Contagion (2011)

Healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.

Director:

Steven Soderbergh

Writer:

Scott Z. Burns

Stars:

Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law

2 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Beth Emhoff
Tien You Chui	...	Li Fai (as Chui Tien You)
Josie Ho	...	Li Fai's Sister
Daria Strokous	...	Irina
Matt Damon	...	Mitch Emhoff
Griffin Kane	...	Clark Morrow
Yoshiaki Kobayashi	...	Japanese Bus Man
Laurence Fishburne	...	Dr. Ellis Cheever
John Hawkes	...	Roger
Jude Law	...	Alan Krumwiede
Monique Gabriela Curnen	...	Lorraine Vasquez
Teri McEvoy	...	School Nurse
Sue Redman	...	ER Nurse #1
Teri Campbell	...	ER Nurse #2
Stef Tovar	...	Dr. Arrington

Storyline

Soon after her return from a business trip to Hong Kong, Beth Emhoff dies from what is a flu or some other type of infection. Her young son dies later the same day. Her husband Mitch however seems immune. Thus begins the spread of a deadly infection. For doctors and administrators at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, several days pass before anyone realizes the extent or gravity of this new infection. They must first identify the type of virus in question and then find a means of combating it, a process that will likely take several months. As the contagion spreads to millions of people worldwide, societal order begins to break down as people panic.

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Plot Keywords:

virus | infection | contagion | epidemic | vaccine | 

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Taglines:

Nothing spreads like fear

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing content and some language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is notable for its all-star cast. However, the trailer and other promotional materials never mention Bryan Cranston, even though the movie was released during the height of his "Breaking Bad (2008)" fame.

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Goofs

The disease in the film is highly lethal, affects a very large number of people and has a short incubation period. In reality an infectious disease must have a long incubation period and less lethality than in the film to facilitate a sustained transmission. The real case makes tracking much more difficult, which is a central part of the film, therefore the filmmakers had to bend the facts a bit.

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Quotes

Dr. Ian Sussman: [Disparagingly to Alan] Blogging is not writing. It's graffiti with punctuation.

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Crazy Credits

The colors of the Warner Bros. Pictues logo are slightly faded.

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Connections

Referenced in The Darkest Timeline with Ken Jeong & Joel McHale: The Changdalorian (2020)

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Soundtracks

Amante Del Vino
Written and Performed by Michael J. Thomas
Courtesy of Harbor Breeze Records, by arrangement with Affix Music

User Reviews

Most clinical and realistic dissection of real pandemic scenario

This is a cerebral movie. Many complain about having too many characters, but these characters serve as illustration, the main character is the pandemic, that is explored in non sensationalistic but still interesting and compelling way. The most scary thing about the movie is its realism. Yes, this is what really would happen if there were a pandemic. Not everyone would die, there would be no flashy helicopter drama, but it would not be a pleasant experience either. This is a good movie but perhaps not for the seekers of cheap thrills.

Details

Official Sites:

Official 'Take Part' Contagion Site Official site [Germany]

Country:

United Arab Emirates USA Hong Kong

Language:

English Mandarin Cantonese

Release Date:

9 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Contagion: The IMAX Experience

Filming Locations:

Taylor Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,403,596, 11 September 2011

Gross USA:

$75,658,097

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$136,515,867

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Participant, Imagenation Abu Dhabi FZ

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1