Hidden Figures (2016)

[starri]

Leslie Jones talks about Hidden Figures and black history on Weekend Update.

[starri]

Best Picture, Adapted Screen Play, and Octavia Spencer got me 

[Raja]

It is the only Best Picture nominated film I saw this time around 

[vibeology]

I am bummed Taraji got no love. Janelle probably deserved it too, but Supporting Actress was already a jam packed category so I was less surprised. I do think there is a very weak nominee in Lead Actress (Meryl) who has no business being there and Taraji could have taken that spot. (Or Amy Adams. I'd be less bummed if it had been Amy Adams who gave a very strong performance too rather than costume weird voice Meryl.)

[sally-can-wait]

For those interested here is the interview with the real Katherine Johnson that I referenced in a previous post (she's asked about using the bathroom).

Edited January 26, 2017 by double-elvis

[Bruinsfan]

I saw it last night and it was great. I particularly loved Mrs. Vaughan being so proactive in teaching herself and her fellow computers how to operate the IBM. Though I did have to stop and wonder about books teaching Fortran being available at the local library but the space program not having any experts on IBM computers. Why *wasn't* NASA hiring the very top experts from IBM to handle that aspect of the program?

Maybe Taraji got overlooked because her role wasn't that clearly more substantial than Octavia's or Janelle's? I mean, if all three were being considered in the Supporting category as part of an ensemble I'd say Octavia Spencer was the right choice to avoid splitting the vote.

I can't believe a movie managed to make me twist up napkins out of suspense over whether John Glenn would make it down safely when his passing away was just in the news the other day. I pretty much loved everything about it except for Jim Parsons essentially playing Sheldon Cooper again.

Edited January 26, 2017 by Bruinsfan

[anna0852]

In fairness to Jim Parsons, Paul was a much bigger asshole than Sheldon. 

[topanga]

5 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

I saw it last night and it was great. I particularly loved Mrs. Vaughan being so proactive in teaching herself and her fellow computers how to operate the IBM. Though I did have to stop and wonder about books teaching Fortran being available at the local library but the space program not having any experts on IBM computers. Why *wasn't* NASA hiring the very top experts from IBM to handle that aspect of the program?

Maybe Taraji got overlooked because her role wasn't that clearly more substantial than Octavia's or Janelle's? I mean, if all three were being considered in the Supporting category as part of an ensemble I'd say Octavia Spencer was the right choice to avoid splitting the vote.

I can't believe a movie managed to make me twist up napkins out of suspense over whether John Glenn would make it down safely when his passing away was just in the news the other day. I pretty much loved everything about it except for Jim Parsons essentially playing Sheldon Cooper again.

I think Octavia Spencer is a better actress than Taraji, and it showed (but I still think Taraji did a great job). It's hard playing an introverted, subdued character, and Taraji couldn't quite pull off her character's emotional reactions unless she was using words. For example, her reaction about the separate coffee pot. When she picked it up, she seem surprised and somewhat upset, I guess. She seemed more appalled that it was empty, not that it existed at all. But until she said something to Kevin Costner, I had no idea that she'd been feeling indignation and anger about the coffee pot combined with the perceived need not to say anything and to accept things just as they are. 

And I liked Jim Parson's portrayal. Yes, his character was an asshole, but he didn't turn him into an over-the-top, mustache-twirling Klan member. 

[Dee]

I thought Taraji was fantastic. Her beautifully layered work as Katherine Johnson was as good as any actor's performance last year and truly deserving of a Lead Actress nomination/win.

Octavia Spencer is great actress who did a solid job with an underwritten role, but if any actress should've been in Supporting Actress contention at this year's Oscars from their performance in this film, it should've been Janelle Monae imo.

[Bruinsfan]

I should be clear that I think comparing these performances is like comparing fine wines, or good steak and lobster. Even Parsons probably did a good job in his role, I was just painfully aware he'd had a decade of rehearsals for playing an arrogant, anal-retentive math genius.

