Contact (1997)

I have laid it all out. I suppose the core point for both is simply reaching a sufficient level of technological advancement to make contact possible. It’s quite straightforward, really. And whether a wealthy individual provides the solutions in Contact isn't exactly a crucial distinction.

mistyotter35 said:I’ve laid it all out. At their core, both approaches aim for the exact same thing: pushing our technological boundaries far enough to make contact possible. It’s that simple. And when you have massive wealth backing those solutions in "Contact"...ContactAnd it’s really not that big of a deal.

Actually, I see it differently. In *Contact*, the wealthy figure is essential because they provide the capital necessary to drive someone's vision forward.
Regarding Contact.
There’s a profound distinction between *2001: A Space Odyssey* and *Contact*—it’s really a question of whether we’re looking at the stars or looking back at ourselves.

Interstellar feels like a spiritual successor to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

*Contact* is, I'll say it again... purely Saganian.

The wealthy individual is nothing more than a footnote in this saga, because I suppose they would have reached a solution and made contact on their own if it hadn't been for the interference of a terrorist.

mistyotter35 said:The wealthy are nothing more than a footnote in this story; they would have discovered the solution and made contact all on their own if it weren't for the interference of a terrorist.

The wealthy characters in *Contact* aren't just minor details; they play a vital role.
He actually staged a fake signal just to make it look like it was coming from deep space. If I recall correctly, he broadcasted it from one of those satellites and basically masked the origin so it would appear extraterrestrial.
He footed the bill for all those technical manuals, blueprints, and schematics. I have no idea who actually drafted them, but he was the one paying the checks.

You really ought to give that movie another watch.
I think I'll give it another watch myself.

No, I think you have it completely backwards. There were suspicions that the signal might be a hoax, but that’s just not possible given that it was being monitored from multiple locations simultaneously. It seems likely that the wealthy benefactor simply expedited the decoding process because he knew the government agencies would be cracking the code within days anyway. They built the machine themselves and had Drumlin (Skerritt) all set for contact, but I suppose the screenwriters felt they needed to throw in a terrorist subplot just to spice things up for the audience.
It appears you’ve taken the congressional commission's conclusion at the end of the film as some sort of literal explanation.

fadedwalker18 said:The wealthy guy in Contact isn't just some random bystander.
He actually manufactured a fake signal—to make it look like it was coming from deep space! As I recall, he broadcasted it from one of those satellites and basically "masked" it so it appeared extraterrestrial.
And all those technical manuals, data sets, and blueprints? He bankrolled the whole thing. I'm not sure who the actual engineers were, but he was the one footing the bill.

You really ought to give the movie another watch.
Actually, maybe I should rewatch it myself too!

Yeah, definitely watch it again because you totally missed the mark on this one.

Those 18 hours of recorded static pretty much prove the point. 👍

Olivia Alvarez said:Actually, take another look because you seem to have misread the situation.

The fact that there were 18 hours of recorded static supports that point. 👍

It was either 80 or 88 hours of recorded static.

fadedwalker18 said:It was either 80 or 88 hours of recorded static.

Actually, no—it was 18 hours.

I’ve seen this movie at least 100 times! I know every single line, every shot, and even the soundtrack by heart...

fadedwalker18 said:The aliens didn't actually want to initiate contact. It was just some billionaire trying to win over Eleanor because someone cooked up a detailed blueprint for traveling through... space (?). He basically needed someone with "faith" to pull off his little scheme.

So, the theory is that this documentation was Allegedly sent by an alien intelligence just to get people to reach out.
But that "travel machine" in the movie? That’s pure human ingenuity. Both the concept itself and the actual construction of the machine (via wormhole)...

I haven't seen the movie in a while—so I might be fuzzy on the details regarding your reply—but the point is they're looking for contact with aliens without any actual help from them.

The aliens sent the instructions for building the machine using the "universal language" of mathematics. The guy played by James Woods is the one standing before the commission claiming the whole thing was just some elaborate prank by the billionaire Hadden. But at the very end, during the video call, Angela Bassett points out a weird detail: they recorded 18 or 19 hours of "data," even though the whole thing seemed to last maybe 20 minutes.

I don't know what the book is like, but the movie sneaks theism in through the back door. That part where the alien appears looking like Ellijin's father is handled beautifully, but then they totally mess it up once he claims they didn't build the machine, that they have no idea who did, and that they just establish contact every few thousand years. I mean, there's zero reason for him not to answer her questions; instead, he just coddles her like a toddler, telling her she'll learn more when she grows up. I can't tell if this is just classic Hollywood nonsense or if the book does the same thing.

You also have to consider that the film was directed by a "liberal conservative" like Robert Zemeckis, who previously directed the "America fuck yeah" caricature Forrest Gump, much like how the Back to the Future trilogy felt like a celebration of Reaganism and the "American Century." Contact isn't even that; it's more like aimless agnosticism. The idea that Ellie wouldn't get the position of humanity's ambassador just because she isn't a believer feels so stupid. If all this is actually how it plays out in Sagan's book, then you can't blame a mediocre Hollywood adaptation.

Just finished the book. Yes!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

First off, the movie needs a remake—one that follows the book to a T.

A little bit of spoilers here.
In the novel version of Contact by Carl Sagan (which he co-wrote with Ann Druyan), Ellie loses her father, but her mother is still alive. It’s not the central theme, but I won't spoil any further.

Since the book was written back in the '80s, there's this constant tension between the Soviets and Americans, but Sagan finds a way to harmonize them; it's pure idealism.

Joss isn't the only one leaning toward faith over science. There's a devout Christian priest who is just completely intense...
Basically, religion, theism, and atheism are baked right into the core of the story in the book.

There is so much plot revolving around receiving the message—who gets it and how. The decoding process takes up a lot of space. Then there's the question of where and if they should even build the machine. They build it in three locations: the USA, Japan, and guess what... what would the third country be?

Hadden. He's mentioned quite a bit, he's influential, and naturally, he's a much more fleshed-out character. At the end of the story, he doesn't actually die.

The US Secretary of Defense, Michael Kitz... I can't recall his exact title in the movie, but James Woods plays him brilliantly, and it aligns well with the film. Essentially, he seeks denial regardless of the recorded evidence—even though in the book, everything was recorded and then wiped. He threatens Ellie's very existence as a scientist because, in his eyes, the US government is bigger and more important than five gods in seven universes.

There is no recorded footage, or snow, because the five travelers are moving through a dodecahedron. Just my two cents.

One more thing: they visited multiple locations within the Vega system... which provides a solid explanation for why they contacted Earthlings. Of course, space is teeming with life—very Saganian. And honestly, it should be that way.

Ellie wasn't the first choice from the Americans. That part matches the movie. And again, the book provides a much better explanation for everything from... say, the aliens... rather than the "you'll understand when you grow up" approach.

The movie needs a remake. Urgently. And not just for this reason:

It's a shame.

But overall... it would be good for humanity to remember Carl Sagan and this beautiful idea of his.

I absolutely love this movie. 🙂