In the fall of 2016, Margot Lee Shetterly published her book, Hidden Figures, in an effort to shed light on the incredible, yet ordinary African American women whose intellectual prowess and perseverance in heat of social turmoil became crucial to the American space exploration efforts of the 1960’s. Soon after the book’s publication, a film by the same name hit theatres and has grossed over 100 million dollars to date, according to Box Office Mojo. Saddled with a budget of roughly 25 million dollars and making use of a critically acclaimed cast and crew, the film has managed to rival huge blockbuster movies of the season, including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, La La Land, and Passengers, all of which are in the running for numerous academy awards. Just two weeks after its release to all theatres, the film ranked first at the box office, placing above Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Universal Studio’s new kids fim, Sing.

The film is currently in the running for several awards in the 2017 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Writing (from an adapted screenplay), and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Octavia Spencer). Evidently, this breakout movie makes the most of its award-winning cast and crew, from the actors on screen to the artists behinds the sound mixing. The film was directed by Theodore Melfi, an experienced Hollywood producer and screenwriter, who had previously been known for his work directing St. Vincent (2014), starring Bill Murray. The movie’s soundtrack also features big names in R&B music, including Pharrell Williams, Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys. The starring talents are some of the strongest, most soulful women in entertainment: Taraji P. Henson,  Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe.

Although Hidden Figures is a film with a strong technical details and big name talents to back its success, audiences claim there is more to the film than clever writing and imagery. When leading actress, Taraji P. Henson, was asked about the film’s impact at a red carpet event, she explained to a reporter from E! News, “I believe this movie is bigger than myself; I think this movie is bigger than any award show. It’s so much bigger than us all. It’s a story about unity, when we’re in our worst of times how we can come together, and get on the right side of history. So it’s a reminder of what we need to do right now, today.” With central themes closely paralleling our modern society, contrasting the progressive capacity of people and the often unfair realities of our human experiences, perhaps the success of Hidden Figures can be attributed to something beyond its face value.