Hidden Figures: Book vs. Movie
Hidden Figures is a story that everyone should know — whether you decide to read it, watch it, or do both is up to you. While it’s troubling to think that we are now just learning about the impact that African Americans (female computers is particular)had in the race to space and NASA, I’m glad that I finally know about the brilliant and moving women.
After reading the book and watching the movie, I wanted to share my thoughts on how I felt about both forms of the story.
Hidden Figures — The Book (by Margot Lee Shetterly)
The pros:
- Inspirational
- Detailed narrative of the characters lives.
- Shows how willing African American females were to fight for what they believed in even to the point of risking their jobs.
- Unified front for female computers.
The cons:
- The the story is ordered is hard to follow. Margot switches between following characters. Story lines are scattered and there are a lot of (strong!) women to follow.
- Very fact-driven and less of the emotional implications.
Hidden Figures — The Movie (directed by Theodore Melfi)
The pros:
- Inspirational and emotional.
- Followed a linear plot with less background story for each character.
- Positive portrayal of strong, educated African Americans (female and male
Margot is the author of Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race (William Morrow/HarperCollins). She is also the founder of The Human Computer Project, an endeavor that is recovering the names and accomplishments of all of the women who worked as computers, mathematicians, scientists and engineers at the NACA and NASA from the 1930s through the 1980s.
She is a Hampton, Virginia native, University of Virginia graduate, an entrepreneur, and an intrepid traveler who spent 11 years living in Mexico. She currently lives in Charlottesville, VA.
