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      Contact

      PG Released Jul 11, 1997 2 hr. 30 min. Sci-Fi TRAILER for Contact: Trailer 1 List
      68% 68 Reviews Tomatometer 78% 100,000+ Ratings Audience Score 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? Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered May 07 Buy Now

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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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      Jan F Honestly the start of the movie is not bad and it is very intriguing until the moment she actually 'goes' to space. The ending is very disappointing which pretty much ruins the whole excitement you had before and makes you regret watching it. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/25/24 Full Review Olson K Watched on 02/11/2024 Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/24 Full Review Jesus B Highest marks for Jodie in this extraordinary film. Intelligent, heartfelt and a definite thought provoking examination of life in the universe and beyond and the quiet question posited by it about our role in it. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/24 Full Review Elvis D Después de Forrest Gump, Robert Zemeckis asombra nuevamente con una historia sobre creer en algo que va más allá del entendimiento humano. Contact es una película centrada en la travesía que Jodie Foster emprende sobre el descubrimiento de vida más allá de las estrellas, dando lugar a una historia que provoca el debate entre la ciencia y la religión. La película plantea este concepto de una manera estupenda. Lo que deja después del viaje que Jodie Foster emprende es la duda sobre pensar en algo que la ciencia no puede explicar o que carece de pruebas. Lo que se plantea es que la ciencia siempre se ha utilizado para responder muchas preguntas y que esta parece ser la única cosa que ofrece la verdad definitiva. Lo que surge después es el conflicto con respeto a la existencia de algo mucho más grande que se podría definir como Dios. Aquí Jodie Foster es claramente una mujer muy aferrada a los hechos científicos y emprende un viaje que la conducirá a una especie de revelación espiritual. Lo que la película plantea es que el universo y el cosmos está lleno de muchísimos misterios que van más allá de la comprensión humana y que la ciencia humana siempre trata de descifrar esos misterios. La relación con la religión es que la creencia en lo divino siempre ha sido algo hecho para tratar de comprender lo inexplicable. Debido a que en el pasado no existía la tecnología y la civilización no estaba muy avanzada, las creencias religiosas se fundaron para darle una explicación a los misterios del cosmos y así poder adaptar lo inexplicable a la comprensión humana. Aún siguen existiendo misterios cómicos y existenciales que la ciencia no ha podido descifrar y la única hipótesis que queda para esos misterios es que son algo relacionado con las creencias religiosas. El mensaje que la película acaba transmitiendo es que cuando se es testigo de algo que no se puede explicar o probar, lo único que queda es creer en ello y tener fe en que existe algo en el cosmos más allá de lo que se pueda imaginar. Para algunos ese algo es Dios y los ángeles, para otros es vida inteligente más allá de las estrellas. Algo que dependiendo de lo que uno piense o crea, le puede dar sentido a la existencia. Lo cierto es que la religión es demasiado superficial y la ciencia es demasiado lógica, pero es claro que ambas combaten por descifrar uno de los más grandes misterios del universo. Sin duda con el gran elenco que tiene, el estupendo guion y la banda sonora del talentoso Alan Silvestri, Contact es una inspiradora película sobre las maravillas y los misterios del mundo cósmico y la vida. Mi calificación final para esta película es un 9/10. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/25/23 Full Review Adam E Directed by Robert Zemeckis and based on Carl Sagan's novel, Contact was a 1997 science-fiction film about a scientist (played by Jodie Foster) who makes a groundbreaking discovery when listening to radio frequencies coming from space as the world finally takes notice of her lifelong research. The film was well received by critics and audiences alike back in the late 90's and, today, it's easy to see how it influenced the likes of Interstellar (which also starred Matthew McConaughey) and Arrival, among others. Unlike your typical sci-fi blockbuster about extraterrestrial life, Contact took inspiration from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and focused predominantly on the Earth-set prelude to the central discovery and its aftermath, never straying too far from the emotional and intellectual conflicts the main characters face. Along with a third act sequence that's definitely out-there, Contact aims to tell a very human story about science's relationship with faith so, while it boasts some terrific cinematography, it's hardly a spectacle until the ending and this sober approach might alienate (no pun intended) those viewers expecting something in the vein of, say, Independence Day. We follow Dr. Ellie Arroway's (Foster) story from childhood, when her relationship with her father was tragically cut short, to her career-driven adult life, all the way to the ends of the galaxy and back. Foster gives a pitch-perfect, layered performance as Ellie and the supporting cast, which includes James Woods and John Hurt, along with McConaughey's Christian philosopher/love interest, is excellent also. The way in which the message received from space is gradually decoded and is interpreted by various characters throughout is fascinating, especially seeing as the first image they uncover is controversial. Ellie faces countless obstacles on the way towards her goal, even afterwards, and, by the end of the film, there's something comforting about seeing how much that character has grown. In terms of the science/faith debate, the film seems to promote a balance between the two rather than pick a clear side and that was probably a wise move, though it won't please everyone. Contact may not be an action film but what it lacks in big, exciting set-pieces, it makes up for in great writing, storytelling and performances. This is sci-fi more along the lines of 2001: A Space Odyssey and it has a certain amount of depth, though it thankfully never feels too pretentious for its own good. A must for any fan of sci-fi. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/22/23 Full Review Dustin C SCIENCE fiction. Fiction based on science. A fantastic (all meanings of the word) story expertly brought to the big screen. A movie I can watch over and over. The wonder and possibility sucks me in. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      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 Duane Byrge 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 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 Chris Plante Polygon The core message feels a little thinner... but the story is no less propulsive, particularly the final 40 minutes which play like an acid trip at the planetarium. Sep 29, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

      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
      Executive Producer
      Joan Bradshaw, Lynda Obst
      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
      Sound Mix
      SDDS, DTS, Surround, Dolby Digital
      Aspect Ratio
      35mm, Scope (2.35:1)
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