Contact (1997)

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Jodie Foster stars as headstrong visionary astronomer Ellie Arroway in Contact, a drama of discovery, based on the best-selling 1985 novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and noted astronomer Carl Sagan. (Warner Bros.)

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Directed By: Robert Zemeckis

Written By: James V. Hart, Carl Sagan, Michael Goldenberg

Starring: John Hurt, James Woods, Tom Skerritt, Rob Lowe, Angela Bassett, David Morse, William Fichtner, Jodie Foster, Jake Busey, Jena Malone, Matthew McConaughey, Geoffrey Blake

Genres: Drama, Sci-fi, Mystery

Country: USA

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Contact belongs to 49 collections

1. Roger Ebert: Great Movies (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 79 stars)

2. Female protagonist (public: moderated by djross - 25 stars)

3. IMDb Top 250 Complete (public: moderated by Jorg - 23 stars)

4. Hard Sci-fi (public - 19 stars)

5. Based on a Book (public: moderated by iconogassed - 18 stars)

6. Intellectual Sci-Fi (public: moderated by BeeDub - 17 stars)

7. Aliens (public: moderated by td888 - 12 stars)

8. Films available in HD (public: moderated by kubricksucks - 12 stars)

9. Based On Novel (public: moderated by tathiel - 7 stars)

10. Classic CHUD: 100 Movies That Deserve More Love (public: moderated by tinysausage - 5 stars)

11. Product Placement (public: moderated by Jellysauce - 3 stars)

12. Roger Ebert's 4-Star Movies (public: moderated by KirkJiggler - 3 stars)

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17. Sound Design (public: moderated by paulofilmo - 1 star)

18. Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (public: moderated by Gregzilla - 1 star)

19. "Houston, We Have A Movie": NASA appearances in film (public: moderated by mwgerb - 1 star)

