Reviews & Ratings for
Hidden Figures More at IMDbPro »

Page 1 of 11:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

76 out of 91 people found the following review useful:

Major Feel-Good Movie, just gets better as it goes along

Author: A_Different_Drummer from North America
12 January 2017

In the opinion of this reviewer, an extraordinary achievement.

The characters on which the film is based were special and unique on their own, and well deserving of the sort of semi-documentary films that Hollywood likes to serve up.

However, to take that story and bump it up to a major "feel-good film" that engages the viewer from the getgo and does not let up until the very end of its 2 hour and 5 minute running time, THAT is what elevates this project to greatness.

I want to be clear on this because it is important. There are two ways to do a feel-good film. One is (ironically!) by the numbers, using proved plot arcs and other script devices to make it work. An example of this for example is the latest Disney release MOANA which has taken some heat from critics for being derivative and not original. But that, you see, is the tried and true method to achieve the effect that the producers wanted. And it works.

The other way to make a film engaging and fun is to use your instincts and your actors to get the most from each scene. No rule book, no fixed way of doing a scene, just doing what works. This is, I believe the way that writer/director Theodore Melfi set out to do Hidden Figures, and boy did he pull it off! The acting is stellar. Costner has matured in his latest film roles and his work here is as far from the nonsense he used to do (like the dreaded Robin Hood) as the earth is from the sun.

Taraji P. Henson finally lands a great role, the kind of role she was looking for when she left the hit series Person of Interest a tad early.

And every good film or TV series needs a character who is "the glue" or a reference point that the viewer can use, like a compass needle, to see where we are in the main story. Here Octavia Spencer gives the performance of her life as that "glue" and helps the director to pace the film.

Highly recommended.

70 out of 99 people found the following review useful:

Punches all my buttons: segregation, space, engineering, computers

Author: steven-leibson from United States
7 January 2017

I'm an engineer. I designed computers, I grew up in the south during the 1950s and 1960s. I was heavily involved in the space race at an early age and watched every launch and recovery on black-and-white TV. I never saw separate restrooms and drinking fountains for "colored" but they were there. I never rode on segregated public buses, but they were there and I knew it. This movie, "Hidden Figures," brings all of these worlds back to me. No, it's not a painstakingly accurate picture. NASA didn't have flat-panel screens back then. Communications between the ground and the Mercury capsules were not static-free. But a lot of this movie feels real. Very real.

The protagonists in this movie are three women of color working in one of the most unwelcoming environments they might hope to find: NASA Langley, Virginia, in 1961. As women, they were employed as human "computers" because they were less expensive and they got their numbers right. As "colored" folk, they got their own separate (and sparse) restrooms and their own, separate dining facilities. This was not America's shining hour, even in some place as lofty as NASA.

At the same time, civil unrest was rising in the towns. This is the time of Martin Luther King's rise to prominence. It's a time just before the rise of militant civil rights groups. It's a time when resistance to segregation and discrimination was still civil, but as the movie shows, that resistance was beginning to firm up and become widespread.

There are several reasons to see this movie: from a civil rights perspective; from a feminism perspective; from the perspective of the early space race when we lagged the Soviet Union, badly. If you lived during this time, see the movie to remember. If you were born later, see this movie to see what things were like.

27 out of 40 people found the following review useful:

Don't let "Hidden Figures" be a hidden treasure!

Author: Dave McClain (dave-mcclain@hotmail.com) from United States
13 January 2017

Appreciation. It's a condition which requires information and understanding and results in increased compassion, acceptance and inclusiveness. There are few ways to enhance appreciation for others more effectively than a well-made movie and the 2016 historical drama "Hidden Figures" (PG, 2:07) takes full advantage of that opportunity. Without being too busy or too preachy, this film helps the audience better appreciate the struggles of being a minority – and a working woman (and even a mother working outside the home) – in the early 1960s, the pressure involved in competing with the Soviet Union in the early years of the space race, the difficult challenges surrounding getting man into space (and returning him safely to earth) for the first time and the courage it required of those who were willing to go. That's a lot for one movie – and might be too much for many – but "Hidden Figures" is up to the challenge.

The film is an adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly's book of the same name and follows three black women who worked in NASA's computer section in 1961. That's not to say that they worked on computers – THEY were the computers. Back when electronic computers (with only a fraction of the capacity and speed of today's mainframes) took up an entire room – and were just beginning to be installed in places like NASA – talented mathematicians did calculations for the space program by hand.

