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Contact

Play trailer 2:12 Poster for Contact PG Released Jul 11, 1997 2h 30m Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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68% Tomatometer 68 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
In this Zemeckis-directed adaptation of the Carl Sagan novel, Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) races to interpret a possible message originating from the Vega star system. Once first contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence is proven, Arroway contends with restrictive National Security Advisor Kitz (James Woods) and religious fanatics bent on containing the implications of such an event. An incredible message is found hidden in the signal, but will Arroway be the one to answer its call?
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Critics Consensus

Contact elucidates stirring scientific concepts and theological inquiry at the expense of satisfying storytelling, making for a brainy blockbuster that engages with its ideas, if not its characters.

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Critics Reviews

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Duane Byrge The Hollywood Reporter Despite its lineage and some impressive special effects, Contact is a disappointingly earthbound production, weighed down by the ballast of talking-heads dramaturgy and bloated storytelling. Jul 18, 2018 Full Review David Ansen Newsweek If Contact is disappointingly soft in the head, it can also enthrall. Zemeckis is such a potent imagemaker that he is capable, for long stretches at a time, of sweeping you up in his vision. Feb 28, 2018 Full Review Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review The ruminative approach and final resolution that there are no certainties in the universe, however honest, left audiences unsatisfied. But the film remains a daring work, among the most cerebral and emotional motion pictures on this subject ever released Rated: 4/4 Jun 7, 2023 Full Review James Croot Stuff.co.nz If you’ve ever gazed at the sky in wonder and wondered “what if”, are a fan of the magnificent Foster (and who isn’t), or simply like first-rate storytelling, then seek Contact out. Rated: 4/5 Jul 14, 2022 Full Review Andrea Thompson Inverse Sagan's spirit certainly comes through in the film, which makes a point of valuing scientific exploration for its own sake rather than a means to an end. Nov 1, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Blu B A Sci-Fi Classic. It reminds me of Sci-Fi flicks like original The Day the Earth Stood Still where it's not about tons of cool fantasy action or world building but more about exploring ideas and science. The fundamental building blocks of the Science Fiction genre. When it focuses on those ideas, besides a handful of plot conviences, it explores those ideas pretty darn well and asks though provoking questions. However, when it focuses on character driven interactions, it struggles quite a bit and isn't as good. Most of the problems are in the first half. Overall this has solid acting and is really well made all around. The first half is mainly about setting Foster's characters background and the relationships with others. The problems are two fold. First she's just not that interesting a character to explore for a whole hour. Second, The acting is just alright for the first half. M.M. & Jodie are the poster child for the problems here. They are fine on their own with great charisma and prescence. However they just don't really romantic chemistry at all, the other characters she interacts with like Fitchner & Hurt are more quirky than they are anything with depth. Also, this really struggles with making the science babble expose understandable at first. It truly is not accessible at all. As a whole looking back the first half is very bloated and could've probably been cut in half without much lost. You probably could've gotten away with quick flashbacks and cutting the romance completely and it would've fixed everything. Once it focuses on the plot and becomes more story driven though it really finds it stride and never lets up. The ideas it explores are SOOOO much more interesting than the characters and everything including the acting takes a big step up. The special effects overall are very good and creative. They really do a good job immerising you and visually explaining what's happening than the first half did which counts more. It does a great job flipping the script of the idea of religion and faith on it's head as well. Don't go into this expecting tons of cool tech, space battles, and action. You'll be severely let down. Go in expecting ideas and to be challenged. Anyone who is a fan of any actors in this, Sci-Fi, or the director will like this. As a sidenote you can defintely see Interstellar drew a lot of inspiration from this. It fixed the issues this had and soared. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/24/24 Full Review Marc K Good acting coupled with messages that are still alive today. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Jamie A While many have critique this film for being too verbose and heady, I think they do the film and audiences a disservice. The themes in this film remain critical today- perhaps even more so than when it was released. The tension between science and the unknown should be viewed as generative and not divisive. But that is far easier said than done. Foster's performance was stellar (pun intended). Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/11/24 Full Review Darin S If you are the type that enjoys math, science and ever contemplates why and how we are here, then Contact is for you. If you're the type that's never bothered to wonder why the sky is blue and the sun comes up in the east and sets in the west, you'll be better suited to watch some mindless movie another half dozen times. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/02/24 Full Review Audience Member One of the most thought provoking films I have ever seen. Other reviews saying that the audience was left unhappy because there was no definitive answer given annoy me so much. The whole point of the film is “we don’t know”. The main content may be science fiction but the story behind this film is not, hence why it leaves us with questions to be answered, because in real life there are questions to be answered about what’s out there. A joy to watch with Jodie Foster being her usual amazing self. Even Matthew doesn’t annoy me in this film. Oh and to the other reviewer out there that questioned “how does he always end up being at every important meeting” the film actually tells you he’s an advisor to the president, he would be there with something like this going on wouldn’t he, sigh. Watch the film, then critique. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/20/24 Full Review soul s I will gladly add to this and flesh this out later but if anyone is finding this I am absolutely astounded to look up this movie that I have always turned to and watch so many times and see that the critic reviews are below 70% average. You could say all different things but people have to take into account that there are so many strong stretches and strong parts of this film. This should be a highly celebrated film.. I need to look up if it had nominations and and look at that and what the competition was that you're in look I used to be into the Academy Awards when I was younger and then when Fargo didn't win I remember getting upset and not caring anymore.. but let's be real here this is clearly in the best picture type category I saw someone writing about this online today so this is fresh in my mind but also Jodie Foster was incredible. I don't know that she's had a better performance besides Silence of the Lambs this is an incredible movie. I need to read the book and everything but seriously just so thought-provoking and so much and so many great shots even when they zoom in on this bad guy I don't want to give it away but the zoom in shot and everything that they show is excellent filmmaking. I need to look up and see all his films but Robert zemack is a favorite of mine with Castaway and flight is unbelievable if you haven't seen that you have to. But I'm just dismayed and kind of disgusted to see that this film could have anything but but higher reviews I mean you know a lot of movies come out now and things are really poorly rated and then you know something's most likely going to be great when it's like high 80s and into the 90s and there is no reason why this movie shouldn't be up by a solid 90% Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/15/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis In this Zemeckis-directed adaptation of the Carl Sagan novel, Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) races to interpret a possible message originating from the Vega star system. Once first contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence is proven, Arroway contends with restrictive National Security Advisor Kitz (James Woods) and religious fanatics bent on containing the implications of such an event. An incredible message is found hidden in the signal, but will Arroway be the one to answer its call?
Director
Robert Zemeckis
Producer
Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis
Screenwriter
Carl Sagan, James V. Hart, Michael Goldenberg
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co
Warner Brothers
Rating
PG
Genre
Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 11, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$100.9M
Runtime
2h 30m
Sound Mix
SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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