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TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
11	Kojiless	68 _72%
What I learned from this movie: increased levels of estrogen due to prolonged exposure to Matthew McConaughey severely inhibit logical thought processes, compelling respectable scientists to deem excretory theological outbursts as probable solutions to their myriad queries about life, the universe, and everything.
8	BeeDub	100 _97%
Superb. The subject matter is fascinating on its own, of course, but Jodie Foster's exceptional performance also provides the movie with a strong emotional core. The direction and effects are impeccable and grounded, and serve the story rather than the other way around. A feast for the brain and soul.
7	BillyShears	70 _53%
My only contact with Contact prior to watching Contact was Mr Garrison violently vomiting upon hearing the title after waking up from a rhinoplasty. I didn't have the same reaction but I made sure to take a gravol before taking off. It was fine. It attempts the impossible and mostly succeeds: you try making radio dish coordinates exciting. Dragged like hell though and the entire father thing didn't really - vomits violently
5	maddog	98 _99%
What makes Sagan's work (and its movie adaptation) so powerful are the philosophical questions that come from finding life besides our own in this galaxy. It does a great job capturing the worldly implications, and you can't help but feel for Foster's character as the movie plays. Excellent.
5	juntakinte99	88 _78%
This epitome of sci-fi shows how humanity reevaluates itself after an epoch changing event. Here, we realistically see politicians call the event a hoax manufactured by a man of science and a "lying" woman. Zemeckis expands his Forrest Gump-style exploitation of documentary footage to create a fantastic world that's authentic to the narrative and the era. The screenplay includes some amazing quotes, that've become memes in their own right. And it earns its achingly profound final shot of wonder.
5	PhantomZone	90 _79%
Many people bag this film. I don't get it, how did you want it to end? With little green men??? I felt they did the best ending they could have. Foster is brilliant and the story moves at a good pace that doesn't rush things. Great screenplay from an extremely complicated book!
4	Paxton	58 _33%
That's it. I hate aliens. It's tough to hate any movie with Jake Busey in it though.
4	eritsuku	95 _94%
Just re-watched this for the first time since, apparently, 1997. It bowled me over back then; my eyes were a bit more open this time. But it stands the test of 17 years. It's a fantastic story with great special effects (especially given it was made in '97). The low points are few and are no more than minor distractions; e.g., the acting in the mishap at the first IMC, and the science-religion comparison (i.e., I know what I know though I can't prove it) in the court hearing at the end.
4	WWallce4prez	80 _72%
A success story among blockbusters. Contact serves to give big effects, have big stars, but still stay grounded in its message. The debate between differing philosophical questions is well done and enticing enough to propel a solid sci-fi flick.
4	3Names	89 _73%
This is a beautiful sci-fi, fantasy... Some of the most sensitive work Jodie Foster has ever done, and definitely some of the BEST from Matthew McConaughy
3	TheEscapist	96 _99%
Really good, deals with a lot of interesting topics in a good way. Jodie Foster is great in this and the story is very interesting. I liked the ending too, because it dealt with deep themes and raises interesting questions. The film is a blend of sci-fi and drama, I think the film would have been even better if the drama was toned down a bit, it is important for certain aspects to this film but it felt a bit unnecessary at other moments. Very philosophical and thought-provoking, recommended!
3	DavidBlast	85 _88%
Carl Sagan is no Stanislaw Lem, and 'Contact' is no 'His Master's Voice' but really, this blockbuster movie should be applauded for trying to deal with first contact in a mature way. Some will have a hard time mustering that 'Contact' ends up taking the 'faith' road, but to those of you I'd like to say: You cannot hate any movie where Tom Skerritt gets killed by an alien onboard the spaceship. Fact.
3	Seryxa	25 _43%
After a brilliant beginning, an awe-inspiring journey through space, the film soon settles for sentimentality and psychobabble, being less interested in the consequences of the possibilities of alien contact than in self-help and exploring one's inner being.
3	moraesfelipe	85 _92%
Zemeckis and the screenwriters extract the most emotional, inspirational and arresting moments of the great novel by Sagan and craft an immensely poignant, character-based science and cosmic journey. Like Flight, another giant man-against-the-world kind of duel, Contact is about a stubborn, aggressive individual, one that simply won't stop believing in what she wants. This has to be one of the most underrated films of the 1990s.