Dorothy Vaughn (Oscar winner Octavia Spencer) is a mathematician who is also mechanically-inclined, develops a talent for programming IBM computers and is a natural leader, but is denied a well-deserved supervisory position by NASA culture – and her supervisor (Kirsten Dunst). Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) is a brilliant mathematician who struggles to balance the demands of her increasing responsibilities at NASA with caring for her three young daughters whose father has passed away. Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) is an outspoken aspiring engineer who is held back from becoming an actual engineer because of her lack of education, which she has difficulty overcoming because of segregation.

All three women make progress in their attempts to reach their goals and fulfill their potential, but with much difficulty, based on their gender and their race. Dorothy has been managing the women of the computer section for some time, but has to fight for the title and the pay – and even takes it upon herself to learn more about NASA's newly-arrived IBM computer, while understanding that doing so could eventually cost her and her co-workers their jobs. Mary continues to make valuable contributions to NASA's efforts, while trying to work through the catch-22 of needing additional education to become an engineer, with the only nearby school offering such classes refusing to accept any black students.

But most of the screen time belongs to Katherine's story. As the most talented mathematician of all of NASA's human computers, she is called up to work in NASA's Space Task Group where she works directly with the standoffish Paul Stafford (Jim Parsons) and is supervised by the group's director, Al Harrison (Kevin Costner). Even as Katherine continues to demonstrate her capabilities, she is still subjected to drinking coffee from a pot labeled "Colored" and having to walk 20 minutes (each way) to the building where the nearest restroom for black females is located. Eventually, she earns the respect of her peers – and comes to the attention of astronaut John Glenn (Glen Powell) himself, who comes to trust her calculations above all others. Katherine also attracts a different kind of attention from the commander of a local Army Reserve base, Lt. Col. Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali), who is also single. Embodying the dual meaning of the movie's title, Katherine works out the hidden figures needed for Glenn's mission and Jim doesn't mind that her figure is hidden beneath those unflattering 1960s dresses, as he comes to care more about her heart – and the very sharp mind hidden behind her even less flattering eye glasses.

"Hidden Figures" is a marvelously entertaining film. The script adaptation by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi tells its true story accurately and engagingly, weaving its many story lines together seamlessly, educating and entertaining their audience throughout. Melfi also directs and uses his talented and award-worthy cast to thrill us, to make us cheer and give us moments of humor and just plain fun. I was impressed at how much this movie packed in without seeming cluttered, how much it affected me emotionally without being manipulative, and how much appreciation I gained for these women, their struggles and the importance of the times in which they lived and accomplished so much. It's also surprising that so little has been widely known about these women – until now. Don't let "Hidden Figures" be a hidden treasure. See it soon! It's… out of this world. "A+"

21 out of 30 people found the following review useful:

Excellent representation of the 60's

Author: pamma09 from United States
13 January 2017

A well told story of the 60's - fashion, seriousness of the space competition, but more importantly the contributions of 3 women in a time where they were not even given the credit of having a brain. Why this has not been known for many, many years - that is a sad state. Thank heaven the daughter wrote the book and these women will have the credit they so deserved. A good showing of the discrimination shown the black people in the 60's - it was well represented but the story took front page. I love these women - they were mothers, wives and eventually recognized as experts in their field of math and coding. I grew up in the late 50 and 60's - so impressive that the three did not let anything hold them back. They did it quietly and with respected results - but this story should have been told in the 60's. The acting is excellent, the sets are so believable, the culture is there - thank you Theodore Malfi for a an entertaining and educational film. And Pharrell for the music.

11 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

It made for an old-fashioned movie going experience...

Author: calvinnme from United States
22 January 2017

This is the true story of three African-American women who worked for NASA on the Mercury program in the early 1960s. Solid performances by all, some laugh-out-loud scenes, and some very emotional moments. It's also an important look back at the civil rights issues of the time period. The climax is a bit Apollo 13ish, and I'm fairly certain some scenes were embellished, but who cares. You should walk away from this film smiling, maybe even a bit choked up.

You don't need to understand the mathematics to enjoy the film, but I admit, it was fun to hear some concepts I haven't heard since my college days.

The theater was almost full, with people of all ages. I was particularly happy to see some kids there, as there is much for them to take away from this film.