[anna0852]

Fair enough. Parson did a great job but he didn't have to stretch much. Paul was a nastier version of Sheldon. 

[GreekGeek]

11 hours ago, anna0852 said:

Fair enough. Parson did a great job but he didn't have to stretch much. Paul was a nastier version of Sheldon. 

Except that for once, he wasn't the smartest person in the room!

I really enjoyed this movie. I walked in a few minutes late and missed the flashback to Katherine as a child, but I was happy that I didn't miss the scene of the ladies getting a police escort to work. I thought the cop was going to be a stereotypical nasty racist, but was happy that he changed his attitude once he realized that the "colored women" weren't joking when they said where they worked. I liked the performances all around. Did not recognize Kevin Costner or Kirsten Dunst.

I knew about the buses and the bathrooms, but I did not realize that libraries were segregated to that extent. Wow! I was afraid for Mary's husband at some moments, but was relieved that no one beat him up. It was great to see the story of these amazing women.

[ChelseaNH]

Finally saw this tonight and enjoyed it, although it felt a little sparse.  It would have been nice to get more of Dorothy's home life, for example, and her cuddly husband, and the romance between Katherine and Jim felt a little perfunctory.

During Katherine's scene explaining about the restrooms, I thought how embarrassing it had to be for a lady to speak of the matter in front of a male audience.

On 1/26/2017 at 0:07 PM, Bruinsfan said:

Why *wasn't* NASA hiring the very top experts from IBM to handle that aspect of the program?

The computer industry was very different in the early days.  IBM would have been a hardware company; it's likely they didn't offer software services until a couple of decades later.

[Artsda]

Thought it was a great movie, liked the casting. Surprised Taraji P. Henson didn't get more attention since she came out more as lead.

Kirsten Dunst I wasn't even realizing it was her until half way through.

[methodwriter85]

8 hours ago, Artsda said:

Thought it was a great movie, liked the casting. Surprised Taraji P. Henson didn't get more attention since she came out more as lead.

Kirsten Dunst I wasn't even realizing it was her until half way through.

Kirsten is forever an 18-year old cheerleader. (Or a tween vampire, depending on what your favorite childhood/teen role of hers is.) It's therefore weird to see her as a woman in her mid-30's and no longer looking like an ingenue. She HAS proven she can have a post-ingenue career, though, with Fargo and now this. She might be moving into the character actress category, it seems. I thought it was a good role for her.

It's great to see how absolutely thrilled the cast was winning the Sag Award.

[Schweedie]

I was SO pleased for their win tonight. Since they're not going to win any individual awards it was wonderful to see their brilliant performances acknowledged this way, and Taraji's speech was brilliant. They really were a great ensemble cast, every single one in the film.

[starri]

I was right there with Janelle and Octavia.  I cried.

The movie combines a lot of things that I like and just turned it into something that hit at the right time.  I wish the Oscars had given it more attention, but I'm more glad people have heard the story.

[ChelseaNH]

It's a good movie about a great story.  I don't see it winning big awards, but it certainly deserved the nominations.

[starri]

39 minutes ago, ChelseaNH said:

I don't see it winning big awards,

It won one last night.  But like I said, people know this story, and that's the real reward.

[Bruinsfan]

I'm particularly glad that Katherine Johnson is still around to receive the recognition for her contributions to the space program. Being presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama had to be a particular thrill. (Though by rights Nixon should have been the one presenting it to her after the Moon Landing!)

[ChelseaNH]

8 hours ago, starri said:

It won one last night.

Different folks have different definitions of "big."

[pennben]

21 hours ago, starri said:

The movie combines a lot of things that I like and just turned it into something that hit at the right time.  I wish the Oscars had given it more attention, but I'm more glad people have heard the story.

I think LaLa Land will likely win, but I like how this movie has positioned itself against it...especially last night at the SAG Awards.  LLL is a movie that celebrates being involved in the wonder that is the movie business.  Last night, HF positioned itself as how important Hollywood is in telling stories that need to be told, but might not be, but for the movie business.