3	terrymac	68 _52%
Competently made and acted, with some good ideas, but despite the lengthy running time it doesn't make the most of its potential. Very watchable, if a bit slight.
3	stevemoser	87 _75%
This film transported me.
2	doctor7	68 _49%
Takes two and a half hours to formulate the concept that scientists can't explain everything and therefore must sometimes make assumptions based on personal intuition. As a concept I really enjoyed the film but the last half hour was really hard to swallow after the first two due to being relatively ham-fisted. Plus it cuts short Sagan's book resulting in a changed message. Still everything up to that, and the core premise, is pretty good.
2	GVH	95 _99%
Want to watch a great science fiction movie? Look no further than Contact. Based on a story by prolific science writer Carl Sagan, this ticks all the boxes needed for quality sci-fi entertainment. Believable science? Check! Sense of wonder? Check! Emotional significance? Check! Philosophical debate? Check! Great acting? Check! Yes, Contact might be reminiscent of genre classics such as "2001", but it deserves your seperate attention nontheless. Awesome!
2	chemical404	70 _83%
A quite unique sci-fi movie, because the stress mark here is on science rather than fiction - an unusual practice in 90's Hollywood. Foster barely fits the bill, but she didn't bother me much. Film touches lots of interesting topics, especially clash of religion and science. Visual effects are great, beginning scene reminded me of the greatness of one Kubrick's film.
2	TjlMovFrks23	90 _82%
"Contact" is one of those rare movie that really bring out the question about science and religion.it might be a little too serious at times,but the whole story truly provoke the thoughts about human confusion between rationality and spirituality.As depicted in the two leading character which one is a skeptic and the other is a believer. "Contact" was Robert Zemeckis underrated masterpiece and sometimes being forgotten as well.
2	mwgerb	65 _77%
This had the potential to be one of the greatest science-fiction movies of all time. As it is, the science is great, but the fiction is somewhat hampered by melodrama, stock characters, and a predictable love interest. It's tempting to give Sagan all the credit for the great parts and blame Hollywood for the corniness. Anyway, the subject matter is right down my alley, and the concepts and visuals are great, so I quite enjoyed it.
2	calharding	67 _37%
Disclaimer: I never read the book. With that out of the way, the film is maybe a tad too long with acting that borders on "am-dram-soc" level. The script is quite clever, the science is refreshingly accurate, but the buildup of the film's second act is cataclysmically let down by the movie's climax. The character of Ellie is also suspiciously - for a scientist - unable to spot the glaring logical fallacies in the religious arguments constantly chucked her way.
2	psychedelicr	80 _65%
I love this film because of the wormhole-travel sequence and Jodie Foster. The ending is also brilliant. Seventeen hours of static!
2	TheDailyNathan	90 _93%
Few movies capture the awe of space exploration as inspirationally as Contact, and the movie succeeds brilliantly at blending a fantastical sci-fi story into the contemporary world, with all of the eerily relatable reactions and struggles you would imagine. From a science standpoint, the movie is also very well-grounded and asks the right, interesting questions. Possibly my favorite Jodie Foster performance as well.
2	bellamyr	87 _81%
A cerebral, thought provoking, deeply compelling and enjoyable film. All the leads play credible parts with the story being as much about ambition and the nature of humanity as a radio signal. Some very good special effects and a decent pace in the plot make this a rarity - a genuinely impressive science fiction story that doesn't rely on little green beings.
2	babamots	84 _78%
Dares to claim there are no sides when religion and science meet. It's not perfect, but it's poetry.
2	Derekstar	40 _19%
The first 40 minutes of this movie are utterly awful. I would recommend just starting the film when the alien transmission is first heard. Everything else is totally unnecessary. The romance here is really awful, and I hope these characters were more products of Hollywood than of Carl Sagan. At one point Matthew McConaughey inadvertently quotes Jodie Foster's father, so she has sex with him. So stupid. The stuff surrounding the alien transmission is good, but thumbs down on everything else
2	Hawkins	59 _24%
On paper the idea of an alien speaking to you through your dead father's face should be nothing but terrifying but this movie managed to make it sappy. It's kind of funny that Tom Skerritt's character is the chief skeptic of the alien's intent, clearly expecting the Giger variety.
2	backwardsuit	64 _31%
