EARLIER THIS WEEK, Hidden Figures quietly surpassed La La Land to become the highest-grossing Best Picture nominee in the United States.
Hidden Figures, which is released in Irish cinemas this week, tells the remarkable true story of three African-American women — Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan — working at NASA and the indispensable role they played in sending John Glenn to space in 1962.
The film has been warmly received both critically and commercially. Not only does it boast a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, indicating overwhelmingly positive reviews, but it has earned a whopper $120 million in the United States alone, sending it ahead of presumed Oscar frontrunner La La Land.
So, why is this significant? For one thing, Hidden Figures is a female-led historical drama starring three African-American actresses — Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae.
And if you’re a sentient human being, you’ll be all too aware of Hollywood’s current aversion to making movies that aren’t based on comic books, let alone dramas starring women of colour.
While studios are slowly but surely beginning to take chances on female-led movies, they are still few and far between.
This, despite the fact that the success of films like Gravity, Ghostbusters, Mad Max: Fury Road, Spy, Pitch Perfect 2, Bridget Jones’s Baby, Lucy, The Hunger Games, Black Swan and The Heat — all of which crossed the $200 million barrier at the box office — shows that you don’t need a penis to sell a movie.
But whatever chance white actresses are given to prove themselves at the box office, performers of colour are very rarely afforded the opportunity to lead a mainstream studio films, which makes Hidden Figures stand out as a breakthrough of sorts.
After all, not only has it performed well among its presumed target audience, but it toppled Rogue One from the top of the box office, raked in over $100 million and reaped several Oscar nominations.
That contradicts the conventional wisdom that only white men can successfully lead a film. As Taraji P. Henson wrote on Instagram, “I have been told my entire career ‘Black women can’t open films domestically or internationally’.”
Most importantly this proves that PEOPLE LIKE GOOD MATERIAL. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GENDER OR RACE. Agreed?!
Damn straight.
But not only is Hidden Figures a box office breakthrough, but it’s somewhat of a storytelling breakthrough.
Throughout history, the achievements of women and people of colour have been relegated to obscurity, if not erased altogether.
For instance, Hidden Figures is based on a non-fiction book of the same name by author Margot Lee Shetterly. But the only reason Shetterly was even aware of these brilliant women and their significant contributions to the space race was because her own father worked with many of them at NASA.
Were it not for the sheer luck of growing up alongside many of these women and Shetterly’s dedication to documenting their stories, the women depicted in Hidden Figures may have also been relegated to the fringes of history.
But instead, we have a bestselling book and film that recognises the contributions of women of colour to one of the scientific and mathematical triumphs in modern history, an anomaly in a popular culture that just loves to venerate white men.
That can only pave the way for more diverse historical dramas that don’t star Daniel Day-Lewis in a powdered wig, right?
But let’s get down to brass tacks: is Hidden Figures any use? This writer has seen it and can confirm that it’s an old-fashioned movie in the best sense.
It’s compelling, heartwarming and features a trio of exemplary performances. Sure, it might stray into inspirational! movie! territory from time to time, but it’s so educational and enlightening that you forgive the clichés. In fact, it’s the kind of film that leaves you craving more stories about brilliant women.
In a week that saw Senator Elizabeth Warren excoriated and essentially told to sit down for daring to invoke the words and sentiments of the late Coretta Scott King, Hidden Figures is a tonic and a reminder that women are at their best when they are seen, heard and listened to.
In other words, it’s the film the world needs right now. Go, go, go.