We all know that a lot of the Oscars is politics.  HF played their best hand last night. LLL had the stronger hand going in.

I personally would love to see this film win.

Edited January 31, 2017 by pennben

[Bruinsfan]

I think Moonlight is actually the film that deserves to win Best Picture, but I'd rather Hidden Figures win than Hollywood pat itself on the back via a La La Land sweep.

[starri]

7 minutes ago, Bruinsfan said:

I think Moonlight is actually the film that deserves to win Best Picture, but I'd rather Hidden Figures win than Hollywood pat itself on the back via a La La Land sweep.

THIS THIS THIS.

[lizzie3]

I finally saw this movie last night, and what a treat! Educational, entertaining, and thoroughly inspiring.  I will be recommending it to everyone I know.  I'm so glad to see that these brave women's stories are finally being told.  The (packed) audience at the theatre all clapped at the end, something I rarely experience. 

Also, it's good to see a movie doing so well that has hardly any swearing/violence/sex/disturbing content. Truly a movie that everyone can enjoy. 

[Spartan Girl]

I finally saw it tonight and it was every bit as wonderful as everyone has been saying. Leslie Jones is right: why the hell weren't we learning about them in school?!

Happy that Katherine still alive and kicking and celebrated her 56th anniversary with the soldier guy she married. That ring really was lucky!

My favorite part was when she finally lashed out at her coworkers over the bathroom issue. Second was Kirsten and Octavia's exchange. I cam think of several people (or one person and his supporters) that it ought to apply to.

Loved that hot John Glenn was nice enough to want to say hello to ALL the workers. Hope that part was true.

Fingers crossed that this movie wins a few Oscars.

[stealinghome]

Just got back from seeing this (finally) and really liked it, but am I the only one who wished that it was like 20 minutes longer? I wonder if a lot of the second half in particular ended up on the cutting room floor, because there were moments where the second half felt really rushed imo. I also wonder if a lot of the soldier husband subplot got cut because as someone else said, that element seemed perfunctory (though it's nice to see the token male love interest for once, heh). And I would HAPPILY have watched another 20 minutes of this movie!

I agree that the acting was very good across the board but the standout for me was Janelle Monáe--though you certainly can't argue with Octavia Spencer ever getting a nomination either. Taraji P Henson was I agree the weakest of the leads (though I also thought her yelling at Kevin Costner about the bathroom was the film's most powerful moment), but she was still very good. And those three worked so well together, the chemistry was superb. When Dorothy and Mary played wingwoman for Katherine at the start, it was HILARIOUS! Also, wow, the costuming department hit this one out of the park. All the leads looked fabulous at all times!

Octavia Spencer and Kirsten Dunst's bathroom showdown was the second best moment in the film. You could feel everyone in my theater suck in their breath when Dorothy dropped the mic and walked out. Also, I really appreciated that the movie didn't make Dunst or Jim Parsons' characters mustache-twirlingly evil, as someone above noted. It's a good reminder that most racism is a lot more subtle--and, sadly, almost mundane--than many people think. You don't have to walk around with Evil Supervillain stamped on your forehead to be a big flaming racist.

The film got a round of applause at my theater, and it was well deserved.

[Dejana]

16 hours ago, stealinghome said:

Just got back from seeing this (finally) and really liked it, but am I the only one who wished that it was like 20 minutes longer? I wonder if a lot of the second half in particular ended up on the cutting room floor, because there were moments where the second half felt really rushed imo. I also wonder if a lot of the soldier husband subplot got cut because as someone else said, that element seemed perfunctory (though it's nice to see the token male love interest for once, heh). And I would HAPPILY have watched another 20 minutes of this movie!

IRL Katherine had remarried before 1961 so the romance was probably scripted to happen when it did to give her storyline a bit more personal drama, to throw some romance into the movie, and explain how she became Katherine Johnson, since she's introduced with a different last name. I was a bit surprised the actual wedding was skipped and we only saw Katherine getting ready at the church, but maybe the thought was that the engagement scene had already covered many of the same emotional beats.

