I'm avoiding the work on my taxes in such a constructive way: blogging!
This will probably be hard for you to believe, but I went to a movie theater last week because Carol and I couldn't wait to see Hidden Figures (2016, PG, Still In Theaters).
Hidden Figures, based on the book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, tells the true story of black women who worked as mathematicians at the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia. The movie focuses on three of these highly skilled women: Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae), and Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson).
The three deal with segregation, such as a long run to get to the "Colored Girls" restroom and having a separate "colored" coffeepot (and I don't mean the pot was red or blue), yet do their part to help the U.S. reach outer space. Katherine Johnson's analytical geometry skills were particularly important for John Glenn's historic flight.
Carol and I thought this movie was the best we'd seen in a long time. We were thrilled when it won Best Cast at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night. This movie is one you should definitely see with your children, perhaps age ten and older. Hurry before it leaves theaters and you have to wait for the DVD release.
Octavia Spencer is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Hidden Figures is nominated for Best Picture. When Carol and I left the theater, I told her that my only complaint is that Taraji P. Henson isn't nominated for Best Actress.
Hidden Figures earns the Janie Junebug and Her Pal Carol Seal Of Highest Reach-For-The-Stars Approval.
We're reading the book now, so I'll let you know how it is when I'm done. Reading makes a great distraction from those darn taxes, which I must force myself to face.
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug
P.S. Katherine Johnson is still alive. At ninety-eight, she is said to be sharp as a tack. She saw the movie and loved it.
movie sounds fantastic friend!
ReplyDeletein here LaLaland is taking much rush and i can't find here the one you mentioned above .
but i try to get the dvd
I hope you can find it.
DeleteThanks for sharing your views on this movie...sounds intriguing.
ReplyDeleteHi Janie - thanks for this ... I'm definitely going to see it when it hits my cinema here ... sounds very interesting .. cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteI think you'll like it.
DeleteI've heard nothing but good things about this movie. Also, I heard that they had a hard time getting this movie made ("it has female leads? AND they're black!?!") so I'm really happy that it is making a ton of money. But I have a baby, so the only movies I watch are in my car on my commute, on my phone like the filmmakers intended it.
ReplyDeleteDo you also text while you drive? Make sure you present as much of a danger as possible. I read an article that said the movie was given the green light based on a fifty-five page summary of the book, which was published in 2016.
DeleteI wondered if any of them were still alive.
ReplyDeleteI reviewed it yesterday and thought the movie was amazing. And yes, total shame Taraji P. Henson isn't nominated for an Oscar. She and Amy Adams were both shorted this year.
I adore Meryl Streep, but I don't think she deserved that nomination for Florence Foster Jenkins.
DeleteSounds like a must see and read. Thanks for sharing that with us Janie.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a must see.
DeleteWe've tried to see this movie several times but something always comes up.
ReplyDeleteWell, toss everything aside and get going.
DeleteI talk about Katherine Johnson in my post on March 3rd--International Woman's Day!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent! She's a fascinating person.
DeleteI have been intending to get to the theater to see this movie as well. I managed to get to La La Land and the Resurrection of Gavin Stone last week so perhaps next week, I will get to it.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to La La Land on DVD because it will probably be a few years before I go to a theater again (I used to go once a year and now I'm down to every three years). I went because I had a Fandango gift card that Willy Dunne Wooters gave to me (someone handed it to him at work and he handed to me because he NEVER goes to movie theaters). I haven't heard of The Resurrection of Gavin Stone.
DeleteFabulous! I love Octavia Spencer too. I probably won't check it out until it hits On Demand, though. :)
ReplyDeletesounds like an awesome movie.
ReplyDeleteI've seen some publicity on this and it looks really good. Can't wait to see it. (Well, actually, I don't go to the cinema much, so I probably won't see it until it's out on DVD.)
ReplyDeleteI want to see this! What's keeping me from going? Me I guess.
ReplyDeleteI want to see this movie ! ! !
ReplyDeletecheers, parsnip
I definitely want to see this movie!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds inspirational. How wonderful that Katherine Johnson saw and loved the movie. That piece of info makes me happy.
ReplyDeleteLove you.
I can't wait to see this film it sounds excellent. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good film and book. I am adding it to the list!
ReplyDeleteWOW! That's quite an endorsement! I'll definitely put this one on my must-see list. Thanks!
ReplyDelete