Twice during the movie the audience broke into applause, and then applauded at the end credits as well. I don't recall the last time I heard that at a film. And most importantly - I did not see a cell phone light up the whole time - truly a miracle.

15 out of 24 people found the following review useful:

History Dumbed Down

Author: Barry Nester
21 January 2017

Engineers and adding-machine operators (called "computers") working at NASA in the early 1960's included a few black women. Since the Civil Rights movement was only beginning, and NASA was located in southern regions of the US, these women were subject to legal discrimination. "Hidden Figures" follows the careers of some of these women. But it does this in a heavy-handed, formulaic way.

Ever since "The Ugly Duckling" of Hans Christian Anderson, the formula has been predictable: a member of a despised minority is grudgingly admitted into a previously exclusive activity. Will the minority figure excel in the new position, or will he/she fail miserably, justifying the prejudices of the ruling class? Telling you the answer would be a spoiler, so you'll have to guess it for yourselves, but it's not too difficult.

In "Hidden Figures", all the whites are bigots (except for John Glenn and one department head), and all the blacks are hard-working, clean, patriotic moral wonders. This is history dumbed down to junior high-school level. The heroine, a mathematically gifted black widow has managed to stay chaste and raise three perfect children while handling a difficult job under trying conditions. The other characters are no more believable.

The period detail is mostly well done, with electric typewriters and glass-knobbed coffee percolators. But in the early '60s, all engineers would have carried slide rules, the way doctors wear stethoscopes. There are none to be seen here. Also, any time the heroine wants to work out a mathematical problem, she has to climb a ladder and write it out on a large blackboard. Scrap paper existed in the '60s.

If you want to watch a simple-minded morality play rather than a movie, history reduced to the level of "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer", then "Hidden Figures" is for you.

15 out of 25 people found the following review useful:

Exceptional, Jarring, and Thought-Provoking Unsung Heroes

Author: marcvalenzuela from California, U.S.A.
12 January 2017

Not knowing what to expect, I checked out to see how the story of three female individuals made a difference at NASA back in 1961. I've witnessed in past historical dramas of where racism included violence, but that is not the case regarding Hidden Figures. Rather it focused more on how it was overcome in casual, everyday life (especially the workplace).

The story revolves around three brilliant African-American women by the names of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson as they live their lives working at NASA among a nearly all-white staff. Despite segregation still circulating at the time, each of them proved that no matter what color they were, it's their intellect and willpower that got them through each obstacle of the day and also helped make history for astronaut John Glenn to be the first American astronaut to completely orbit the Earth.

With an interesting balance of wit and drama, I found its tribulations to be the main focus. Since the movie was based on true events, to me it felt like a wonderful tie-in to the 2014 drama "Selma" since that too revolved around a time when people marched to spread the word of ending segregation. But unlike Selma where black people and Dr. Martin Luther King fought for the right to vote, Hidden Figures tackled both the obstacles of racism and even sexism in of all places NASA. It was very jarring to see that despite the characters' extensive knowledge in their work and upon receiving their own respective degrees in their studies, it's still looked down upon by the self- righteous higher-ups. Taraji P. Henson (Empire) sure brought out a splendid performance as mathematician Katherine Johnson. Likewise for her costars Octavia Spencer (The Help) and Janelle Monae as they helped balance the drama, including sass to boot. Kevin Costner and 'Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parsons also helped give some depth (though I wouldn't call them antagonists) in these women's lives.

Personally, I enjoyed the events that unfolded overall. When it came to the racial undertones and confrontations in a few scenes, myself and a few others in the theater old or young were left curious and appalled at the same time by how this was a thing in the 1960s compared to the present.

The moral: If you put your mind to it, things can be accomplished no matter how many would say otherwise.

5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

Good movie but, sadly, Hollywood must tinker with facts

Author: M Campbell from California
23 January 2017

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I really enjoyed watching Hidden Figures. The story was compelling and laid out neatly for our viewing pleasure. It shone a spotlight on a part of history with which I wasn't familiar. And, most importantly, it made me want to learn more about Katherine Goble Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan. What a shame the screenwriters felt they had to preach at me about racism rather than just tell the true story of these amazing and talented women. They weren't amazing and talented "in spite" of being black or "in spite" of being women, they were just amazing and talented in their own right. One day, perhaps, Hollywood will get a clue and give audiences credit for having a brain.

