Movie: Hidden Figures

[shootingstar]

Since today is the Women's March:

Since am up here in Canada, last weekend, for inspiration and curiosity, I saw the movie, Hidden Figures. I went solo ...I wanted to see the movie this much. My partner was in another city and others not locally available.

The movie offers different facets and is a great pkg for light geeky NASA/math/engineering world in 1960's, black women breaking into engineering leadership roles, broader realm of social justice during that time, love stories, etc.
I'm glad this movie has packed enough movie theatres across North America in past few wks. I wonder if this movie would have done so spectacularily well, if it had been released without now recent history of an outgoing black Prez., and now a new sworn-in Prez who proceeds like a train wreck, etc.

Anyway, good to have a movie to remind ourselves of quietly fighting with dignity and of historic accomplishments, etc.

On a personal level, I noticed my half-Chinese niece's twitter feed expressed slight disappointment that her mechanical engineering hubby didn't want to see the movie. (She knows I went solo to see it. I live several thousand km. away from her.) She herself, graduated from university in geological engineering and did work in the field for a few years before she left. I'm not sure of all the reasons, but the mining sector is still very male dominant at the engineering level and she probably got propositioned several times in her career. All she tells me a few years: "It was horrible." She is the one who is now writing romance novels. I don't know if she regrets leaving the engineering world but her twitter feed consistently expresses support for feminist, racial understanding..

[north woods gal]

Thanks for the tip. Will keep any eye out for it, though it's not likely to show in our remote little rural theatre. Hope it makes it to a DVD.

[Crankin]

I am going tonight!

[azfiddle]

It's on my to do list. We hardly ever go to movies but I really want to go see this.

[Crankin]

As someone who never goes to the movies, this is worth it.
It was great.

[Sky King]

Hoping to see soon. My sister took her son, who is a senior in high school and he really enjoyed it.
as did she

[shootingstar]

For my birthday, I saw this movie for the 2nd time. Yes, I enjoyed it this much. I needed to be reminded, to be inspired right now.

My latest blog post: https://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com...in-the-making/ doesn't mention about this movie..but it almost should in light of how certain historic events have touched me, what I felt and now what's going south of Canada.

[Crankin]

I recently found out that the scene where Kevin Costner smashed down the "colored only" bathroom sign was made up. The writer thought it would be good to have a "white hero."
Oy.

[shootingstar]

I recently found out that the scene where Kevin Costner smashed down the "colored only" bathroom sign was made up. The writer thought it would be good to have a "white hero."
Oy.

Yes, true. One of the living real black NASA female engineers which the movie is based on them, did confirm that. I guess a movie always needs a white hero.

But reality is that most likely it was tough in the 1960's to be treated professionally on equally as a woman, black, university educated and engineer..of which one or more of them did become that. My partner graduated in civil engineering in University of Toronto in late 1960's. He said there were only 2 female engineers in his classes at that time. Also non-white ,male engineers were very rare in his class at the time. This is Canada's largest engineering university faculty with research programs, etc.

It is abit different now. But some of us are old enough to remember....

After seeing movie when celebrating my birthday last weekend (which coincided with the U.S. visa/immigration/refugee/dual citizenship ban of 7 countries) , when I came home I got an email that a long time friend (past 34 yrs.) died suddenly. I believe this email is true...
Anyway, she was the first manager who hired me for my first professional job after university. A bit of a mentor. She was white, born in South Africa and lived through the apartheid era. Her father was a minister there.

There are times where personal events coincide against the other/world events.

[north woods gal]

Thanks for the tip. I think hubby will like it, too.

My father died in the late 50s when we were all young, so my mother went back to school for her graduate degrees and then pursued a career as a university professor. I can tell you that for women of any color in the 60s, even a white Protestant like my mother, it was an uphill battle to pursue a professional career. I remember many incidences where she encountered the infamous " a woman's place is in the home" crap, even from her own colleagues. She never backed down, though, and proudly stood her ground. She was a great role model for us.

For a woman of color to succeed in the sciences in those days is all the more remarkable.

[Crankin]

That is a great story, Northwoods. My mom should have done that... she volunteered a lot at my much younger brother's school. I was encoraging her to go back to school (she had a 2 yr degree) to be a teacher, or at least get a paid job as an assistant. My dad was encouraging, but she never did it.

[shootingstar]

At least lack of a washroom for the black women doing the calculations for NASA in the building where they were : http://mentalfloss.com/article/71576...tronauts-space Looks like a bunch of researchers did a tour and did some historic digging around. Elsewhere on there were separate eating areas for black employees.. at that time at NASA.

[ny biker]

I was planning to have a quiet evening at home tonight. But the people in the downstairs apartment have filled the building with some sort of eye-burning fumes. So I am looking for things to do on a Sunday night. While having an early dinner at Silver Diner (whose executive chef recently won Chopped on the Food Network -- congrats to Chef Ype ) I decided to see a movie next. So I am seeing Hidden Figures tonight.

(Unfortunately I had 2 hours to kill before it starts and the mall where the theater is is mostly closed for renovations. So I am sitting in my car killing time. I did want to see this movie, but not tonight. I actually wanted to watch the Oscars. Oh well, trying to make lemonade out of the lemons that were thrown at me tonight.)

[ny biker]

So, it was a good movie. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd seen it sooner, before I knew much about it.

It started at 9:45 on a Sunday night, and as previously noted the mall where the theater is located is mostly closed for renovations. I was literally the only person in the theater. There were other movies that started a bit later, but I suspect no one was watching them. It was creepy being there by myself. When the movie was over, the theater lobby was deserted and the gates were closed at the entrance to the mall. I thought I might be locked in. Then an employee came into the lobby and showed me where there was a door that I could use. This took me the elevator to the parking garage, which was also deserted. I had to pay for parking at a kiosk before going to my car. I think most women know that deserted hallways and parking garages are unsafe. The whole time I kept my phone in my hand in case of emergency.

Yesterday I was telling a male friend about the whole thing. He did not understand why I was creeped out about being alone and worrying about my safety when I went to my car. I've had this sort of conversation with him before -- he has no idea how many situations are more dangerous for women than for men. I think many men have no idea.

Anyway. While I was in the car killing time before the movie started, I saw photos of the three lead actresses from the movie on stage at the Oscars with Katherine Johnson. I got home just after the whole Best Picture incident, so I missed the entire show on TV.

[shootingstar]

Great you saw it. I've been in theatres with only 10-12 people --not often, because I very rarely go to watch movies. But all worthwhile when I have.