Contact Chad'z rating: *** (out of 4 = good) 1997, PG, 150 minutes [2 hours, 30 minutes] [science fiction/drama] starring: Jodie Foster (Dr. Ellie Arroway), Matthew McConaughey (Palmer Joss), Tom Skerrit (Dr. David Drumlin), James Woods (Michael Kitz), written by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, James V. Hart, Michael Goldenberg, produced by Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on the novel by Carl Sagan.
There's so much going for, going against, and going on in "Contact" it's difficult to begin critiquing it, let alone describing it. It's a grand scale Hollywood film that tries to please everyone with its "neutral" stance on humanity, and theology versus science. In fact, it tries so hard to be a work of genius philosophy it nearly collapses under its own weight. What makes it good is the breezy, easy-to-swallow storytelling, outstanding effects and production, and a solid array of acting.
Zemeckis's last feature, "Forrest Gump," took the world by storm with its story of a simple man in a complex world. Here, he uses almost the exact opposite formula for similar themes. Our main character is Dr. Ellie Arroway (Foster), a smart astronomer who is surrounded by high technology and the precision of science. Her parents died when she was a child, but told her science is the language and problem-solver of the universe and she applies this to her own life in many ways. Most thematically, she is an atheist because she doesn't see any scientific evidence for the existence of God. What you believe in personally is irrelevant because Ellie's character is developed so well you understand her rationale.
Although the entire film is not a debate over theism, its significance is evident and often becomes so blatant you expect to see labels on every character and their specific dialogue. Not that this is automatically a flaw, but wrong because it tries to present itself in such a "neutral" manner.
Representing the perspective of theism is part-time Christian preacher/part-time secular philosopher and author Palmer Joss (McConaughey). The two meet early on at a government SETI where Ellie is searching for extra-terrestrial life, but Palmer is there collecting data for a book about how technology exploits the helpless and has caused man to become so confused spiritually. Unlike Ellie's character, we don't get to know Palmer well enough to sympathize with his religious convictions as its obvious his dialogue and character are being written and directed by people who probably don't believe what he stands for. Thankfully, he is not portrayed as a right-wing nut.
What brings these characters and their significance together is the main plot of the story involving an intelligent transmission from space. Basically, aliens thought we were hot and gave us their beeper number and directions to where the party's at - cool! But here's where the film also starts to slip in a few ways. 1) This information is made known to the public and the entire world freaks out and everyone suddenly belongs to a group of one extreme or another (I doubt this would happen in reality). 2) A mysterious character suddenly appears who answers all of the mysterious questions such as how to decode the message and the significance of every little detail. The film had not been so "sci-fi movie convenient" before, so why the [first of many] cop-out[s]?
Not much happens throughout the film in terms of general plot, so what we get is a serious of several sub-plots overlapping each other. Many supporting characters are introduced and the script works well enough to give them all significance within the story, even though some are clearly plugged-in for theme.
The film also uses modern technology to create for an almost frighteningly realistic mood. Much like "Independence Day," "Mission: Impossible," and "Ransom," there is a sense of technological trendiness here. Use of the Internet and laptop computers are exaggerated to create this mood, but sometimes the movie machine takes over and we get technological conspiracies that really aren't plausible, let alone necessary.
The entire point of the film is the end because we know Ellie will somehow make the trip to "the other side," but is the final payoff worth it? I didn't find it to be as powerful as it intends to be because there isn't enough mystery to it. Everything comes together in the ultimate ending and I guess you might say the characters, and especially their symbolism are dealt with poetic justice. Maybe you could see it as following the film's logical conclusion. Or maybe it's really about free will.
"Contact" is probably one of the most enigmatic films I've ever seen. Even if the thematic elements don't do much for you, it's still interesting to watch because the story is told through a fluid script and an atmosphere of total modernism.
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e-mail: ChadPolenz (C) 1997 Chad Polenz
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