Contact (1997 film)

Contact (1997 film). The film is a science fiction drama based on the novel of the same name by Carl Sagan, a renowned astronomer and cosmologist who also wrote Cosmos: A Personal Voyage and The Dragons of Eden. The movie explores the first contact between humans and an extraterrestrial civilization, a theme also discussed by SETI Institute and NASA. The story is set against the backdrop of radio astronomy and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), with references to Arecibo Observatory and Very Large Array.

Plot

The plot follows Dr. Eleanor Arroway, a radio astronomer played by Jodie Foster, who works for SETI Institute and discovers a message from an extraterrestrial civilization using the Very Large Array in New Mexico. The message is decoded with the help of NSA cryptologists, including Hadden Industries' S.R. Hadden, played by John Hurt. As the story unfolds, Dr. Arroway is chosen to be the first human to make contact with the extraterrestrial civilization, using a machine built by Hadden Industries based on the instructions provided in the message. The machine is similar to those used in Project Ozma and Project Cyclops (SETI), and its construction is overseen by NASA and NSF. The film's plot also explores the implications of such a discovery on society, including the reactions of Vatican officials, such as Father Jose Funes, and US government officials, including National Security Adviser Anthony Lake.

Production

The production of the film was a collaboration between Warner Bros., South Side Amusement Company, and Hadden Industries, with Robert Zemeckis as the director and Steve Starkey as the producer. The screenplay was written by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, based on Carl Sagan's novel of the same name. The film features a score by Alan Silvestri, who also composed music for Back to the Future and Forrest Gump. The cinematography was handled by Don Burgess, who worked on Forrest Gump and Cast Away, and the editing was done by Arthur Schmidt, who edited Forrest Gump and Coal Miner's Daughter. The film was shot on location in New Mexico, California, and Florida, with additional footage from Arecibo Observatory and Very Large Array.

Cast

The cast of the film includes Jodie Foster as Dr. Eleanor Arroway, Matthew McConaughey as Palmer Joss, a theologian and philosopher who becomes Dr. Arroway's love interest, and James Woods as National Security Adviser Michael Kitz. The film also features John Hurt as S.R. Hadden, the founder of Hadden Industries, and Tom Skerritt as David Drumlin, the director of the NSF. Other notable cast members include Angela Bassett as Rachel Constantine, a presidential adviser, and William Fichtner as Kent Clark, a NSA cryptologist. The cast also includes David Morse as Theodore Arroway, Dr. Arroway's father, and Jena Malone as young Eleanor Arroway.

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising the performances of the cast, particularly Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. The film holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 66% based on reviews from Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, and other critics from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Variety. The film was also a commercial success, grossing over $171 million at the box office worldwide, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1997. The film was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Sound and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for Jodie Foster's performance.

Themes

The film explores several themes, including the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), the implications of contact with an extraterrestrial civilization, and the relationship between science and religion. The film also touches on the theme of faith and doubt, as embodied by the characters of Dr. Eleanor Arroway and Palmer Joss. The film's portrayal of science and technology is also noteworthy, with references to radio astronomy, cryptology, and artificial intelligence. The film's themes are also reflected in the works of other science fiction authors, such as Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov, and in the philosophy of cosmology and astrobiology. The film's exploration of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), in particular, is also relevant to the work of SETI Institute and NASA, and to the Arecibo Message and the Voyager Golden Record. Category:1997 films