Edited February 5, 2017 by Dejana

[snickers]

On 1/26/2017 at 0:07 PM, Bruinsfan said:

I particularly loved Mrs. Vaughan being so proactive in teaching herself and her fellow computers how to operate the IBM

yes, probably the smartest thing she ever did, because it saved their jobs/careers

what's funny is that this type of thing is happening now more than ever

I finally saw this today, caught the first showing of the day (i like discounts lol) and the theater was still pretty full, glad to see that

 

I liked that they made it more a family movie, but it still tough to watch some of the scenes

I'm not really a taraji fan, but i liked her a lot in this...and octavia spencer, i love her in everything

 

On 1/31/2017 at 0:37 PM, starri said:

On 1/31/2017 at 0:29 PM, Bruinsfan said:

I think Moonlight is actually the film that deserves to win Best Picture, but I'd rather Hidden Figures win than Hollywood pat itself on the back via a La La Land sweep.

THIS THIS THIS.

adding to the THIS

but i'm prepared for the la la land sweep

[HoosierJen]

Finally saw this today, and I loved it! I loved the strength that all three ladies displayed, but I think Mary's story was my favorite. And like a lot of other people, I'm wondering why I didn't learn this stuff in school.

One thing I'm thankful for is that this movie didn't have anything offensive in it.....I heard maybe one or two "damns" and that's it. This means that I can buy it when it comes out on dvd and show it in my middle school classroom when we have a movie day! This probably isn't a movie that many of my students will go see, and I think it will be a great history lesson for them.

[choclatechip45]

I finally saw this last night. Seriously why didn't we learn about these 3 women in school? I thought Taraji, Octavia and Janelle were excellent. Hopefully the success of this movie means more movies like this are made. The guy who played John Glenn was very attractive!

In real life were all 3 women such good friends? 

[ClareWalks]

Fake John Glenn (LOL) was played by the same guy who played Chad Radwell TO PERFECTION in the show "Scream Queens." Watch season 1 of that if you wanna see more Hot Fake John Glenn-ness. 

Finally got to see this movie, it was amazing. I didn't expect Taraji to be so damn GOOD!

[Bruinsfan]

He's also the best actor in Linklater's Everybody Wants Some! from last year.

[Dee]

One of the things I love about this film is the celebration of girl power.

Not just the big moments like Dorothy negotiating job security for her co-workers or Ruth genuinely congratulating Katherine on a job well done after Al relieves Katherine of her duties. 

I mean the small stuff; like Dorothy & Katherine lifting Mary's spirits with whiskey or Mary & Dorothy helping Katherine prepare for her wedding to Jim or Katherine & Mary's families celebrating Dorothy's son's birthday.

[Schweedie]

On 2017-02-06 at 1:00 PM, choclatechip45 said:

In real life were all 3 women such good friends? 

That was something I wondered about when I watched it, too - whether they just decided to make them close friends because it would make for a better way to tell their stories, or if it was true.

Another favourite thing I remembered after a second viewing: in the end, when Kirsten Dunst's character brings her girls to learn about the IBM and she introduces Dorothy to them as Mrs. Vaughan, after them having been 'Dorothy' vs 'Mrs. Mitchell' until then. Small moment, but it said a lot.

[AuntieL]

I loved that moment. That small but powerful show of respect.

[AgentRXS]

Quote

In real life were all 3 women such good friends?

I'm 3/4's of the way through the book  which the movie was based off and according to the author they were. Katherine and Dorothy's families were pretty close-knit prior to their work at NASA. All 3 hosted various social events in their community together.

I think the movie was awesome and all 3 actresses had great friendship chemistry.  It is a crying shame that their stories are only becoming public knowledge in 2017, but at least its finally being told.  The book is a good read too and it is similar to the movie in that it focus' mostly on their work lives, and very little on their personal lives.

