An oft misunderstood classic

Rating: Null/10 (19 January 2003)

Some movies are too smart for their own good. Contact is one of these, presenting the fault-lines between science and religion in a poignant, character-driven tour de force while subtly judging on their respective merits. Consequently, the "big picture" may be lost on some viewers.
The film follows Dr. Ellie Arroway, an ostracized astronomer whose search for extraterrestrial life has effectively driven her into professional exile, as she proves the world wrong by discovering an alien transmission from Vega. Throughout, she relies on her unwavering faith in science, which is juxtaposed against the spiritual faith of her on again, off again beau. Her quixotic idealism is also tested by more opportunistic elements of the scientific world, which seize upon her discovery and hijack its publicity. The real wildcards include an old, rich eccentric who secretly backs Arroway as "the game of the millennium" unfolds, and a reactionary terrorist group.
The relationships between the scientists, politicians, and even nations involved in this "game" give the movie its flavor and character depth, but the real complexity lies in the motivations behind the principal players, as well as the ultimate revelation that Arroway makes at the end of the film. A thousand words cannot do justice to the philosophical questions that it asks. For instance, what is God? Why do we believe in him? Is it because we're alone? If we shouldn't believe in God because he can't be seen, then what about love?
There is not much I can add to the other analyses given, but I hope that viewers watch the movie with their own faith and their own questions in mind. If you are a born again Christian, or an Atheist, or whatever, does this movie reinforce your own belief? How should science and religion interact?
I feel the final act taught Dr. Arroway that her faith in her journey, and by extension her very faith in science, are inherently subjective, but that they are no less profound or true for being so. It also shows that the truth may be forever hidden, thus it needs to be taken on our faith alone. Perhaps you'll see it differently.