Perhaps Mary Jackson’s wisecrack during the opening scene of Hidden Figures aptly encapsulates its essence: “Three Negro women are chasing a white police officer down the highway in 1961. That is a God-ordained miracle.” With that, the stellar space-race narrative lifts off — and it’s nothing short of a miracle.

The elan is evident and infectious from the moment we meet our three unforgettable protagonists, all of whose careers at NASA provide insight into the intersection of women’s and civil rights struggles faced by female African Americans during the time. Brilliant and incisive mathematician Katherine Goble (Taraji P. Henson) leads the group of vibrant “computers,” which also includes the scintillating Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) and tenacious Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer). The women, each given their own character arc, prove to be indispensable during the United States’ spaceflight rivalry with the Soviet Union — but not without facing the sheer bigotry that forces Katherine to run half a mile simply to use the “colored” bathroom after promotion to an all-white Space Task Group, hampers Mary’s engineer aspirations, and denies Dorothy a much-deserved position as supervisor. Yet all three possess an indomitable spirit that elevates them beyond the setbacks posed by a racist, segregated workplace and facilitates the success of astronaut John Glenn’s (Glen Powell) launch into orbit.

The supporting cast leaves little to be desired, with Kevin Costner portraying Al Harrison, the firm but ultimately open-minded director of the Space Task Group to which Goble is assigned. And there’s no denying it’s odd to see Jim Parsons abandon Sheldon Cooper for his role as the STG’s steely head engineer, but the character’s casual prejudice and subtly rancorous attitude toward Goble add another dimension. Passively racist supervisor Vivian Mitchell (Kirsten Dunst) is the perfect amount infuriating, while Katherine’s endearing love interest Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali) warms hearts with his tender and good-natured disposition.

In short, Hidden Figures is a phenomenal, uplifting period piece that feels like a breath of fresh air and brims with modern significance. Simultaneously sobering, rousing, and jocose, it hits all the right notes in a multitude of aspects, creating a harmonious tune that you never want to stop listening to. (And I’m not just talking about the groovy theme song by Pharrell Williams that plays several times throughout.) The weighty subjects of sexism and racism do not produce a humorless tale; rather, the movie is able to maintain a blitheness that aptly highlights the trio’s triumphs, whether it be conquering intellectual challenges or overcoming societal barriers. Their very human portrayal, emphasized through their sisterhood and family lives, is enlivening, and drives home how inconceivable it is that this remarkable story has remained unseen for so long. Yes, those figures may have been hidden, but this film’s brilliance is certainly one thing that isn’t.