seen on 25 February 2017
Theodore Melfi directs Taraji P Henson as Katherine Goble (later Johnson), Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan, Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson and Kevin Kostner as Al Harrison (a fictional part) in this account of how three African-American women mathematicians were instrumental in contributing to the successful launch of astronaut John Glenn (played by Glen Powell). The film deals with the crisis in NASA following the Sputnik launches by the USSR, followed by Yuri Gagarin's space-flight, and also shows how the women's presence and obvious (not to say essential) competence played a part in breaking down the segregationist colour barrier still largely in operation in the state of Virginia in the early 1960s.
The film focuses on three engaging intelligent women who have to negotiate both racism and misogyny in their workplace and in their aspirations. The two are entangled, of course, and the visual clues of racism are all too uncomfortably present - separate entrances to public buildings, separate drinking fountains in the street, separate bathrooms in the NASA complex, to say nothing of the unpleasant looks from many white people and well-meaning but still insulting condescension from others.
