Truth.

Rating: 10/10 (2 November 2001)

(Minor spoilers here.)
Contact is an amazing movie. I read the novel shortly after it was published, and was enthralled by the story. The movie itself, while not quite as good as the novel, is brilliant. The acting, in all parts, is superb. The storyline is gripping. The special effects enhance the film without carrying it. This is a testament to the vision and depth of Carl Sagan.
The journey Ellie takes through the loss of her father at the beginning of the movie, to her realization at the end, is a metaphor for mankind's journey. It is a tale of loss and redemption, of faith denied and regained, a subtle and beautiful story with a powerful message: science and religion are not adversarial, but rather two sides of the same coin. They do not oppose each other by nature, only when people make it so.

Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey play their parts perfectly as Ellie and Palmer, physical embodiments of science and religion. The film shows how the threads of their lives intertwine, and although they flirt with each other, they never truly get together. Tom Skerritt also stands out as the oily David Drumlin, who is so good in his role that you cannot help but clench your fists involuntarily the moment he appears on screen.
The ending of the film, though fulfilling, is not nearly as good as the ending in the novel. This is one of those rare occasions where the book and the movie compliment each other. I've always felt that Sagan was brilliant. This work -- the novel and the film -- is sublime.
10 Pale, Blue Dots out of 10. Superior.