Close, But No "Contact"

Rating: 7/10 (3 January 2001)

CONTACT is a beautifly crafted, but ultimately comprimised movie. Are we to believe a "rational agnostic" scientist and a "holy man" jump into bed together the first night they meet, then don't see each other for years? OK, guess it does happen in real life, but the whole thing is quite jarring, and it certainly undercuts the "holy man's" role as a spokesman for the religious later. The theme of this movie is, pardon the pun, alienation. Foster's character has let no one get really close to her since the sudden death of her father. Losing both her mother and father in childhood makes her fear caring too much, or really believing in anything. Yet Foster WANTS to believe. She risks losing her reputation in order to seek contact with an alien civilization. Does she succeed?
SPOILERS AHEAD
Of course; but this disappointing movie tries to have it BOTH ways. Foster claims to have been gone 13 hours, when the external evidence indicates she did not leave at all. 'Scuse me, Jody, where did you come up with that number? Did Robert Zemeckis leave something on the cutting room floor that makes sense of it? Of course, when the National Science Advisor finds that the Foster's digital video camera has operated for 13 HOURS, that's supposed to satisfy us. CHEAT!
There is plenty of evidence out there which "proves" BOTH science and religion. If you doubt that, read something like GOD AND THE NEW PHYSICS. To quote Einstein "Religion without science is blind; science without religion is lame..." CONTACT is both.