Based on Carl Sagan’s novel from 1985, the 1997 sci-fi movieContactstars Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey as two fascinating main characters with opposite belief systems. When Foster’s protagonist tries to see if there are other forms of life in the universe, they must wrestle with the tension between science and religion and whether their gut instincts mean anything in this strange new world.
WhileContactmight not be talked about as much as the brilliant 1979 classicAlien, it does deserve to be seen.Contacthas strong characters, a great premise, and thoughtful source material. What happens duringContactand how does it compare to Carl Sagan’s book?
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What Is Contact About?
While there are manyforgotten 1990s sci-fi movies,Contactis memorable thanks to performances from the main actors: Jodie Foster as Dr. Ellie Arroway and Matthew McConaughey as Palmer Joss. Ellie wants to prove that there are aliens while working for the Arecibo Observatory’s SETI Program.
Ellie goes into a machine’s pod and seems to have contact with an alien, although the movie proves that there are no easy answers here. Some viewers might feel that she definitely proves that there is other life out there and some might say that she stays on Earth. The fact thatContactdoesn’t give any simple answers is a good thing and makes the ending more powerful.
Contactuses thesci-fi “the humans are the real monsters” tropebecause some of the people who Ellie works for are all about profit and greed. They think that science matters more than faith because they want to make as much money as possible. And they’re all about logical and satisfying results. Ellie is a strong and intelligent character who believes in herself even when others don’t.
Matthew McConaughey starred inFrailty, an underrated thriller that proved he can lend his talents to any genre. Whether playing a character hiding a massive secret or a religious writer who talks honestly about his thoughts and beliefs, the actor always commands attention onscreen. Watching McConaughey and Foster’s scenes is one of the best parts ofContact.Their opposite characters play off each other perfectly.
How Does Contact End?
TheContactending is fast-paced and smart. While there aregreat sci-fi movies with no aliens,Contactoffers a new take on the classic story of humans coming across another life form. In this case, some characters believe and others don’t, and it’s up to the audience to come up with their own interpretation of what really happened. This seems to be what would really happen.
At the end ofContact, Ellie is scared when she wakes up on the pod’s floor after having passed out. She thinks that she missed 18 hours, but she can’t find out more information because her technology is all static. Ellie asks the Congressional Committee to believe her story of what happened to her because she may not be able to use science to explain it but they should have faith in her. There are somesci-fi movies with peaceful aliens. And since the aliens inContactare only hinted at, it doesn’t seem that they mean any harm.
Joss tells Ellie that he believes her, and this sweet scene suggests that they will start a relationship. Ellie is able to keep doing the work that she loves, which is another triumph. Ellie is a brilliant character who really believes in the work that she does and she’s a lot of fun to observe.
Rachel Constantine (Angela Basset) and Michael Kitz (James Wood) talk about how Ellie’s device showed 18 hours of straight static, which proves that she isn’t lying. While they aren’t the most likable characters because it’s easier to root for Ellie than them, it’s interesting to see them come to terms with what is really going on.
How Is Contact Different From Carl Sagan’s Novel?
TheContactmovie makes a major change from Carl Sagan’s novel that alters the character of Palmer Joss. In the movie, he writes books about religion. In the novel, he’s a preacher, which is important since his religious ideas inform the story’s premise. However, in both cases, his character is important because the story is about the tension between religion and science.
TheContactmovie also creates a love story between Joss and Ellie. This doesn’t happen in Carl Sagan’s novel. There are somegreat horror movies with strong love stories, and the relationship between these two characters adds something compelling and sweet to the film adaptation ofContact. Because Joss is religious and Ellie isn’t, they are able to have interesting conversations and eventually find common ground despite their differences. This allowsContactto end on a hopeful note.
