Making Contact

Rating: 10/10 (17 October 2012)

"Contact" is a 1997 film directed by Robert Zemeckis that stars Jodie Foster as Dr. Eleanor Arroway, an astronomer who is searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. It also stars Matthew McConaughey as Palmer Joss, a religious man in search of himself. The movie starts with a young Eleanor. Her father introduces her to astronomy. The movie cuts to an older Eleanor listening to radio waves from the stars. She meets Palmer Joss in Puerto Rico, where he is studying religion and she is working at the Arecibo Observatory. The funding for her project is cut and she leaves Palmer. After months of searching, she receives funding from Hadden Industries. While listening to radio transmissions in New Mexico, she hears a distinct pattern of noise coming from a star. This message carries plans for a transport system. Palmer Joss is now the religious adviser to the president. The machine is built and Eleanor is chosen to travel. She makes the greatest trip of her lifetime. But, was all she experienced a lie? Was she a puppet in what could be one of the greatest hoaxes of all time?
The primary message of this film is that everyone has differing views, religions, and opinions. What one person experiences is often drastically different than another person in the same situation. This movie demonstrates how two people with very different views can understand and sympathize with the other. In "Contact", theology is openly discussed and debated; something that is not often seen in movies.
"Contact" is one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time. The special effects are phenomenal, and the characters are extremely well-developed. The science behind the movie is extremely accurate. The acting is exceptional. This is one of Jodie Foster's finest works. What I enjoy most about "Contact" is that it encompasses so many genres: Drama, science fiction, comedy, and action. Robert Zemeckis is able to make this movie appeal to all audiences.