HIDDEN FIGURES

Taraji P. Henson     Octavia Spencer     Janelle Monae     Kevin Costner     Kirsten Dunst     Jim Parsons     Mahershala Ali

       Heartbreaking, thrilling, suspenseful, funny—Hidden Figures embodies all these, including inspirational.  I’m sorry it has taken so long for the story about three heroic black mathematicians at NASA to be told to the mainstream.  But at least it’s out now for all to see at their local theaters.  The film is based on the book, Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly, who also served as one of the producers.  Shetterly won an Alfred P. Sloane Fellowship based on this work, and apparently, Levantine Films bought the film rights soon after she completed it (or maybe before, since her book is dated 2016).

         The film opens with little Katherine Harrison (Henson) demonstrating her mathematical genius to school officials when she was in the sixth grade.  Her teacher was determined that she would have educational opportunities that were appropriate for her.  Soon, we meet her as a grown-up on the road to work at NASA with her two friends, Dorothy (Spencer) and Mary (Monae).  They’re having car trouble, but since Dorothy is a mechanical as well as math genius, she fixes it.  After showing their work IDs to a stunned policeman who had stopped to investigate, he offers to escort them to work with red lights blinking so their delay won’t make them late. 

         Most of us simply have no idea about the countless indignities these women will have to face, from having to go to the restroom labeled “Colored Women” a half-mile away, to having pertinent information for their jobs hidden from them, to a separate coffee maker (so white people won’t have to touch it)…we could go on and on.  Throughout, the women are polite, patient, and kind (until pushed too far, then they react strongly, effectively, and appropriately).  The rationalization they are given for such treatment?  “That’s just the way it is.”

         Hidden Figures, to its credit, gets into the fears about the Soviets and the space race at the time, which shows up at NASA certainly, but also by the patrolman on the country road and by the children at school who have drills to get under their desks in case the Soviets attack the U.S.  President Kennedy is featured prominently in showing the pressure to be first in the space race, which dials up the pressure on NASA.  All this reinforces the importance of three black women in their previously unheard of roles.

         Henson, Spencer, and Monae are all standouts, but Henson shows special flair when she answers in an outburst why she disappears for 40 minutes at a time (the walk to the restroom) and why it’s crucial for her to receive updated information immediately.  She also shines when she’s perched on a ladder writing complicated formulas for problems that have perplexed a whole room full of mathematicians.  In the evening, she slides into being a loving, demonstrative mother to her three girls.  I loved Henson’s portrayal of her policewoman character in CBS TV’s “Person of Interest”, where she showed intelligence, canniness, and wit, just like she does here; but here, she’s in an elevated position finally being recognized for her worth.  Ah…..!

A story that should have been told long ago.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

FREE STATE OF JONES

Matthew McConaughey     Gugu Mbatha-Raw     Keri Russell     Mahershala Ali     Bill Tangradi     Christopher Berry     Sean Bridgers

           How to give an account of a major struggle that goes on for years, makes only inches of progress with setbacks, and contains dozens of stories?  The filmmakers of Free State of Jones have attempted just that, but needed more judicious editing for the sake of coherence and a bit of brevity.  At 139 minutes, it is too long, especially considering the weight of the material.  The story jumps back and forth between what is going on in Missouri during and just after the war and 85 years later when the son of two of the characters seems still to be fighting against racism.  If writer/director Gary Ross wanted to make a point about the length of the struggle, maybe that is his rationale for including this segment of the film, but it is so far removed from the core of the story it becomes too much to absorb.

         That being said, Free State of Jones is educational and even inspirational in showing how people in the South coped with the ending of the Civil War and the departure of the Union troops.  It’s also very painful to watch as the cruelty continued toward people of color, and the Confederates deflected their anger toward the Union upon them.  This is based on the true story of Newton Knight (McConaughey), a white man who valued freedom and equality for everyone, and how he got caught up in the cause, even when his wife (Russell) protested that he seemed more intent on protecting others when she and her son were having to endure repeated raids on their farm. 

         Newton is serving as a nurse in the Confederate Army when a young relative suddenly appears, asking for his help.  (Even at his young age, he has been conscripted into the Army, which is also plundering local farms for supplies.  They are supposed to be taking 10% from each private household, but often take everything.)  Newton is trying to get the child out of harm’s way when a bullet kills him, and Newton feels honor-bound to get his body back to his mother.  Now, Newton is a deserter, and has his picture on “Wanted” posters.

         Much of the rest of the story involves Newton hiding out in the swamp, being helped by runaway slaves, and eventually taking up their cause—which coincides with his own wish for freedom and justice for all.  It’s rewarding to see the cleverness Newton brings to the cause—he’s a natural born leader—and how talented he is at exploiting the weaknesses of the enemy and using his and his team’s strengths. 

        McConaughey has become a quintessential actor of excellence, and this is a role made for him in its combination of heroics and modesty.  Mbatha-Raw, as slave and healer Rachel, joins him in the rebellion, showing a fine balance between the refinement she has learned in a plantation house, subjugation, and resistance. 

       This film will be favored more by those who have an interest in history and can appreciate the complexities in relationships that it depicts.  And in that vein, those viewers will see how relevant it is today in speaking to our own conundrums regarding race, politics, marriage, and equality.

Think of this film as a history lesson and go see it!  (Like a history class, you won’t enjoy all of it, but you’ll appreciate its truths.)

Grade:  B                        By Donna R. Copeland