Contact (1997)

Dr. Ellie Arroway, after years of searching, finds conclusive radio proof of intelligent aliens, who send plans for a mysterious machine.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Carl Sagan (novel), Carl Sagan (story),

Stars:

Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, Tom Skerritt

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jena Malone	...	Young Ellie
David Morse	...	Ted Arroway
Jodie Foster	...	Eleanor Arroway
Geoffrey Blake	...	Fisher
William Fichtner	...	Kent
Sami Chester	...	Vernon (as SaMi Chester)
Timothy McNeil	...	Davio
Laura Elena Surillo	...	Cantina Woman
Matthew McConaughey	...	Palmer Joss
Tom Skerritt	...	David Drumlin
Henry Strozier	...	Minister
Michael Chaban	...	Hadden Suit
Max Martini	...	Willie (as Maximilian Martini)
Larry King	...	Himself
Thomas Garner	...	Ian Broderick

Storyline

Astronomer Dr. Ellie Arroway has long been interested in contact to faraway lands, a love fostered in her childhood by her father, Ted Arroway, who passed away when she was nine years old leaving her then orphaned. Her current work in monitoring for extraterrestrial life is based on that love and is in part an homage to her father. Ever since funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) was pulled on her work, which is referred to some, including her NSF superior David Drumlin, as more science fiction than science, Ellie, with a few of her rogue scientist colleagues, have looked for funding from where ever they could get it to continue their work. When Ellie and her colleagues hear chatter originating from the vicinity of the star Vega, Ellie feels vindicated. But that vindication is short lived when others, including politicians, the military, religious leaders and other scientists such as Drumlin, try to take over her work. When the messages received from space are decoded, ...

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Plot Keywords:

science | alien | radio | scientist | astronomer | 

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Taglines:

A message from deep space. Who will be the first to go? A journey to the heart of the universe.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some intense action, mild language and a scene of sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish German Russian

Release Date:

11 July 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kontakt

Filming Locations:

Arecibo Observatory, Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Box Office

Budget:

$90,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$57,700,000 (Non-US) (31 October 1997)

Gross:

$100,853,835 (USA) (31 October 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, South Side Amusement Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ken Ralston:  Senior visual effects supervisor is visible in the shot of scientists at VLA watching Ellie testify. Ralston is in the back row in the upper left corner of the frame, with mustache and beard.

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Goofs

The suggestion that a man-made Earth-orbiting satellite could have been used to simulate a signal emanating from a star is absurd. A satellite within Earth's or the Sun's gravitational fields can not carry enough fuel to maintain a position in front of a distant star for more than a fraction of a second out of every several hours. And since the signal was tracked from several locations on Earth, the sky would have to be filled with hoax satellites to fool more than one listening station. Moreover, the VLA alone would be able to confirm the distance of the signal from parallax.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Young Ellie: CQ, this is W9GFO. CQ, this is W9GFO here. Come back?

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Connections

Referenced in Planet of the Apes (2001)

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Soundtracks

"El Corazon Herido"
Performed by Efrin Toro, Oskar Cartaya, and Ramon Stagnaro

User Reviews

Films are rarely as good as the book…but there are exceptions to the rule…

This remains true for this very good adaptation of the classic book by Carl Sagan. Sagans' idea was to make science and the elite commandeering of information available to the majority, he wrote his books for a wide audience and I think the film shows this as was intended by its author.

The Film is roughly about Dr Arroway, Ellie, and how she handles being alone in a world without family or close friends. It is metaphorically able to make us all think about how isolated we as a race, and as people can feel.

Ellie, a brilliant young scientist working on the mistrusted SETI program discovers a message sent to earth from distant star system Vega. On its discovery Ellie must battle with the Military, Pentagon, and Male Dominated scientific world to keep her cards on the table and her discovery that of her team. Ellie is constantly kept in the game by he benefactor, a rich technological industrialist mogul who has a vested interest in her participation of the programme to reach this alien culture.

I don't wish to go on any further and spoil this movie as I rate it as a fantastic exploration of Science Vs Religion and the entire subsequent human spectrum in between. As a film there were several alterations from the book that I felt could have been included, for example not just one traveler but a range of them, philosophers, theologists, scientists, poets and Dr Arroway.

I have watched this film a number of times and still find it a joy to watch the fifth, eighth and tenth time. Jody foster playing a not so dissimilar to her role in Silence of the lambs (attractive, clever, young, successful woman battling in a male world) is exceptional and delivers feeling and intellect alongside an impressive script.

I would give this film an 8.5 and recommend it to anybody, but if you are a sci-fi fan and haven't seen this film then you're in for a treat.