Much of the atmosphere of racism in the movie did not ring true for me. In many cases it didn't even make sense, so I looked into it. The first question I had for the internet was "Did Katherine Goble have to run half a mile to use a bathroom on the NASA complex?" The answer is no. For more info on the conditions and life of Katherine Johnson check out the interview with her here: https://youtu.be/r8gJqKyIGhE. In particular check out 11:49 where she says she "didn't feel segregation". Everyone was working. The job was important and they weren't going to jeopardize the mission with foolish racist antics. She was part of a team. I would've liked to have heard so much more about Katherine and her mind and work, less about the social issues of the 1960s!

I understand that screenwriters have to condense a large amount of information into a couple of hours but the ham-handed and, let's be honest, false representation of racism at NASA and the treatment of these women was a repeated and unwelcome intrusion into, what should have been, a very interesting and educational movie about these remarkable women. For example: I strongly suspect Katherine Goble never, ever would have been so unprofessional as to scream at her boss and co-workers like she does in (what Hollywood probably sees as) a "cathartic" scene. It was completely out of character and a distraction from what should have been the real story, that of Katherine's accomplishments. Goble was a professional and intelligent woman who would've never done such a thing which, to my way of thinking, says a lot more about her than such a silly, manufactured scene. But I don't want to run the risk of being just as ham-handed in my review and I'll leave my criticism at that. I'll only add, don't let the prospect of being bludgeoned by an anti-racist message keep you from going to see Hidden Figures.

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:

A Richly Entertaining History Lesson

Author: Carl Schultz from United States
17 January 2017

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

There's a scene in Hidden Figures in which Al Harrison, the harried NASA administrator tasked during the early 1960s with getting an American into space—quick—tells his staff of scientists, mathematicians, theorists, and engineers, "We all get there together or we don't get there at all." He's speaking not about ego or seniority or degrees of education, but about the integration of an enormously-gifted African-American woman into their ranks.

Although that line of dialogue, as spoken by actor Kevin Costner as Harrison, is inspiring enough to have been prominently featured in the television, radio, and computer advertising for the picture, there's really nothing particularly special about Costner's delivery of the line in the movie—the words are spoken with some authority, but also fairly quietly, almost conversationally, without any emphasis.

And that's one of the most likable aspects of Hidden Figures, the new 20th Century-Fox/Fox 2000 motion picture about the early days of the US space program and the importance of three very special people to the project's eventual success in landing a man on the moon. NASA was during that time very much a man's domain. The story of a handful of uniquely-gifted women who were able to gain entry to that exclusive territory is inspiring enough. That some of these women were African-American during a time of segregation and oppression makes a great story even better.

With the possible exception of the three women whose story it depicts, Hidden Figures is populated by characters who are sometimes flawed and eccentric or motivated by their own narrow personal agendas, but united in a mission to navigate the impossible, and in the process invent an entirely new branch of science.

In this way, Hidden Figures is refreshingly a movie about integration and civil rights in which integration and civil rights are almost—but not quite—secondary to a crackerjack story about exceptional people during exceptional times.

Katherine Goble, played by Taraji P. Henson, is an intellectual prodigy whom since childhood has grasped advanced theoretical mathematical concepts as if God Himself were her tutor. A shy, reserved, and bespectacled widow and mother of three, Henson plays the role as if segregation is an unfortunate and irritating inconvenience which only serves to distract her from her primary scientific passion.

Mary Jackson, played by model and recording artist Janelle Monae, is a research mathematician and physical scientist who yearns for an education in engineering. The mother of two and married to a civil rights activist, Mary is more career-oriented, determined and irreverently outspoken than her friend Katherine—the word sassy springs to mind. Unable to pursue her educational degree in a state where scholastic segregation is still legal, Mary ultimately takes her ambitions into a courtroom and challenges the law.

Dorothy Vaughn, portrayed by the wonderful Octavia Spencer, is the most philosophically-canny of the three friends, seemingly willing to compromise with segregation for as long as it doesn't interrupt her plans or career path. A mathematician assigned because of her gender and race to a secretarial pool, Dorothy finally employs subterfuge, and even a humorous little piece of larceny, as a means of gaining the information she needs to operate the new room-sized IBM computer NASA's experts don't even know how to turn on.

Registering the most impact among the supporting characters is Kevin Costner as Al Harrison. As played by Costner, Harrison is so consumed and obsessed with his mission of placing an American into space that he's virtually oblivious to the world and society which surrounds him. A consummate professional, the gruff, humorless Harrison needs the best scientists in the country to help him invent the new science required of his mission…no matter their color. Harrison is a fictional character, an amalgamation of several different NASA administrators, and Costner plays him perfectly.

