For me it is a rare thing to find an awesomely inspiring story. There are but a shining, glittering few scattered across billions of lives.

Such a tale takes place not among the noble of birth but of character. A story where a protagonist seizes their demons and shackles them to oblivion. One where the forces of nature are grappled with and found wanting. Evil is faced, and soundly corrected. Change is slow at first but continues onwards. Casual wrongs are made right. Victory takes flight from the sketchy outlines of hope. Allies are found in former enemies and newfound acquaintances.

And sassy black ladies.

I endorse Hidden Figures because it represents the best of humanity.
The history of Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan couples the intellect of the brain with the conviction of heart. It is a story of the bullied rising from their circumstance by forcing bullies to change their convictions by convincing rather than by coercion.

Hidden Figures is also a good watch. The charm of the film lies not in special effects but genuine acting and period sets. Humor pops up routinely even with such a serious topic. Like any moral story, it also speaks of family, friends, and community.

I’m not the only one to think so. It has a 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating and is one of only 60 films to receive an A+ rating on Cinema Score. It is such a good film that I will even neglect criticisms of simplifications of the actual story to make the film more engaging.

I only now saw it late in a dollar theatre, which I commend to anyone who hasn’t yet observed it. This is the first movie I’ve ever watched where on the drive home thoughts of a review flew to my head. I felt compelled to type them.

More than any other consideration, we all want a moral triumph over evil. This film was to me a timely reminder that right is always right, and wrong wrong. The easier wrong requires no change. The harder right determines our destiny. The language here is taken from Thomas Monson's talk Choices.

There is a telling moment in this film which reminds me that the intolerant of the world haven’t changed in sixty years. Two women are washing up in a recently desegregated restroom. The white supervisor turns to Dorothy Vaughan and says “You know, despite what you think, I don’t have anything against y’all”. In response, Dorothy says “I know. I know you probably believe that”.
Racists and bigots never think of themselves as such, and never like to be challenged in their beliefs. I think this is important in a time of rising nationalism and emboldened xenophobes. See this article, for example, or this one, or this. I could provide others but I'd just be belaboring the point.

We can commit great evil just by not criticizing the status quo. And yet inspiration comes from faith to defy the consensus. Everyday courage, persistent courage, can change the world.

As we are courageous, no matter the challenges WE SHALL OVERCOME.