HIDDEN FIGURES

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ROG'S VIEWPOINT - Desperate to beat Russia at putting a man in space, NASA enlisted the help of a group of African-American female mathematicians. Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) lead this group of women who became the brains behind
the operation to put John Glenn (Glen Powell) into orbit and bring him safely back to Earth. Based on a little known true story, this inspiring and heartfelt film entertains while it reveals a piece of  U.S. history that has been all but buried for way too long. Director/co-writer Theodore Melfi has assembled a terrific cast to bring
this amazing tale to life. Besides the three female leads, Kevin Costner turns in a solid performance as Al Harrison, the manager of the Space Task Group. Jim Parsons as engineer Paul Stafford and Kirsten Dunst as supervisor Vivian Mitchell add some depth to their supporting roles. Very little is shown of the private lives of these three driving forces in the space race. The widowed-with-children Katherine does have a romance with National Guard Colonel Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali). But that's not the point of this fascinating drama. The point is the truth behind our first attempt to put a man in space. With its by-the-numbers storytelling, "Hidden Figures" has all the right stuff to enlighten the audience.  4 cams

Rated PG / Running time: 127 minutes

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