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The opening and closing moments of Robert (Forrest Gump) Zemeckis's Contact astonish viewers with the sort of breathtaking conceptual imagery one hardly ever sees in movies these day--each is an expression of the heroine's lifelong quest (both spiritual and scientific) to explore the meaning of human existence through contact with extraterrestrial life. The movie begins by soaring far out into space, then returns dizzyingly to earth until all the stars in the heavens condense into the sparkle in one little girl's eye. It ends with that same girl as an adult (Jodie Foster)--her search having taken her to places beyond her imagination--turning her gaze inward and seeing the universe in a handful of sand. Contact traces the journey between those two visual epiphanies. Based on Carl Sagan's novel, Contact is exceptionally thoughtful and provocative for a big-budget Hollywood science fiction picture, with elements that recall everything from 2001 to The Right Stuff. Foster's solid performance (and some really incredible alien hardware) keep viewers interested, even when the story skips and meanders, or when the halo around the golden locks of rising-star-of-a-different-kind Matthew McConaughey (as the pure-Hollywood-hokum love interest) reaches Milky Way-level wattage. Ambitious, ambiguous, pretentious, unpredictable--Contact is all of these things and more. Much of it remains open to speculation and interpretation, but whatever conclusions one eventually draws, Contact deserves recognition as a rare piece of big-budget studio filmmaking on a personal scale. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (357)

Thoroughly satisfying
One of my favourite ways to spend two and a half hours is to watch this excellent film over and over again. I can't remember any science-fiction film after 2001: A Space Odyssey to be this thought-provoking, and while Contact is not quite as profound a statement as the aforementioned opus, it still has quite a lot to say for itself. Jodie Foster plays an earnest scientist who spends her whole life searching for extra-terrestrial life and finds vindication when a message is received from outer space. Naturally, it throws the world into a huge frenzy, and despite the efforts of kitschy bad guy Tom Skerritt and military operations-head James Woods, she gets to go on a journey to the heart of the universe and see whether or not she can find the answers she's looking for. Perhaps it's a little hokey, but I found myself totally captivated throughout the whole film, and the adventure Foster goes through in the last third of the picture is one of the most thrilling sequences in the films of 1997 (not the least because Foster, surrounded by all these new worlds she's viewing, can act the scene to pieces, which is amazing considering the fact that we know she really sat in front of a blue-screen for two weeks). Truly moving.

One of my favorite DVDs!
I feel like Contact is a gift to humanity from astronomer Carl Sagan. It's an incredibly moving story about a scientist who lives out a scenerio that has played out in the minds of real life dreamers like myself. The ultimate "what if...?". Indeed, what if THEY (E.T.'s) contacted US (Earthlings). Director Zemeckis does an excellent job of transferring novel to screen. "Too long" say some critics. No way! Perfect. Things play out quite well. The "backing into space" opening sequence is probably my personal favorite of all time. I'm thrilled to live in a time when movie makers can create such magic. It's worth the price alone to see the first few minutes of this film.

The cast is very good with Jodie Foster and John Hurt standouts. Foster is as good in this as she was in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. She has moments of pure magic...I get misty eyed. And John Hurt's "Wanna take a ride?" is my favorite character.

The DVD transfer is one of the best in my collection. The picture and sound are excellent. If you're into 2001 A Space Odyssey and the like, then Contact should be on your shelf.

One of my favorite movies
One of my favorite subjects as I was growing up and into my early 20s, was backyard skywatching and astronomy. I believe this movie accurately portrays the emotional aspects of science in general and astronomy in particular: the sense of awe and beauty when confronted with infinity, and the sense of lonliness felt by everyone with an idealistic passion.

If you have ever read Carl Sagan's books, you'll see that this movie touches upon the usual staples of a Carl Sagan read: the foundation of religion vs. the foundation of science, the mutual misunderstanding and struggle between those governed by curious optimism versus those governed by primal fear, and a demonstration of the dangers of a world that depends on science which is filled with so many people who do not understand it.

Some have argued that they find Contact to be "preachy." I don't really see much of a foundation in that assessment of the movie. Just like in real life, the ultimate philosophical answers are left wide open at the end of this movie, leaving it open to many different interpretations. And I think it's refreshing to see a movie that doesn't follow the contemporary pattern of avoiding any serious discussion about morality and philosophy. These are some of the conversations the human race will be forced to have with itself if we want to survive the coming centuries. Recent events since this movie was released and Carl Sagan's death only accentuate the importance of facing this fact.

I love this movie. From the beautiful computer-generated opening sequence, through the middle sequences detailing the main character's relentless and passionate quest for scientific knowledge and exploration, to the adventurous surreal climax, I felt that I had a personal connection with almost every aspect of this movie.

Read the book, ignore the movie.
The themes of this movie were better told in 2001; A Space Odyssey, this movie with it's bad script and cliched love story, made both boring, predictable, and very preachy. Zemmeckis should be ashamed of himself. Then again he is a Spielberg wanna be.

