Hidden Figures

About Hidden Figures

"Hidden Figures" is a 2016 biographical drama film directed by Theodore Melfi and written by Melfi and Allison Schroeder. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly. The film tells the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) - brilliant African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.

Making / Production

The film was produced by Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi. Filming began in March 2016 and wrapped up in May. A majority of the film was shot in Atlanta, Georgia.

Actors

• Taraji P. Henson as Katherine G. Johnson: Henson played the role with grace and fortitude, conveying the struggles her character faced in a racially segregated society.
• Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan: Spencer offered a powerful performance as a supervisor of staff at Langley Research Center.
• Janelle Monáe as Mary W. Jackson: Monáe brought to life the feisty spirit of Jackson, a woman who challenged norms to pursue her dreams.
• Kevin Costner as Al Harrison: Costner played a fair-minded director of the Space Task Group at NASA.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The movie is based on the real-life experiences of three women working at NASA during the Space Race.
• It is not commonly known that some important calculations for early American space missions were done by African-American women, an injustice this movie tries to rectify.

Awards

"Hidden Figures" received numerous award nominations, including three Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer. The film also won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Quotes

• "Every time we get a chance to get ahead, they move the finish line. Every time." - Mary Jackson
• "We all get there together or we don't get there at all." - Al Harrison

Music / Soundtrack

• The film's score was composed by Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and Benjamin Wallfisch.
• Pharrell Williams also wrote and performed several songs for the film, including "Runnin'" and "I See a Victory".