[Frost]

On ‎2‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 8:56 PM, stealinghome said:

Also, I really appreciated that the movie didn't make Dunst or Jim Parsons' characters mustache-twirlingly evil, as someone above noted. It's a good reminder that most racism is a lot more subtle--and, sadly, almost mundane--than many people think. You don't have to walk around with Evil Supervillain stamped on your forehead to be a big flaming racist.

My impression was that Jim Parson's character was more of a misogynist than a racist.  Of course, Katherine had the double whammy - a black woman!   It just seemed like Paul would have been upset at any woman upstaging him.    It was very clear with Kirsten Dunst's character.  I loved the switch from "Dorothy" to "Mrs Vaughan".

[methodwriter85]

On 2/9/2017 at 7:22 PM, Bruinsfan said:

He's also the best actor in Linklater's Everybody Wants Some! from last year.

He's not really hot in that one with his terrible 70's wig and mustache, but his charisma can't be denied.

5 hours ago, Frost said:

My impression was that Jim Parson's character was more of a misogynist than a racist.  Of course, Katherine had the double whammy - a black woman!   It just seemed like Paul would have been upset at any woman upstaging him.    It was very clear with Kirsten Dunst's character.  I loved the switch from "Dorothy" to "Mrs Vaughan".

That's how I felt about Paul.

I also liked how they kept the racism there but didn't turn them into caricatures. It really seemed to be about changing the preconceived notions the white people may have had about what black people are capable of, earning them respect.

Also, is it me, or does Kirsten Dunst play a bitch? Like, a lot?

Edited February 13, 2017 by methodwriter85

[starri]

51 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

Also, is it me, or does Kirsten Dunst play a bitch? Like, a lot?

Well, she does kind of have Resting Bitch Face.

52 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

I also liked how they kept the racism there but didn't turn them into caricatures. It really seemed to be about changing the preconceived notions the white people may have had about what black people are capable of, earning them respect.

One of the reviews of the movie made a very good point that a lot of the white people in the movie were Kennedy voters who thought of themselves as progressive.

[AuntieL]

I don't think Paul was a misogynist (that implies he hated women) so much as someone who grew up with ingrained chauvinism and racism that he probably didn't even recognize.  He also had an ego. He would not have liked anybody upstaging him - that she was a woman and black was just icing on the cake. He was example of those people who grew up knowing that there were certain things women and black people could not do. That last scene of him bringing her coffee showed that Kathryn had Made a dent in his preconceived notions (and hopefully that went beyond Kathryn). As a northern white woman I am in awe of the struggle these women went through. It's a testament to the movie that I was actually afraid when John Glenn was in the capsule waiting for Kathryn's calculations, even though I knew the outcome. So much was riding on her-She would have been the first one blamed if it hadn't worked. If those  three women hadn't been the geniuses they were and had the tenacity they had, there might never have been a woman or black engineer or astronaut. 

[Frost]

2 hours ago, AuntieL said:

I don't think Paul was a misogynist (that implies he hated women) so much as someone who grew up with ingrained chauvinism

You're right.  Chauvinist is a much better word than misogynist for that character.

[Guest]

I loved this movie.  I think the buzz is definitely growing - my friend and I couldn't see it at the theater we were originally going to because the tickets were sold out two hours before showtime. 

I thought the romance plot was weak. It didn't ruin the movie by any means, but it felt unnecessary. 

Such a powerful movie and I really hope it wins some Oscars!

[ChelseaNH]

On the one hand, I'm very happy it's continuing to do well at the box office.  On the other hand, this means it will take longer for the movie to be available on demand or released on DVD for home viewing, darn it.

[Traveller519]

Finally Saw Hidden Figures last night for our "Guys Valentine's Day" with my friend.

I really enjoyed it, and told him it felt like this year's Spotlight to me. A well acted story that gave me some new historical perspective. The nominations really jumped out to me as Taraji P Henson and Janelle Monae jumped off the screen more to me than Octavia Spencer, but maybe that's Octavia's talent, she just makes it look so easy. I did feel that the best parts of Taraji's performance weren't her big scene but the little things she did, fumbling with her glasses on her face, the quiet stoicism when you could tell she was frustrated, and the cautious optimism she approached the relationship scenes with.\

I was a little frustrated to learn how much had to be adjusted for the story, only because I think it somewhat undercuts the message, by not being completely above board. I totally understand why they did it that way for the movie, and it made for a great film, but it just rankles me some because I feel it gives people who want to poke holes in the story an opportunity to do so.

