Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Hidden Figures (2016) is an autobiographical drama about three trailblazing women of colour who worked as mathematician’s at NASA in the 1960s. The movie is historically significant as Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) and Katherine Goble (Taraji P. Henson) fought to have their voices heard in a time of racial inequality.

This movie’s iconic line is delivered by Katherine, who has had enough. She works with the all white, all male Space Task Group, who view her as less than. Her supervisor is constantly dismissive of her work, and her colleagues don’t allow her to drink from the same coffee urn.

What makes the start of the scene so effective is its spark. “There’s no bathroom for me here.” The irony is, the lack of a female coloured bathroom is the least of Katherine’s problems – but it’s still a problem. She’s rain soaked and out of breath from having to run back and forth to the only female coloured bathroom. This gives steam to the scene where Katherine delivers blow after blow with her words.

Segregation is the norm, but that doesn’t make it normal. The bathroom becomes a motif for a wider issue. From Katherine’s rising vocals and the emotion that strikes at the hearts of everyone else in the room – it’s an issue that should no longer be ignored.

You could argue “There’s no bathroom for me here” is the line. But for me, it’s the prelude, not the crescendo.

And I’ve been working like a dog, day and night. Drinking from a coffee pot nobody wants to touch.

This line is about more than Katherine. It echoes of everyone Black woman who has been shouldering inequality and shrugging off hate. Katherine tells the sea of white faces to see her – to see them – as equals.

Stop it, I’m crying.

Let’s glaze over the fact that after this scene, Kevin Costner’s Al Harrison is then propped up to look like he personally ended segregation across the country. The impact of Katherine’s speech is a key turning point in the movie regarding its themes of gender and racial inequality.

I love the raw honest we get from Katherine in this legendary scene, but especially in that iconic line. It never fails to resonate, which speaks to the timelessness of her words and the relatability of her feelings.

Chills.