Hidden Figures Movie Analysis Essay

Introduction

Hidden Figures is a story based on Margot Lee Shetterly's book. Margot Lee Shetterly was born on June 30, 1969. She is an American nonfiction writer, who also has experience in media start-ups and investment banking. Hidden Figures was her first book, published in 2016. Theodore Melfi, an American producer, screenwriter, director and producer, filmed the book she wrote. The movie tells the story of three African American women who made a significant contribution to the history of NASA. Taraji P. Henson plays Katherine Goble Johnson, a mathematician; Octavia Spencer plays Dorothy Vaughan, a supervisor; Janelle Monae plays Mary Jackson, a mathematician as well as an engineer; Al Harisson, who was Director of the Space Task Group (STG), Kirsten Dought portrays Vivian Mitchell, the supervisor, and John Glenn, an astronaut. Hidden Figures is worth a screening because it not only teaches about science and technology but also discusses the use of mathematics in society, whether it's old or new. Glen Powell is John Glenn an astronaut. Let's discuss this movie in detail in the "The Movie Hidden Figures Reflection Essay".

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Hidden Figures is the story of a group made up of African American women mathematicians who used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers needed for rocket launches into space.

The first movie features Katherine, an advanced learner who was asked by school faculties to be accelerated to 6th grade from 8th grade. She did this because she was more intelligent and she became even more advanced. Katherine's friendship with Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and Mary Jackson is very cool. They are all mathematicians who work on NASA. America was under pressure after the Russian satellite launch, which led them to plan to send another one. They were afraid of what the Russians might do in space. Mary Jackson and Katherine Goble were assigned temporary tasks. Katherine was the first African American member of the Space Task Group to help, research, and calculate. Because she is a color-blind woman, she had to deal with racism and difficulties. The building she was working in didn't have a bathroom. That's why she always carries the papers she needs inside the bathroom. It is only half a mile from where she was assigned. Mary Jackson was given the task of identifying the flaws in the heat shields used by the experimental space capsule. This encouraged her to study engineering. Vivian turned down Dorothy Vaughan’s request to be a supervisor. Katherine Goble discovers that redstone is unable to support orbital flight, which is why it keeps failing. She was also accused of being a Russian spy for knowing about top secret Atlas rocket. Because she is neither a spy nor a Russian, she proves her innocence. Space Task Group is therefore involved in the Freedom 7 launch. Al Harisson notices that Katherine is missing from her desk a lot. Even during the critical time, Katherine explains that she cannot use the bathroom in the building so she walks half a mile to relieve herself. Al Harisson was stunned by the situation and decided to take down the sign outside the bathroom so that everyone could use the same bathroom, regardless of their race. Mary Jackson had to go to school at a University that was only open to white students. She convinced the judge to allow her to study, but she could only do night classes in that all-white university. John Glenn and Freedom 7 were unsuccessful in their launch. The spacecraft they sent landed in the middle the ocean. Some of the components of the spaceship that they used were missing. This led to authorities questioning whether the project should be continued. Al Harisson was determined to achieve their goal of sending human beings into space. They arrive at the Go/no go and plan to launch the Friendship 7. However, the redstone data keeps changing Katherine persuaded Paul to let her go to the briefings to allow her to be more helpful. Paul then explained to Katherine that this is only for one person. Dorothy discovers that an IBM electronic computer is being installed. It could replace her colleagues. She makes it to the computer room, and the machine is successfully started. Vivian congratulates Dorothy for her work and assures her that she has never treated her differently because of her skin color. Dorothy isn't convinced, but she is happy to be a supervisor. She was also offered a reassignment at the IBM, but she said she would not accept it unless her women will go with her. So all of Dorothy's Human Computers were reassigned to the IBM. Katherine is talking to Al Harisson, and she asks him if Katherine can join him at the briefings. Katherine impresses Al Harisson's subordinates by explaining how the capsule reentry is possible. Katherine receives word that John Glenn has made final arrangements and she is now available to assist with the launch. She is also informed by Space Task Group that she is no more needed. Al Harisson asked Katherine to verify the calculations before John Glenn launched. Katherine quickly completes the task and rushes to deliver the results to Al Harisson. After she has handed over the paper, the door is closed behind her. Al Harrison takes her to the control room where they can share the results with Glenn.

