Hidden Figures

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, Mahershala Ali, Aldis Hodge, Kate Kneeland
Directed by: Theodore Melfi
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
2016

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Three African-American women play vitals roles at NASA in the early days of the Space Program, but their contributions aren't widely seen.

Review:

Tim: Hidden Figures is an important movie, as it tells the story of three incredible women- women whose names 99% of Americans don't know and have no idea how important they were to this country. I minored in History back in college, and this is the first time I'd ever heard of this story. I love this movie for pulling these women out of the fog of history and shining a light on them. That's the most important takeaway from this movie. We'll always need movies like this, but it feels even more important in today's world, where racism and bigotry are once again on full display.

The movie itself is really entertaining. It was interesting that the movie was rated PG- it's certainly a film that is accessible to everyone. I can see this film being played in schools. It was directed not just as a straight drama, but there were very often comedic moments sprinkled throughout. This helped offset the dramatic elements, but I can't help but feel like the comedy was played up a little too much. I'd have liked to see less of the lighthearted levity and more of a serious exploration of the contributions these women made. I know the film does that, but in an effort to entertain, it occasionally blunted the seriousness of the story (and I'm well aware this is the exact opposite complaint than I've made on countless other films. Remember, the balance is always delicate). This movie was certainly entertaining, but I believe the true force of impact was somewhat muted as a result. Still, that takes nothing away from this very good movie (except maybe, greatness).

The cast is really strong. Taraji P. Henson is really strong in the lead role. She might have strayed into over-the-top territory some, but she's a very talented actress and she worked very well as the chief protagonist. Octavia Spencer was really solid in the #2 position, although I was a bit surprised she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was really good, but I don't think she was great at any point. I enjoyed Janelle Monae as the third lead, although her story was a bit obscured by the other two. Still, Monae has been impressing in recent years and I think we'll all know her name before long. I loved Kevin Costner in his supporting role- he was funny, charismatic, and memorable. He did an excellent job. Kirsten Dunst was fine in her role- it was a thankless role, but she did well. I loved seeing Mahershala Ali- the dude has had an unbelievable 2016. The only complaint I had is that he doesn't have a ton to do in this film. It's a funny complaint (and sad) because usually I'm complaining about actresses having nothing to do as "the wife" and here, Ali is wasted as "the boyfriend". Still, it was good seeing him here. It was interesting to see Jim Parsons here. I'm not a fan based on his constant overacting on "The Big Bang Theory" (which I don't ever watch, other than being subjected to it while family is in town). It was good to see he was more restrained and a bit more believable here, although I can't claim his performance was really authentic or strong. It was fine. Still, as a whole, this cast is great.

The movie might have been a few minutes long at 2 hours, 7 minutes, but this is really minor. The film rarely dragged and it maintained a good sense of momentum as the story progressed. It was a really interesting movie. I liked how the film (and I'm sure the book) chose to focus on the contributions of three women. The only issue is that the stories didn't feel equal. Henson's story is hugely important, Spencer's is mildly important, and Monae's feels even less so. This is NOT to take anything away from any of these women or their amazing accomplishments. I'm simply talking about the portrayal of their stories in the context of the film. Henson's scenes are the most dramatic because it feels like it means something to the country, to the world. Spencer's scenes feel important to a group of women, and Monae's feel important to herself. Perhaps this cascading impact was intended, but it makes the film feel disjointed. Monae's scenes don't resonate nearly as much as Henson's because the stakes feel so much lower. I understand this is based on a true story, so there's only so much that can be done, but it was noticeable.

While I didn't quite believe this was a great movie, it is certainly a really, really good one. I was a little surprised at Spencer's Best Supporting Actress nomination, was totally shocked at the Best Picture nom, and was very pleased that the film was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay (it absolutely deserved this one). Just a note, the film didn't win any Oscars. Still, Hidden Figures is a thoroughly enjoyable, informative movie and I'm so happy I watched it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



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