Directed by Theodore Melfi, “Hidden Figures” tells the untold true tale of three brilliant African-American women who were the brains behind the launch of astronaut John Glenn. Janelle Monae played Mary Jackson, the first female engineer at NASA. Octavia Spencer played Dorothy Vaughn, the first African-American supervisor at NASA, and Taraji Henson played Katherine Johnson, the mathematician who figured out Glenn’s flight trajectories. Intertwined with actual footage from the time, the movie immerses the audience into the high-intensity world of NASA during the Space Race era.

The movie revolves around the three women as they overcome racial and gender divides to do what they love and ultimately do their part in getting the first American into space. The ladies begin working in the West Area Computers division, the work space designated for blacks. Each of the three receive new assignments that place them where their brains work best. Mary gets to work on the Mercury capsule prototype; Dorothy begins learning the ins and outs of the new machine that can calculate math in a fraction of the time as people (a computer), and Katherine begins working with the Space Task Group using analytic geometry to calculate trajectories. Through a mix of comical and serious scenes, Mary, Dorothy, and Katherine take the audience on an intense adventure that was their lives.

“Hidden Figures” beautifully blends comedic relief and the painful past of segregation in our country in the early 60s. Lines such as “He’s coming over,” “Why would he be doing that,” “’Cause Mary’s waving him over,” when Katherine is first introduced to Jim Johnson, and “If you were a white male, would you wish to be an engineer?,” “I wouldn’t have to. I’d already be one,” when Mary is talking to her boss, provide the audience with happiness and sadness.

Melfi and Allison Schroeder wrote a flawless script that includes many historically significant things such as The Greensboro Sit-ins and a speech by Martin Luther King. “Hidden Figures” truly captures the story of Mary, Dorothy, and Katherine, as well as enthralling the audience.

Watch closely, and you may recognize downtown Canton in  some of the locations.  The filmmakers shot several scenes in Cherokee County. Misti Martin, president of the Cherokee Office of Economic Department, said it is much easier to film actual historical buildings than replicate them.

“Downtown Canton was a good place to film because we have a solid density of older, historic buildings,” Matthew Thomas, Economic Development Manager, said.

The movie is rated PG, and worth the 2 hours and seven minutes. It recently was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Writing Adapted Screenplay. Go find the hidden figures.