Hidden Figures is the first movie I have seen. They stated in the beginning that it was a true story that had not been told before and it's not a cliche. Since I didn't do any research before watching, I cannot predict how the story will unfold. It is very unpredictable, and I am captivated by it. This allows me to focus on the movie and understand the plot.

According to my research, as well as my own perspective, the Hidden Figures movie's themes are racism, sexism and the drive for success. The movie tells the story of African American women working as "human computers" at NASA, who can do complex math both by hand and in their heads. My personal opinion is that racism is the main theme of the movie. It points out that many white people believe that the lowest-represented people in science are the colored people. Because of the segregation in their Law, the African American mathematicians couldn't work in the same job as white workers when they first started at NASA. While segregation was eventually overthrown, prejudices remained. People of color viewed them as less capable and less likely than others to succeed because they were darker skinned. It was as if they were afflicted with a contagious illness. Hidden Figures also features sexism, which is a prominent theme. Three African American Mathematicians are the main characters of the movie. This is another reason people underestimate them, much like Lieutenant Colonel Jim Johnson did with Katherine Goble. Because of their skin color and gender, it was impossible for them to get jobs. Also, women were not very likely to get jobs as scientists or mathematicians. Another theme is that it was difficult for Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson to quit or find new ways to live their lives because of the racism and sexism they faced. They fought against hardships and worked hard to achieve major NASA achievements. Despite their achievements in the West Computing Group they were not celebrated for their skin color. Despite their achievements, the movie shows them in greater detail and helps to highlight the contributions of three African American-colored women to the history of NASA.

This movie revealed important lessons for society, science and technology. Because mathematics is a language for science, it shows how math can be used in all aspects of life, especially for those who worked at NASA. All mathematical methods, no matter how old or new, are useful when they are applied to an experiment. Science and Technology are closely related and both are discussed in the movie. We are also shown lessons about society, specifically teamwork. Hidden Figures had one of the most important messages. It showed us that teamwork doesn’t care about differences. Three African American women were quite different from many NASA employees in the 1960s. They were not limited by their culture, race, gender, or economic status to work together to reach a common goal: sending the first American astronauts into space. The movie's characters overcame their biases about who "belonged" in the room and worked together to reach their common goals. This is an important lesson for today's society.

I was impressed by the film's visual appearance, from the angles and shots to the locations and the costumes they used. You don't see any flaws in the acting ability of the characters. It's all natural. It was hard to tell how many hours were spent on the costumes and set design. They are so real that it felt like I was transported back to that period. Each set was unique and I enjoyed looking at all the details. It is Renee Ehrlich Kalfus who designed the colorful costumes that fit each character so well. It's amazing to see how different clothes looked back then. It was also helped by the costumes.

Conclusion

Hidden Figures is my personal favorite movie. People who are interested in science, technology, and math should watch it. They will soon love it as much as I did. This movie will teach you much more than just science, mathematics, and technology. It will also show you how to deal with the obstacles that can hinder your ability to express your talents and make your dreams come true. Al Harrison, who was Director of STG or Space Task Group, takes down the bathroom sign for a colored woman to show Katherine Goble and all other women that there is a shared restroom. This scene is my favorite. This scene is my favourite because it shows someone who looks beyond skin color and can appreciate people regardless of their differences. However, I discovered that Mary Jackson was most likely the one who experienced walking half a mile to relieve herself. After doing a lot research, I discovered that there are many scenarios and characters that are fictional. However, it adds to the movie's intensity and makes it more enjoyable. The movie was a wonderful movie about three African American women who made a significant contribution to NASA. I'll give it a 9/10 rating. It didn't get a perfect 10. This is because there was one scene that I didn’t like. They just inserted Katherine’s love story. I didn’t see any chemistry between the two of them and my focus was on their struggles and how they can make it work. Another reason I didn't give it a perfect 10 rating was that there were some situations that are different from the originals. This made me feel disappointed but also a little surprised at how the author created those fictional characters to make the movie more intense.