Movie Review: Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures is a true story about three remarkable African American women who overcame great obstacles at NASA during the early 1960s.  Octavia Spencer plays Dorothy Vaughn who manages the 'colored' workers at the Virginia NASA base.  She doesn't get paid the wages of a manager nor wears the title, but steps in for the old manager when needed.  She finds away to gain the success she wants once the IBM main frame is installed.  Janelle Monae plays Mary Jackson who works as an assistant for the engineers.  She is encouraged to get her engineering degree, but once she applies, more necessary prerequisite classes are needed for the program.  She gets a court order to attend night school at a segregated  school to pursue her dream of becoming an engineer.  The star of this movie, Taraji Henson, plays Katherine Goble-Johnson, a mathematician who figures out a way for John Glenn to orbit space and then safely come back to earth.
My Review:  I thought this would be a movie about the early space program, and it was, but it was also a movie about overcoming obstacles.  As we all should know, women and blacks had very little opportunities in the workplace circa 1960.  Women were expected to stay home and raise children. Blacks were still subject to racist Jim Crow laws.  Despite the conventions of that era, these three women who all had small children and husbands still rose to the top.  One of the things I loved about this movie were the characters.  They all had every reason to feel resentful, defeated, and helpless.  However, instead of whining and bitching, they kept trying to look for opportunities to shine.  Eventually they earned their place at NASA along with earning a place in history.  I admired all three of them tremendously.  The acting was superb as was the story.  I thought that Janelle Monae was gorgeous and predict that she will become the next Halle Berry.  Kevin Costner was also great at the boss who didn't give a rats about someone's gender or skin color.  All he cared about was hiring the best and the brightest in order to get the job done.  I found it entertaining, motivational, and even important.  There was definitely a message-work hard, never give up, and earn your success instead of feeling that it is owed.  Loved this movie and recommend it to anyone.  5/5 Stars