Synopsis and Review Hidden Figures. Hearing the word NASA, we will immediately think of human journeys into outer space with sophisticated rockets. We know very well that Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the moon.
We also know that John Glenn is said to be the first person to orbit the earth. They are names that will be remembered forever. Behind Armstrong and Glenn’s extraordinary journey into outer space, of course, many people worked together. Those are the people whose roles are highlighted in the film Hidden Figures.
Set in the 1960s, they not only have to do their jobs well but also face problems because of their race. What’s the full story like? Let’s peel deeper here.
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Synopsis and Review Hidden Figures
Katherine Johnson is a single parent of three and works at the Langley Research Center. She worked with two of her best friends, Mary Jackson and an indentured supervisor named Dorothy Vaughan. All three of them are African Americans and work separately from their peers based on race and gender.
Vivian Mitchell, a supervisor at NASA, recruited Katherine to be involved in a human flight project into outer space called the Space Task Group.
He was given the task of calculating the best trajectory that the rocket would later follow. She was also the first African-American woman to become a member of the project. Katherine’s presence was not immediately accepted, especially by Paul Stafford, one of the top officials in the project who underestimated Katherine’s abilities.
Mary is applying for an engineer position.
Meanwhile, Mary, who is a member of the heat shield team, tries to apply for an engineer position. However, his efforts met with obstacles from his boss, Karl Zielinski.
Karl said Mary’s extraordinary mathematical abilities were not enough to get the position; there were other qualifications that had to be met. He also intended to attend Hampton High School, which at that time only accepted white people. No one is half-hearted; he who has difficulty being accepted takes the case to court and wins.
The astronauts who were members of the Mercury 7 team visited Langley. One of its members, John Glenn, took the time to meet the women workers.
Katherine Solving complicated math formulas
Katherine solves a complex mathematical formula for human flight into outer space. This amazed the head of the Space Task Group, Al Harrison.
Katherine’s brilliance doesn’t necessarily win her acceptance. He still wasn’t included in the meeting. Harrison, who felt Katherine was a member of his team, made a breakthrough by daring to include her.
But Stafford didn’t just sit idly by; he deleted Katherine’s name from the team list and made it difficult for her to access important data. Dorothy gets information about a new machine called the IBM 7090, which threatens her job, especially since her status is still under contract. He intends to study the machine and visit the white-only library. He gets rejected but doesn’t stop, and then he steals books.
Katherine will play a key role in John Glenn’s flight into space. Mary strives to become Nasa’s first African-American engineer, while Dorothy aims for a supervisory position in the programming department. Did their business succeed despite the many challenges?
Taken from the book
The film Hidden Figures is adapted from a book by Margot Lee Shetterly entitled Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race. The book clearly reveals the three main characters from the film Hidden Figures.
In addition, he is also considered to have an accurate historical side. It’s not easy to adapt a film from a book that has a big impact as historical evidence. Remarkably, the film version can capture all the key elements conveyed in the book.
Applause to the two screenwriters, Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi. This film was even nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards.