Ambitious & entertaining scifi story that's equally awe-inspiring and ridiculous. Well paced, expertly crafted, decently played and builds some really nice tension. You barely notice its two and a half hour running time. Slightly gag-inducing piano score though. Very heavy-handed but mostly engaging writing that admirably tackles some hefty themes in a populist way. Walks on the knife edge of goofiness with that serious tone and cuts itself pretty bad in the final act.
2	BattleToad	70 _37%
Despite a couple excruciatingly boring and long-lasting sections of the film, the concept is fascinating and generally well presented. Meh!
2	jayaprakashs	89 _97%
Actually superior to the book in some ways. Thinking SF on the big screen for once
2	AJ_Raffles	90 _97%
Spread-eagling faith and science this movie poses questions and allows for the imagination to run free.
2	Groovy_Souls	80 _73%
This is actually a pretty great movie. Foster and McConaughey deliver in performance and the plot entertained me thoroughly to the end. Sure, there were some cheesy moments but the overall psychological and philosophical messages played through correctly and made for a good plot. Ended up liking this for what it was. Pretty great.
2	Tripwyre	57 _38%
Left me feeling infuriated just as often as it wowed me. "If you won't try to convert aliens to our silly earth religions, then NO SPACE FOR YOU." What?!? Foster gives a valiant effort but some of the acting is atrocious (McConaughey and Busey, I'm lookin' at you). Even the great John Hurt is kind of annoying here. For their time the visual effects are strong, and the climax of the film is great. It's just lacking something. For a film dedicated to Sagan, I'm not sure he would approve of this.
2	Shephard	100 _99%
My favorite movie of all time. The writing, the acting, the special effects, and the message about mankind's future and evolution, as well as the flaws in science and religion. Fascinating and exceptional example of a well-made movie with an important message.
2	AntaresMHD	89 _86%
One of the best contemporary movies of its genre, with an interesting premise and execution. The idea behind the alien contact through radio transmissions isn't precisely new, but the way it was written for this movie amazed me. Science vs. religion is a touchy subject for some people, and in certain way that view was favored in the film, by leaving the most important part of the movie (the actual aliens) to mere faith, which probably doomed it. At least I'm open to the idea, unlike others...
1	asturias	95 _90%
better to be watched or re-watched after reading carl sagan's novel, demon haunted world.
1	Ag0stoMesmer	4 _91%
Don't remember quite why I ranked this so highly. Must've really been in the mood for some big, glossy sci-fi that day, and Foster.
1	bof	73 _66%
"When I talk about belief, why do you always assume I'm talking about God?" to quote another movie. As a philosophical argument, "Contact" falls a bit short, tossing up strawmen and contrived coincidences left and right to force its plot to make a point without getting uncomfortable. That said, it is, often enough, quite literally wonder-ful.
1	LookJabba...	7 _57%
Contact is definitely a film of mixed quality. As a thought provoking Sci/Fi with a real sense of wonder, it partially feels unsung and underrated. But rightly or wrongly in the mid 90's mainstream audiences seemed more interested in blockbusters like 'Independance Day' & 'Men in Black'. The science itself and the ideas here are interesting, but they are tarnished by sentiment. Jodie Foster carries the film well but I'm not convinced that Robert Zemeckis was the right choice to direct this film.
1	glumpy_99	89 _79%
Near-perfect philopsical rumination on humanity and its various belief systems (and the contradictions inherent in them) botched somewhat by a clumsy mid-section, which marks time like a bad shaggy dog joke before the film gets to the expected climax. So much of it works so well though; Foster's superb leading performance is matched by undervalued contribution by McConaughey in one of his best performances. Intriguing dialogue and debates (and Foster's final verdict) leave much food for thought.
1	Narg	41 _25%
Religion and Science FUCK. John Hurt shows up as a Bond villain who is actually nice. We visit the strange, uncharted, mysterious lands of.... Japan and Florida. This movie is kinda bananas, but I don't think it crosses over into being full on bad.
1	hellboy76	68 _65%
I don't think Zemeckis was the right choice here. There are obviously some high level concepts at the root of this, but it is so watered down it may become more confusing than if left completely intact. Foster is good, Matty McCon is completely out of his element.
1	MArkjp	85 _80%
Made me want to be an astronomer for a brief period back in the 7th grade.
1	Magb	60 _23%
