A thinking person's delight

Rating: Null/10 (12 June 1999)

I know someone out there has seen Contact and said, "Hey man, cool special effects, but too much talkin!" For those who look for intellectual stimulation, Contact will connect! (pardon the cheesy rhetoric.) I loved this movie because, unlike the recent Star Wars release, the special effects enhance the movie instead of dominating it. In Contact, SEs add to the feeling of wonder and awe of our universe. The plot is not centered around the eye candy. Instead, there is substance here. A lot. The movie centers around Ellie Arroway, who is not religious but is interested in the "pursuit of truth." The problem is, perhaps the truth is not what religion indoctrinates. When Earth is given the chance to send one human to contact with another race of beings, Ellie is desperate to be the one chosen. Her opposition is strong because of her non-religious background. I believe this illuminates how blind religion can make people--I am a religious person but still, I can see how stubborn refusal to accept an idea other than your own can limit our future. Contact is a thought-provoker. You won't forget it.