| Genre: | SciFi |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Rating: | PG |
| Length: | 150 min |
| Country: | USA |
| Cast: | Jodie Foster, Mathew McConaughey, James Woods, Angela Bassett, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, and Rob Lowe. |
| Credits: | Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Written by Michael Goldenburg. Produced by Robert Zemeckis and Steve Starkey. Released by Warner Bros. |
Synopsis
Unexpected radio contact from space aliens throws the Earths intellectuals, scientists and theologians into turmoil. Based on astronomer and futurist Carl Sagan's best selling novel and made under his guidance (he died in December 1996 while the film was still in production), Robert Zemeckis's Contact offers a provocative blend of science, speculation and mysticism as it follows the spiritual and physical journey of Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster), a young scientist who is convinced that intelligent beings from other worlds are trying to contact us and has spent her career
trying to prove it. For many years, her efforts are government-funded, but suddenly her financial support is taken away by the skeptical presidential science advisor David Drumlin (Tom Skerritt) and she is forced to leave her Puerto Rico-located operations base. Just before leaving she has an intimate encounter with New Age theologian Palmer
Joss, who goes on to become the spiritual advisor to President Clinton. Ellie, whose mother died giving birth to her and whose beloved father, also a scientist, died when she was nine, is an atheist who does not believe in life after death. During their tryst, Palmer tries to convince her otherwise. Later, with funding from an unnamed benefactor, Ellie and her crew set up a new inter-galactic eavesdropping operation in New Mexico, and it is while sitting in a field filled with huge deep-space satellite dishes that she hears the deep and chilling rhythm of an alien space transmission. Upon deciphering the broadcast, she and her crew are met with a frightening television picture, and the plans for building a spaceship capable of carrying one person to the aliens' planet in the Vega solar system. When her discovery leaks out, Drumlin takes full credit for the discovery while scientists get busy constructing the space craft. Ellie desperately hopes that she will be the one selected to go on the 50-year journey and is crushed when Drumlin is selected. Just before take-off, Fate intervenes and Ellie gets her wish. What she discovers during the long journey are answers with the potential of satisfying proponents of religion and science.
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