Some intriguing ideas and some beautiful visuals, but I found large parts of the story -- especially the "misunderstood genius" elements -- to be annoying. Would religious people really be so petty as to care whether the person we sent to communicate with the aliens shared their own beliefs? Would people really be so myopic as to think that since the aliens transmitted back a video clip of Hitler, that means they must be warlike? I hope not.
1	Cinema_Asia	60 _30%
Pretty lame and comes across as a cheap imitation of Kubrick's 2001 in a myriad of ways. This includes the abstract ending which was made audience and family friendly into another "daddy issues" type character piece. Overall, very tedious at times and totally conventional. There are some good CGI shots in this though that are commendable to tech people but overall this is as lackluster as they come. Jodie Foster gives a good turn in her role but it's nothing special.
1	MonsterGear	81 _67%
I liked it. It was probably as close to really 'hard' sci-fi as a big mainstream film can get, and it did throw some nice philosophical questions out there too.
1	jimmynmu	44 _27%
Carl Sagan deserved much better.
1	yilb	60 _58%
The sci-fi wizardry here is vehicle for an essentially human movie. Clever circular dialogue, concise arguments about religion served up by likable characters who frame an event capturing imagination. The few problems here: reliance on the cathode ray tube as a media to communicate to the audience, as well as a dominant image in the film; Jody always about ready to cry; some effects are fakey; the movie doesn't have to be this long; are a minor detraction from our fascination with ourselves.
1	djross	45 _34%
Some mildly diverting aspects, but the filmmaking is too conventional if not indeed pedestrian. The "human" story is unconvincing and the questions raised by the "scientific" story fail to rise beyond an elementary level (in some ways the issues seem very "1990s"). Foster is a charismatic actress, but the character she is given to play is rather awkwardly drawn. McConaughey's is worse. Fails to capitalise on the investment it invites from its audience, leaving the viewer somewhat dissatisfied.
1	Harmonica	65 _28%
I have a high tolerance for wish fulfillment fantasy films, but Contact is for the most part a little too silly and sappy to have any real significance. The character drama is woefully underwritten, relying almost entirely on the machinations of an increasingly tenuous plot. The most interesting narrative is all squeezed into the last ten minutes, rather than underpinning the film. In this era, just as at release, the visual effects are the real draw - which to their credit still look fantastic.
1	nutcrackr	73 _49%
I think there is more to this movie than many give it credit for. It scratches the surface of faith and science and in a way that few have tried. Why should we believe her? That story she gave us is crazy. Is it really that crazy in comparison to the stories we are told everyday?
1	Nathan S	2 _21%
I owe this another viewing, but my recollection of it isn't very warm.
1	Stain	90 _86%
One of the rare examples of a Hollywood adaptation being better than the book. Thoughtful, handsome sf picture
1	Dogmandont	74 _41%
I like the ending with the 3-hours of blank tape.
1	Sepher	85 _26%
A little bit of a let down with the special effects and the ending, but a captivating idea and some good cinematography. It was one of the movies that really stayed with me a long time, made me think about the structure of knowledge, how we know what we say we know and how we give an account of that. It's a kind of argument for postmodernism.
1	WoozyB	70 _32%
A decent adaptation, but boring and forgettable in the end.
1	barshki	100 _95%
A thought provoking film to it's core, the very best movie of the 90's, not to be missed. Don't forget your brain!
1	Ofterdingen	48 _32%
Ambitious, and all the worse for it. Terrific opening zoom and a nice worm-hole machine helps.
1	bycore	39 _6%
Too many "Theatrical adaptations" assuming an audience IQ of 50. Read the book first and then see the movie as good illustrations to the text
1	JessJezzz	75 _20%
This movie was really, really good - until the ending. I mean, it wasn't terrible, but still...real let-down. Very anti-climactic.
1	walkearth	75 _89%
Excellent piece of cinema. Zemeckis has a very meticulous and careful camera approach. The pace is great with acting, music and screenplay adding in gorgeously. Beautiful segment towards the end, thought-provoking motives, wonderful supporting cast (Rob Lowe ahem, James Woods, a spot-on William Fichtner). Loved it. Some of the visual effects are outdated, and there are a couple of scenes that the film could've done without. Overall a superb experience. The court scene - gosh.
1	Mirelurk	75 _65%
Lovely bit of Hollywood here, like momma used to make.
1	chemtrails	75 _82%
The ultimate American movie, from searching for aliens in the New Mexico desert to softspoken evangelists handing us a moral compass; it turns out what we're looking for in the end is our dad
1	cbrainmovies	100 _90%
Beautiful and inspiring.

Average Percentile 53.84% from 9511 Ratings