I felt like Jim Parsons' performance was a derivation from Sheldon. Playing Sheldon definitely helped him get the role as someone who can get the necessary technical information out in a convincing fashion. But Sheldon is completely unaware of other people and deals with his own ticks. Paul was very aware of his surroundings and was even shown to be a decent leader in the scene where he's explaining the orbital concepts to the team. I agree he played some ingrained but not outright chauvinism that was mostly fueled by feeling threatened.

Loved learning that Katherine is still alive!

[choclatechip45]

On 2/13/2017 at 1:52 AM, AgentRXS said:

I'm 3/4's of the way through the book  which the movie was based off and according to the author they were. Katherine and Dorothy's families were pretty close-knit prior to their work at NASA. All 3 hosted various social events in their community together.

I think the movie was awesome and all 3 actresses had great friendship chemistry.  It is a crying shame that their stories are only becoming public knowledge in 2017, but at least its finally being told.  The book is a good read too and it is similar to the movie in that it focus' mostly on their work lives, and very little on their personal lives.

Thank you! I might have to buy the book.

[AgentRXS]

Quote

I was a little frustrated to learn how much had to be adjusted for the story, only because I think it somewhat undercuts the message, by not being completely above board. I totally understand why they did it that way for the movie, and it made for a great film, but it just rankles me some because I feel it gives people who want to poke holes in the story an opportunity to do so.

This.  Putting the book details in spoiler bars as not to ruin for those currently reading or wanting to read it.  Just highlighting little things that bugged me about the film after reading the book:

Spoiler

For instance, the "Colored Only" bathroom issue never happened BUT when Dorothy Vaughn first started working at NACA (which later became NASA) in the 40s, she and the other black Computers were forced to sit in the "Colored Only" section of the cafeteria. It wasn't a white man, but a fellow black  Computer who kept taking the sign down until eventually the higher-up said "To hell with it" and never replaced the sign.

I also wish the movie would have shown more of Mary Jackson: Not only was she the 1st female black engineer, but during her whole career at NACA/NASA, she was the go-to person who helped new Black employees adjust to the workplace culture and with getting settled in living in the surrounding area. She gave up her engineering career to take on a position within the company that helped ensure that women were being treated fairly, and given equal consideration as men for promotions and raises. 

Also, I wish the film would have depicted Katherine Johnson's workplace life more accurately.  For the most part, all the male engineers and big wigs she worked with respected her for her intelligence, and she didn't receive as much friction when transferred to their dept as the film portrays.  It was amazing that even in the Civil Rights Era in  Deep South Virginia, these 3 black women were highly respected and admired by their white male co-workers for their drive,intelligence  and work ethic. 

I get why the film's script was written the way it was, but I think the film would have been more powerful if it stuck closer to the book.

Edited February 18, 2017 by AgentRXS

[Dejana]

6 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

This.  Putting the book details in spoiler bars as not to ruin for those currently reading or wanting to read it.  Just high;lighting little things that bugged me about the film after reading the book:

  Reveal hidden contents

For instance, the "Colored Only" bathroom issue never happened BUT when Dorothy Vaughn first started working at NACA (which later became NASA) in the 40s, she and the other black Computers were forced to sit in the "Colored Only" section of the cafeteria. It wasn't a white man, but a fellow black  Computer who kept taking the sign down until eventually the higher-up said "To hell with it" and never replaced the sign.

I also wish the movie would have shown more of Mary Jackson: Not only was she the 1st female black engineer, but during her whole career at NACA/NASA, she was the go-to person who helped new Black employees adjust to the workplace culture and with getting settled in living in the surrounding area. She gave up her engineering career to take on a position within the company that helped ensure that women were being treated fairly, and given equal consideration as men for promotions and raises. 

