Moving and thought-provoking to the n-th degree

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2006)

This movie was written with skill and sensitivity, and the casting was phenomenal. Jodie Foster's speech before the committee brought me to tears. This movie simply could not have been without the power of her acting. It's not exactly like the book, and I wish the book's discussion of "pi" could have been included, but this is one of my favorite movies, and still is, nine years later. Get the deluxe DVD to explore just how difficult the movie was to make, the technical hurdles, the dedication of the actors. The deluxe edition has no fewer than three commentaries, one from Ms. Foster, one from the director and producer, and one from the technical team. Ordinarily, I would never listen to so much commentary coming from one movie, but I listened to them all, and watched the original movie over and over again to get a feel for the effort behind this production. You may consider SETI the height of futility, and perhaps it is, but Sagan's vision was masterful.