Also notable is actor Glen Powell as astronaut John Glenn. Although he does not bear even the slightest resemblance to the astronaut, Powell easily captures Glenn's million-megawatt charisma and charm. When the IBM computer's trajectory figures appear shaky, Glenn insists Goble personally—he calls her "the smart girl," the cardinal plaudit in Glenn's vocabulary—check the numbers before he climbs onto the rocket for his launch into history. It's a charming, little-known detail to an American legend, and it's absolutely true.

Theodore Melfi guides Hidden Figures with a loose and relaxed hand, wisely allowing the story to unfold naturally, in its own time. He essentially lets the story to speak for itself. While the viewer never gets the sense that actual historical events are unfolding on screen, it's a consummately agreeable history lesson. is so fascinating to others.

Hidden Figures takes more than a few liberties with the facts, but the filmmakers will be quick to point out that the picture is not a documentary—the words projected on screen at the beginning of the movie read, "Based on a True Story." As Americans, we sometimes seem to hobble ourselves, and move forward only with great reluctance and deliberation. And even accounting for the progress we achieve, often after a period of enlightenment we take a step or two backward and build walls of mistrust instead of bridges of understanding.

While Hidden Figures is being described accurately as a "feel-good picture," at the time of the historic space mission of John Glenn which concludes the picture, the fire hoses and police attack dogs shamefully used during the historic civil rights demonstrations of Selma and Birmingham were still a year or so in the future.

So as we're patting ourselves on the back and congratulating ourselves on how far we've traveled since that time in the early 1960s when Kevin Costner's character in Hidden Figures tells his newly integrated staff "We get there together or we don't get there at all," we might also want to be mindful of how far we still need to go.

6 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Evident Heroism, Hidden Doubts

Author: svorva from United States
18 January 2017

This is one of those "based on true events" films that the moment you return from the theater you're going to hop on the internet and explore the story. That's a good sigh. Unfortunately, here the need to do some fact checking might not stem from all the right reasons.

Hidden Figures is an upbeat, inspiring tale about the role three African-American women played in the NASA program during the early 60's. First Katherine Johnson (Henson), our lead, a gifted mathematician and human computer trying to carve out a roll in the Space Test Group. Second, Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer), leader of the "colored computers." She wants both the supervisor title she deserves and to survive the transition to IBM's mechanical computers. Finally Mary Jackson (Monae), who is trying to overcome discriminatory policies to become NASA's first female engineer. These women must meet challenges in the workplace then return home to more struggles African-Americans were fighting nationwide.

Having the performances to anchor your character drama goes along way. Henson is solid, but Spencer is Oscar worthy and Monae's performance is part of a spectacular 2016. I will be on the lookout for more from this talent. Kudos to the supporting roles played by Ali and Costner. Beyond the highlight performances, the scenario is well worth a shot. We have seen heroes fighting against segregation. We have seen space race movies. The mix presents America at its finest and most appalling. A cute combo. The woman at the core are also very deserving of a chance in the sun. The problems creep in with presentation. The director/writer Melfi and co-writer Schroeder were clearly unsatisfied with the quiet, real nobility with which these woman conducted themselves. I cannot say if what the creators did is ethical, but the addition of obviously manufactured drama was a damning decision. This leads to some awkward trust issues. After watching some Hollywood like Johnson erupting at her boss's boss, it becomes more difficult to believe in the little things. Did Johnson really need to run a half a mile just to use the restroom? Or even the climax. On the day of the launch, did John Glenn trust Johnson's calculations over the IBM? It turns out only one of these inclusions are factual. Not the one you think, and perhaps the true story demonstrates more bravery.

I'm not going to share any more of my digging here. Others asked the same questions and the answers are readily available. The point is after I watched Hidden Figures I wanted to learn if I had been lied too. Sad, because doubts are not what stories this wonderful deserve. Beyond this major stumble, Hidden Figures is well worth anyone's time. Educational, but entertaining. Positive without preachy. Family friendly in a genuine way. At the theater, I sat next to a nineish year old who kept asking her mother questions. The daughter was interested and wanted to follow every detail. The mother gave brisk answers not wanting to miss a moment. That's a true event, I swear, and the best praise for Hidden Figures I can muster.

Page 1 of 11:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Add another review

Related Links