( Log Out /  Visit our corporate site. Change ). "We were painfully aware and very careful with how we portrayed the women and the things they accomplished.". The scene, which represents a moment of empowerment in the movie, evokes a civil rights march. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Claim your free 24-page problem-solving booklet, and sign up to hear about my new books and other promotions. "Hidden Figures," which debuted in select U.S. theaters on Sunday (Dec. 25) and opens wide Jan. 6, tells the "untold story" of Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer), Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who with other black and white women served as "computers" before the electronic machines took over, both in purpose and title. Math is a game, playing with ideas. "You might get the indication in the movie that these were the only people doing those jobs, when in reality we know they worked in teams, and those teams had other teams," she said. "For better or for worse, there is history, there is the book and then there's the movie," Shetterly said. "Timelines had to be conflated and [there were] composite characters, and for most people [who have seen the movie] have already taken that as the literal fact." Claim your, Fantasy Fiction Novels by my Homeschooled Teen Daughter, My Top 100+ Posts, Organized by Categories for Browsing, Carnival Home Page, with Schedule of Future Posts, 156-page lesson guide from Journeys in Film, Lesson Plan: “When Computers Wore Skirts”, Girls Build LA Lessons & Resource Materials, The True Story of “Hidden Figures,” the Forgotten Women Who Helped Win the Space Race, Hidden Figures: Margot Lee Shetterly’s book about NASA’s black women mathematicians and engineers is timely and eye-opening, Making of ‘Hidden Figures’: Re-creating the ’60s to Tell an Untold Story of Space, Sexism and Civil Rights, Black STEM Like Me: Inspiring stories and interviews from the National Society of Black Engineers, http://journeysinfilm.org/films/hidden-figures/. Return to collectSPACE in the week leading up to "Hidden Figures" opening on Jan. 6, 2017 for a more in-depth look at some of the history depicted in the film. "There are little liberties taken here and there to dramatize, but the crux of the story is true," he told collectSPACE.com. Please refresh the page and try again. "I think that in these days, in particular, filmmakers have a huge responsibility to stay true to history because most people will go to see the movie and they are never going to read the book, much as everyone should read Margot's book — it is great a book and well-researched and much better than [Tom Wolfe's] 'The Right Stuff,' quite frankly," stated Barry. My Let's Play Math blog is about the ongoing adventure of learning, teaching, and playing around with mathematics from preschool to precalculus. In "The Right Stuff," it is original astronaut John Glenn and the other members of NASA's Mercury 7 who march down the hall, dressed in their silver spacesuits. John Glenn wasn’t that young when he went into space. "They wanted to get the atmosphere of the film correct," he said. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected]. Are you taking your kids to see the movie Hidden Figures? Watch a behind-the-scenes look at the hidden story in "Hidden Figures" at collectSPACE. Check out Raymond Johnson’s blog post for references and teaching ideas: If you know of any other resources, please share in the comments below. "On the whole I was very happy with the outcome.". Something Marsellus Wallace would keep locked up in a secure briefcase. My website contains affiliate marketing links, which means I get paid a very small commission (at no cost to you) if you click a book cover and actually buy the book. Most of the ladies went to see the movie. Shetterly also enjoyed the film, which she said embodied the "spirit of authenticity. In particular, the movie focuses on the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, and the events leading up to and through the launch of John Glenn (Glen Powell), who, on Feb. 20, 1962, became the first American to orbit Earth. Want to help your kids learn math? Copyright 2016 collectSPACE.com. © All rights reserved. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? ( Log Out /  Please deactivate your ad blocker in order to see our subscription offer. But it also mimics an iconic clip from a 1983 feature film that was set during the same events in history, but with a different focus. But whereas the earlier film centered on the adventures of the astronauts, "Hidden Figures" looks behind the scenes at the work of NASA's Space Task Group and, specifically, the challenges that its women mathematicians faced within the context of the early 1960s and the civil rights movement. [How 'Hidden Figures' Came Together: Interview with Author Margot Shetterly]. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. That looks very useful. That’s right: computing triple integrals all day long qualified as clerical. I read Hidden Figures for a local book club. 1. Thank you for signing up to Space. For Shetterly, perhaps the biggest difference between the movie and reality are the number of people depicted. There was a problem. Come in to read, write, review, and interact with other fans. Side by side hallway scenes from "Hidden Figures" (left) and "The Right Stuff. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! [On 'Hidden Figures' Set, NASA's Early Years Take Center Stage], "They really did a big Hollywood rollicking adventure," said Margot Lee Shetterly, whose book by the same title served as the basis for "Hidden Figures." Journeys in Film just published a 156-page curriculum for math, science, English, history, film literacy, and career readiness. ( Log Out /  It’s free for teachers to download at http://journeysinfilm.org/films/hidden-figures/. There is a scene in the new feature film "Hidden Figures" where Octavia Spencer, portraying a real-life NASA mathematician, leads a group of her fellow African American women "computers" down a hall towards their new assignment. "Hidden Figures" depicts the same NASA history as shown in "The Right Stuff," but with a different focus. I gave the book five stars for the importance of the subject, new information shared, and for the author's extensive research. As a reading experience, I rated the book three stars; I did not have an emotional connection that compelled me to read on. ", Both films dramatize and take liberties with the "based on true events" stories they seek to retell in order to celebrate the achievements of their respective leading characters. Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! There were so many people required to make this happen. "I was crying, I was laughing, I was just like, 'What happens next? "I have told my employees that I hope every single one of them gets to see it," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told collectSPACE.com. New York, "That great spirit that the space program has — that sense of adventure and drama — they brought all of that to this movie, and these women got to be the protagonists.". Shetterly was still writing her book when production of the film began — it was only just released in September — but she was also available to the filmmakers as they sought to condense a story spanning a few decades into their setting of just a couple of years. "There were sections, branches, divisions, and they all went up to a director. "So I think that is pretty much the highest praise you can give, when the person whose life is being shown on the screen says 'Yep, that kind of looks like it!'". It’s exciting to see how well people respond to this movie. "I say this all the time but the movie is not a documentary," said director Ted Melfi. Glenn has been portrayed on the silver screen just twice; first in "The Right Stuff," and now in "Hidden Figures." "From an atmospherics perspective, I enjoyed 'The Right Stuff,'" said NASA's chief historian Bill Barry in an interview with collectSPACE.com. Unlike "The Right Stuff," where the general history of the Mercury 7 was already a part of the public consciousness, audiences going to see "Hidden Figures" may have little or no knowledge by which to judge the movie's veracity. ", "I loved it. Ultimately though, it was one of the original women who is depicted in "Hidden Figures" who perhaps offered the best endorsement for the film. Glenn, who died on Dec. 8 at the age of 95, did not have a chance to see "Hidden Figures," but he was on record for not liking the "The Right Stuff," stating in a 1996 interview that he didn't think the film "accurately reflected the people involved in the Mercury program, including me.". "Even though Katherine Johnson, in this role, was a hero, there were so many others that were required to do other kinds of tests and checks to make [Glenn's] mission come to fruition. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Want to help your kids learn math? NY 10036. Barry, who joined the agency in 2001, was not around to advise on "The Right Stuff," but he and others at NASA did offer input into the script for "Hidden Figures" at the invite of the filmmakers. Learn how your comment data is processed. Helping families to learn and enjoy math together. Movie poster for "Hidden Figures," opening wide on Jan. 6, 2017. ", "It would be great for people to understand that there were so many more people," Shetterly explained. "On the whole, I am pleased with the balance of this thing and I think it does a good job of telling a complex story," he said. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor,