Hidden Figures

2016
PG
2h 7m

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

265K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

150

Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Mahershala Ali, Glen Powell, Jim Parsons, and Janelle Monáe in Hidden Figures (2016)

This is the story of the brilliant African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

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Three female African-American mathematicians play a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn's launch into orbit. Meanwhile, they also have to deal with racial and gender discrimination at work.Three female African-American mathematicians play a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn's launch into orbit. Meanwhile, they also have to deal with racial and gender discrimination at work.Three female African-American mathematicians play a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn's launch into orbit. Meanwhile, they also have to deal with racial and gender discrimination at work.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

265K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

150

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 37 wins & 94 nominations total

Trivia
Astronaut John Glenn did specifically request that Katherine Johnson review all of the calculations for the Friendship 7 mission - (his dialogue in the film based on actual NASA transcripts*) - before he could be confident enough to proceed, but which in reality actually occurred a few weeks before launch: not as depicted in the film whilst awaiting the actual launch. And Katherine Johnson's calculations (more realistically) actually took (just!) three days to confirm. (*Director's own DVD commentary information.)

Goofs
In the movie, the impression is given that John Glenn's flight was to have lasted seven orbits and was curtailed after three orbits due to the problem with the heat shield. This is incorrect as the flight was always scheduled for three orbits. Where the confusion comes in, on reaching orbit Glenn was given a "go" for seven orbits meaning the systems, fuel, oxygen, etc. could sustain the astronaut for seven orbits IF needed.

Quotes
Al Harrison: Here at NASA we all pee the same color.

Connections
Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Robert De Niro/Pharrell Williams & Kim Burrell (2016)

Soundtracks
Crave
Written and Performed by Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams performs courtesy of i am OTHER Entertainment/Columbia Records

User reviews604

Review

Featured review

8/10

Heartening and disheartening all at the same time.

Disheartening because of the horrible racial prejudice shown - hard to believe that things were like they were. Heartening because of the undoubted success these three women made of their lives, and of course they are a representation of what countless others did.

My one criticism of the film is that I find it hard to believe that some of the situations presented actually happened. Did the Costner character really not see the kettle marked "coloured"? Was it really a trek to the bathroom?

But this can only be a minor criticism and surely represent the prevailing attitudes of the days in parts of the USA - and lets be honest still in existence in many other parts of the world today. In this sense the film is a salutary reminder of how insidious prejudice can be.

An entertaining, moving and sobering film.