A movie about relationships
This is one of the most layered, thought provoking, dramatic, and moving films I have seen in years. On the surface, it is a great space adventure film, but look deeper, and it takes all of our wonder about the meaning of existence, and boils it down to how we learn about ourselves through our relationships...work, family, and love. See it. See it. See it. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Bizzare and different
I had almost forgotten about this movie. I watched It a few years back, and I must say I havent seen anything like it since. Its more weird than scary, though it does have its moments. Its about a woman who reads an old novel, about a dentist who disfigures his face out of love for a woman. The dentist then starts killing off the friends of the woman, collecting parts of their faces. As the Woman reading the book, reads each chapter, the murders begin happening to her friends. The ending is one of the most creative, I have seen in a movie. This film just goes to prove, you dont need a big budget, or big stars to make a good movie.

A Unique Film at It's Best
This film, while a low budget movie, is a classic as far as I am concerned. It has a unique haunting feel and is a wonderful experience to watch. There is a definate feel of passion, which this movie portrays, but, you also get the excitement of some horror as well. This movie is best watching in the dark. So, grab some popcorn and a soda, then sit down and relax and enjoy this film.

EYES! Face? Razor?????
IT's kind of a 'do it yourself' version of "Eyes Without a Face" - not really - closer to the lovely Vinnie the P's "House Of Wax" ...... very nasty work afoot and this one keep you well on your toes , err whatever.

Nerdy [but buxom] blonde is a reader of pulp - she becomes slightly entwined in two rather sick fictional excursions by a now departed soul only to find out that the works are actually classified as NON-Fiction .... not helping is the detective hunk boyfriend, who 'believes' her somewhat.

Seems that she is now being pursued by the mysterious black trench coated figure - lower face masked and this one carries sharp objects .....

GREAT FUN in the seedy side of Hollywood's old apartments, and those nasty little sticky Yale locks ....

ART DIRECTION? Superb! Mixes of green, mint, pastachio, vermillion, crimson and just old plain red - almost like watching 3D without the glasses. [A brief nod to 'Rear Window' - works well!]

A MUST for the collector!

Bravo to the cast for maintaining the mood and period of this special pleasure [!]

I ... Liked It!
I, MADMAN is, at best, a guilty pleasure ... with forced camp-ridden dialogue in a forced camp-ridden situation (a stunningly beautiful bookworm shucking her life away at some used book stores stumbles across an author who penned only two 'non-fiction' horror stories magically brings the demented author to life in a very Freddy Krueger-esque fashion) ... and you can't but help enjoy this harmless horror flick despite your best intentions.

Yes, others have made mention of this, but the lead actress (Jenny Wright) is an absolute stunner to look at. Sadly, the film is a bit dated with the wardrobe and hair choices, but, one she slimmed down to the bra and panties it's a very easy gaffe to dismiss. (snicker)

The plot is relatively predictable (the script squeezes out a few surprises), and the premise isn't entirely original ... but the "Nightmare on Elm Street" twist works very well in the limitations of the acting and effects.

What's the real travesty is the fact that I, MADMAN -- if it enjoyed a theatrical release -- is only offered up in standard television ratio. Some of the scenes might've played better given the 'look' of widescreen (especially some of the more suspenseful moments where our lead actress finds herself in the role of a lead actress -- a novel within a novel). The film's 'period piece sequences' are slim, but they arguably would've played out more effectively visually had a widescreen transfer been available.

With an ending too brisk, it's hard to say if a franchise could've been made of the MADMAN. There certainly was potential, and the career of Jenny Wright in constant pursuit of the Madman seeking other victims might be 'the big fish that got away.'

FACE VALUE....
Interesting, full-blooded horror thriller about a used-book store clerk Virginia (Jenny Wright) who becomes involved in a 50's pulp horror novel and finds the author (who's also the lunatic in the book) apparently stalking her. The mad doctor/maniac of the book is reconstructing his face with facial features obtained from his murder victims to please the heroine. Virginia not only sees the mad Malcolm Brand/Dr.Kessler (who supposedly died) but finds that he's committing mutilation murders around her as in the book. Of course no one believes her. The film has the old fashioned feel and look of a 50's pulp horror novel as well as neat fantasy sequences from the book with Wright as Anna, the book's heroine, being terrorized by Kessler. The murders are gruesome and lurid but not overly explicit. There's also a monster from the book (a creation of Kessler's) that appears in an early fantasy sequence and in the great climax. Randall William Cook (who also did the special effects) is wonderful as the enigmatic, black clad and facially disfigured Brand/Kessler. Wright is good as Virginia, Clayton Rohner is Virginia's detective boyfriend and comedian Stephanie Hodge is Virginia's laconic co-worker Mona. The fantasy vs.reality theme is well handled and gives the film a good, colorful creepy ambience. This is one of the few modern day horror films that actually works as well as entertains. Highly recommended for buffs. Lights out. Enjoy. ... Read more