Stafford; Mahershala Ali · Johnson's love interest; Aldis Hodge; Glen Powell · John Glenn
- Genres
- biographical drama; historical drama
- Themes
- racial segregation; gender inequality; overcoming adversity; scientific achievement
- Tone and mood
- inspiring; heartwarming
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; historical; space exploration; women in STEM
- Source material / true-story basis
- the 2016 book by Margot Lee Shetterly
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews, with praise for the performances, writing, direction, cinematography and emotional tone. It was a commercial success, grossing $237 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · scale: percentage · review count: 325; Rotten Tomatoes · score: 7.6/10 · scale: 10; Metacritic · score: 74 · scale: 100 · review count: 47; CinemaScore · score: A+ · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Screen Actors Guild Award · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture · Won; Academy Award · Best Picture · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2016.; The film's production budget was $25 million.; The film's script was developed by Gigliotti through Levantine Films.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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