Two movies, computing, computers computed, both true stories.

One movie on streaming TV:  "The Imitation Game" about Alan Turing, a mathematical genius who, with a small crew, set out to break the German "Enigma" coded machine. It's a good movie, solid actors, but there wasn't any heart and soul in it for me. Yes, Alan Turing was gay, and that comes out but it seemed at times an afterthought and then at other times a focus. In the end, the movie was satisfying enough but not good enough, for me, for two thumbs up. One thumb up because of the insightful depiction of code breakers and their huge task, and for the good performances of the actors. 

Second movie, seen in the theater today was "Hidden Figures" about the crew of more than 30 African-American women who worked for NASA on the space mission in the 1960's.  Now, I have to admit that I wasn't pressing buttons to go see this movie but Steve called and said "let's go, meet me there at 2:10" and so I did. I think my judgement was partly clouded by the above movie, which I started watching last night and found a bit dull.  OK, another movie about mathematicians and all their brain power, whatever. 

But this movie is 100% different and so much better.  Go see it. These women are amazing, and not just because they have amazing math brains. They are amazing because in the middle of segregation, they stand up for themselves. They know they are very smart and they know they are needed because of their minds and they stand up even though they know they will be slapped down. They keep standing up, they defy the norm because they know their value. 

The historical notes in this film are shocking, the "Colored" signs on bathrooms, entrances to buildings, lunch rooms, water fountains, buses, on and on.  We know that happened but to see it over and over to women who are instrumental to NASA, well, it's a tough thing to watch. But there are a couple of scenes that take that segregation to task, and those scenes are well done. 

The three women they focus on are not just brains, they are real people with families and all the problems that go along with that.  Then add the problems of working in a White Man's World when you are black and a woman in 1961; it's amazing they kept on toughing it out. But their minds, the drive they had, it's a testament to the determination black women had to have then to even hold a job.  

For those of us who remember John Glenn, the Space Race, the 1960's, the music and the cars and the clothes, it's even more salient because of all that. The race to put a man on the moon was real. These women were instrumental in making that happen. It is an amazing story. 

Two thumbs up, highly.  Check it out. You will love it.

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