Also, I wish the film would have depicted Katherine Johnson's workplace life more accurately.  For the most part, all the male engineers and big wigs she worked with respected her for her intelligence, and she didn't receive as much friction when transferred to their dept as the film portrays.  It was amazing that even in the Civil Rights Era in  Deep South Virginia, these 3 black women were highly respected and admired by their white male co-workers for their drive,intelligence  and work ethic. 

I get why the film's script was written the way it was, but I think the film would have been more powerful if it stuck closer to the book.

The book spans multiple decades and the movie, 1961-62. A decision was made for the screenplay to cover a lot of terrain: the professional struggles/triumphs of the actual women depicted in the movie, racial tensions of the times in general, gender politics (in the workplace and at home), dramatic arcs for the main characters, background to the early Space Race, John Glenn's launch, and a side of romance. Meshing all of it into a coherent, enjoyable narrative for a two-hour movie was a real juggling act that is harder to pull off than it seems at first glance. Still, all of those things did not happen in the span of a year, or at all, to these particular people, so something had to give and you get a movie that's "based on true events" rather than total reality.  I waver between thinking a limited series would have been the best way to tell the real story, and wondering if such a thing even would have been made or seen or rewarded the way the movie has been, and isn't getting more people and new generations to hear about these women the most important thing? It's a conundrum.

Even in the book I was a bit confused by

Spoiler

the situation with the cafeteria...the account of NACA giving up on replacing the colored sign seemed to have happened in the 1940s, but then several chapters later in the 1950s, there are mentions of the black engineers going off-campus to a black restaurant for lunch, and Katherine eating a packed lunch at her desk, as to avoid segregation in the cafeteria. I was thinking, didn't the sign get taken down years ago, and everything is still segregated? Ugh. I don't have the book with me now, so maybe it was more about dodging the restrooms.

There was a guy with a desk across from Katherine who got up and left when she tried to introduce herself on her first day in the new section, but in two weeks or so, he realized she was from West Virginia, too, and after that he was perfectly friendly. In a paragraph about how she got along with her coworkers, it rather casually mentions Katherine discussing the Brown v. Board of Education verdict with her white coworkers (who were all for it, she recalls) in 1-2 sentences before breezing onto some other topic. I'm pretty skeptical when biographies feature people with perfect recall of lengthy conversations from 50-60 years ago, but I really would have loved knowing more about that particular discussion! Obviously, none of that is nearly as dramatic as segregated coffee pots or daily 40-minute trips to the restroom in the rain, and Taraji needs an awards show clip!

One of my favorite things with Mary in the book was how she designed the car for her son in the soapbox derby, and after he won, he told reporters he wanted to be an engineer like his mom! It would have made it into Hidden Figures: The Series for sure.

Edited February 18, 2017 by Dejana

[AgentRXS]

Quote

Spoiler

the situation with the cafeteria...the account of NACA giving up on replacing the colored sign seemed to have happened in the 1940s, but then several chapters later in the 1950s, there are mentions of the black engineers going off-campus to a black restaurant for lunch, and Katherine eating a packed lunch at her desk, as to avoid segregation in the cafeteria. I was thinking, didn't the sign get taken down years ago, and everything is still segregated? Ugh. I don't have the book with me now, so maybe it was more about dodging the restrooms.

 

Just re-read that chapter and it appears that

Spoiler

although the colored sign was removed in the '40s, the cafeteria was still segregated into the '50s. Also, it was Mary that had the issue of walking the long distance to use the colored bathroom, not Katherine. Katherine doesn't care about using the white restrooms, and continued to use them even after a complaint was made.

I guess it makes sense to give Katherine the "colored bathroom" storyline in the movie, so that Taraji has her showcase moment in the movie.  After the book, I guess I just feel some kind of way about Kevin Costner's character getting to play the "white male hero" in that particular scene.

[ClareWalks]

There was something oddly inspiring about "we all pee the same color!"