Like many American moviegoers, I caught the new film Hidden Figures over the weekend. And throughout the true-to-life account of three pioneering women of color that broke boundaries at NASA, one thought kept reoccurring to me (well, two, if you count my realization that I am deeply in love with Janelle Monae): that much like the Wu-TangHidden Figures is for the children. The story’s prevailing message that gender or skin color shouldn’t hinder anyone from achieving excellence is precisely what the youth in this country need, arguably now more than ever. The one problem, of course, is the astronomical price of a movie ticket — not everybody wants to or is able to shell out $15 for a day at the movies.

Academy-Award winner and Hidden Figures star Octavia Spencer realized this. Raised by a hardworking single mother not unlike the character that Taraji P. Henson portrays in the film, Spencer understood that some of the families who’d appreciate the film most wouldn’t be able to see it. In an effort to spread the word and do a little bit of good, she bought out the 8 p.m. showing of her new picture on Saturday night at the Rave Cinemas multiplex in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles and put out an open invitation on Instagram.

As one of the commenters on Spencer’s post so succinctly puts it, she walks the walk. It’s one thing to talk about making change and spreading good, or even to commit to that ideal through onscreen performances, but it’s another matter entirely to get out in the world and directly make a difference in some people’s lives. The Wrap mentions that Spencer’s mother Dellsena passed away when the actress was just 18 years old; she’d surely be proud if she could see her daughter today.

More From Mix 97.9 FM