Jeri Jacquin
On Bluray/DVD and Digital HD this week from director
Theodore Melfi and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is a moment
in history that finally has come to the surface releasing the HIDDEN FIGURES.
The space race is on as the United
States and Russia compete to put a man in
space. Becoming frustrated as Russia
pulls forward, Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) wants only the very best on his
team. That would be Katherine Gobel (Taraji P. Henson), an African-American
mathematician who is sent to work in a room full of men who clearly have their
own issues with race.
Upset that she is part of the team; roadblocks are put in
her way by colleague Paul Stafford (Jim Parsons) who isn’t happy she is there.
To make matters worse, there is no restroom close by and the coffee pot seems
to be off limits. Determined not to let that stop her, Katherine is joined by
friends Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) who wants to be an engineer and Dorothy
Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) who decides that she will move up the NASA ladder her
way.
Slowly Katherine proves that her methods are spot on and so
much so that John Glenn (Glen Powell) supports not only the work but Katherine
personally. Harrison sees the tension between
Katherine and Paul which calls for serious changes. Her frustration lies in the
fact that the computations change daily and all her hard work is for nothing.
By standing her ground the group begins to come together.
Dorothy learns through Vivian Mitchell (Kristen Dunst) that
something called an IBM computer is the mathematical problem solver of the
future. Knowing that means the jobs of she and the other women are in jeopardy,
Dorothy takes matters into her own capable and smart hands.
Mary has the dream of becoming an engineer with NASA but
knows that further education is something out of her reach. Told by capsule
maker Karl Zielinski (Olek Drupa) that she needs to make it happen, Mary takes
her dream to court!
When John Glenn prepares to go into space, he calls upon
Katherine to give him the go from Mission Control – a place she has earned to
be!
Henson as Katherine is smart and sassy working her way
through many roadblocks. Believing in herself and her mathematical gift is
inspirational as it should be with three young daughters looking to her for
guidance. Taking on the larger position of putting a man into space, she puts
her head down and pushes forward – until its time to do more than push forward.
Henson gives Katherine grit and heart never letting one moment of doubt take
her down.
Spencer as Dorothy is a woman who knows she is doing the
work without the pay of a supervisor. As a problem solver, Dorothy takes it
upon herself to learn about the new technology coming to NASA. Spencer has proven
continually to be an actress who takes her roles to heart and Dorothy is no
exception.
Monae as Mary is the saucy one of the bunch who has no
problem telling it like it is. Telling people their issues is an easy way of
hiding her own – which is to find a way to fulfill her dream. Feeling as if
NASA is pushing the engineering dream further out of reach, Mary discovers a
way to not only get the education she needs but make her mark doing so.
Costner as Harrison doesn’t
have time for games or those who play them. Bringing Katherine into the group
he makes it clear that he doesn’t have time for anything but the best. Once he
is made aware of the conditions Katherine is dealing with, he doesn’t waste any
time removing barriers in his department of NASA. Costner leads but in such a
way that his character is important but also steps aside for his talented lady
costars to tell their part of the story.
Other cast include Mahershala Ali as Col. Jim Johnson, Aldis
Hodge as Levi Jackson, Kimberly Quinn as Ruth, Kurt Krause as Sam Turner, Ken
Strunk as Jim Webb, and Donna Biscoe as Joylette Coleman.
HIDDEN FIGURES is a film that digs deep into the history of
NASA on a project that is hugely historical. What also gives these performances
such richness is the set design and costuming. Any time I watch a period piece
it is important to transport not only me but all viewers into the, pardon the
pun, space and time of the story. HIDDEN FIGURES and director Melfi do just
that.
I had the pleasure of speaking with director Ted Melfi about
HIDDEN FIGURES and what it took to bring that piece of history to the silver
screen.
JJ: Good morning Ted, thank you so much for speaking with me today
about your film.
TM: You are so welcome Jeri.
JJ: I had never heard this story before, what inspired you to become
involved?
TM: When I first read the proposal by producer Donna
Gigliotti and had the same reaction as everyone else of ‘How is this possible?
There is no way this is a true story.’ I started to dig into it and understand
that it was a true story of how NASA had a team of women putting our guys up
into space I was floored. I mean I have two daughters and they are still being
told in this day and age ‘don’t worry about learning the math’. I find that
shocking especially since we are trying to lift them up and show them that they
can do anything a man can. This story inspired me and there way no way I could
say no too making this film.
JJ: Especially since it is part of history, a lot of girls were told
even when I was younger that math wasn’t important to learn.
TM: It is a shame that we minimized women in Science, Math
and Engineering and the truth is they are as good if not more so having the
mind for it.
JJ: I think maybe a little more patience too.
TM: Yes!
JJ: When choosing the cast, what drew you to these three women in
particular?
TM: I have been in love with Taraji P. Henson’s work ever
since the film BENJAMIN BUTTON and in that film she blew me away. My wife and I
saw it together and said ‘who is that actress?’ that was playing Brad Pitt’s
mother in the film. I was blown away by her passion, strength and raw power and
honestly. Then you watch her in the role of Cookie in the television series Empire and that woman from BEJAMIN
BUTTON was now Cookie in Empire. I knew
that she had this incredible range in her and I knew she would be the perfect
off-beat choice of Katherine Johnson. I wanted to go for it and she was so
inspired by the challenge and took it on. She is absolutely amazing and
inspiring in this role.
JJ: And Octavia Spencer?
TM: Octavia, I mean there is nothing that I can say enough
about her as Dorothy Vaughn.
JJ: I was actually thinking the same thing. I mean what more can you
say about her?
TM: I know, Octavia could play absolutely anything you could
throw at her and it would be fantastic. She is one of the greatest actresses of
our time in my mind. That one was a no brainer. Janelle Monae playing Mary
Jackson and we wanted someone different, unique and exciting for this
character. Janelle is exciting and passionate and wild and inspired and takes
dramatic turns. She always makes wild choices with her work and it shows in
this performance as well.
JJ: It’s the beautiful trio to be sure.
TM: Yes, Taraji brings the quiet introverted brain of the
group. Octavia is the foreman and the maternal leader of the group and Mary is
the wild child who always has to be reminded that it’s 1961.
JJ: You have Kevin Costner in the mix who seems to be the buffer.
TM: Kevin Costner is one of the most unique men I’ve ever
met in my life. He brings that integrity and worth ethic into every thing he
does. His character, Al Harrison, represents the glue that kind of holds the
teetering space program together. He balances the science and the math along
with the business and imaginative people. Back in 1961 in the Jim Crow south is
dealing with racial tensions in the workplace. It’s not that he is unaware of
what is happening as much as he doesn’t care. He is about the mission. In his
mind the mission and the math of what they are trying to do trumps race and sex
of a person.
JJ: I hope that people get that there are so many issues in this film,
not just one specific issue. How was that for you as a director covering it
all?
TM: It was exciting to be honest with you. To me the 1960s
was an explosive time in history. The space race was happening, the Cold War
was happening, Civil Rights issue were happening, the Kennedy assassination was
happening, Martin Luther King assassination was happening…
JJ: See, that’s what I mean, so many, many issues!
TM: They are all running parallel to each other as well. The
Freedom Riders bus protested to Washington
D.C. the day before Alan Shepard
launched his first mission into space. That should tell you the parallels
between these two races and how they basically started to achieve success
together in tandem is mind boggling. To pack all of this in one movie was an
enjoyable task and to be able to get to say something about who we were and who
we are and what we can become as a country when we work together.
JJ: Did you find that you had to do a lot of your own research to allow
yourself to get deeper into the film?
TM: Oh yes, I did endless research. I researched every
detail of the movie. I dug into a mass amount of books and documentaries about
all of this. The Discovery Channel
had a series When We Left Earth: The NASA
Missions (2008) and I dug as deeply into Civil Rights as I did NASA. I
re-watched the PBS series Eyes on the Prize [A documentary that documents the
Civil Rights Movement from 1952 to 1965] about how it all occurred. I did tons
of photo research as well. In regards to the math I learned everything from the
ground up from like trajectory calculations etc. I kind of became a dangerous
expert of it all.
JJ: When you are talking about the mathematical side of it, how did
Taraji handle it? I mean she’s writing equations on the board so fast!
TM: Taraji being the mathematician consulted with the same
person I did from Rudy Home who received his PhD. out of Morehouse College.
He trained Taraji and she memorized the math having so much time with him.
Taraji might actually be a genius on her own. What she can do I have not seen
that often, memorize something and understand it in a very short period of
time. She did it effectively and efficiently in one take.
JJ: I realize there is so much in this film to experience but as the
director what would you want viewers to take with them after watching the film?
TM: See the film to be reminded of how great American has
always been and how when we work together, regardless of race, sex or creed,
there is nothing that this country can not achieve together.
JJ: It’s so very well said and very true, thank you Ted!
This director has a straight vision for this film and with
an absolutely stellar cast bringing a story that should be shown in every
classroom!
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings
award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital
HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own
home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have
please visit
www.fox.com.
The Bluray/DVD and Digital HD include Special Features with It All Adds Up - The Making of Hidden Figures,
No Limits – The Life of Katherine Johnson, The Right People for the job,
Recreating an Era – The Look of Hidden Figures, A Spiritual Journey – The Music
of Hidden Figures, Moving the Decimal – Honoring Katherine Johnson, Deleted
Scenes, Hidden Figures: Filming in Georgia, Audio Commentary by Ted Melfi and
Taraji P. Henson and a Gallery.
This is a music see that was nominated for three Academy
Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer and Best
Adapted Screenplay. The Digital HD allows everyone to watch on all devices
which is just a great way to see where ever you are.
In the end – meet the women you don’t know behind the
mission you do!
