Contact (1997) Movie Reaction! FIRST TIME WATCHING!!

Contact was a wonderful film. Carl Sagan was a wonderful man. Robert Zemeckis did a great job with the script and the performance from Jodie Foster was masterful. The story asked the fundamental question of whether we are alone in the universe and it leaves the answer open to the audience. This is so much like Sagan. He never told anyone what to believe, he just laid out the evidence and let people decide for themselves. Apart from some pacing issues, I really enjoyed this thought-provoking movie. This is very highly recommended from me and I’m most likely going to end up reading the book.
Full Length Reactions to ALL the films I've watched and Early Access at Patreon: / shanwatchesmovies
0:00 Intro
2:11 The Film
26:19 The Review
35:31 Outro
Hey guys, I'm Shaneel (Shan). Welcome to the channel!
My reaction and review to Contact (1997) for the first time. Hope you enjoy the video!
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.

[@JoshuaC0rbit]

This movie still gives me chills to this day the sound designer was absolutely brilliant.

[@trhansen3244]

I found it disappointing. Not as much as Arrival with Amy Adams, but it's close.

[@lawrencewestby9229]

The part about Drumlin (Skerritt) taking credit from Arroway's (Foster) work may have been a not so subtle reference to the story of Jocelyn Bell. Bell was a postgraduate student when she discovered radio pulsars, rapidly rotating compact stars that emit directional radio waves, while doing her research in 1967. When the paper announcing her discovery was published her thesis supervisor's name, Antony Hewish, was listed first and when the discovery won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974, Hewish and another astronomer received the award while Bell did not. Bell did go on, and continues to have, a distinguished career in astrophysics and has received many other awards. Hewish just passed away recently, aged 97.

[@benjalucian1515]

Same with Watson and Crick getting all the credit, kudos and awards for their work on DNA, while other folks who also worked on DNA, like Rosalind Franklin, a British biophysicist, were left out. Or how we all just recently learned that women "calculators" were a big part of the success of the NASA space program. Heretofore never widely publicized.

[@jp3813]

Palmer sabotaged Ellie out of selfish love b/c he didn't want her to sacrifice herself. But that also inadvertently saved her from being blown up in Drumlin's place. The compass also led to her detaching from the seat in the pod, which wasn't part of the design in the first place. A detail that's unexplained by the film is how the aliens knew that Earthlings used base ten, and therefore stopped the primes at three digits (101). The likely reason is due to Adolf having ten fingers in the video signal.

[@LeethLee1]

They had all TV transmissions and radio from Berlin Games onward. I wonder if they figured that out quick and sent the message :D

[@Ceractucus]

The beach that Eleanor arrives at is the same beach she drew for her father as a child.

[@elzar760]

I never noticed it before this viewing, but as soon as I saw her dad look at the picture in the beginning that finally dinged in my brain.

[@markplott4820]

the Wormhole Aliens want to provide a Familiar and Comfotable to ELLE .

[@pewburrito]

Small moves Ellie

[@Tonyblack261]

I've watched the film a lot of times and only spotted this for the first time. I always wondered if she'd taken a pocketful of sand back with her - whether it would still be there when she got back.

[@elzar760]

@@Tonyblack261 I’m guessing it was all illusory, akin to a holodeck so any material wouldn’t have been able to come back, but now it makes me wonder too.

[@lionofhighpark]

Just to confirm, some of us do sit and listen all the way through the review to the end. Great comments as always and your passion for Sagan and the themes of the film really shine through.

[@dusty3913]

Carl Sagan is a hero of mine as well. The Pale Blue Dot image, with his famous passage describing our tiny planet is so moving, so profound and so humbling. What a beautiful mind he had. Our world suffers in his absence.

[@LadyIarConnacht]

Me too. I was a weird nerdy kid and Carl Sagan to me was almost the voice of reason. One of the most purely logical minds I ever listened to.

[@Jeff121456]

The young Ellie is played by Jenna Malone. She was also Gretchen in Donny Darko and dozens of other films.

[@smokeyverton7981]

@Ricardo Alonso Rojas Cold Mountain

[@w1975b]

Pride & Prejudice (2005), Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)

[@thegirlinquestion]

the neon demon!

[@Joel-cy1zb]

One interesting fact if you rewatch. The alien planet was based on Elie's childhood imagination of the white sands of Pensacola, Florida. The dreamlike quality of the lighting and the way she reaches out and the air vibrates with a fundamental music chord and the alien sky evokes both the alien and Ellie's own memories imo. Great review, and I'm also a huge Sagan fan!

[@Pixelologist]

The alien didn't JUST take the form of her father, the "beach" they've taken her to for the meeting is a recreation of her drawing of Sarasota, FL from early in the film. All for the sake of putting a familiar face on what would otherwise be completely, disorientingly alien - grounding her, so to speak, just in case she would freak out (which, knowing Ellie, we know she wouldn't but better safe than sorry).

[@thunderstruck5484]

I could just see Shan in a control room after a space launch catastrophe “get back to what? There’s nothing left to work on!” Haha classic

[@antondzajajurca7797]

That was honest statement :)

[@philrob1978]

Such a beautiful movie, and still remains, after 24 years, one of the greatest cinematic experiences I've had. I'll never forget it. Jodie Foster should have absolutely won an Oscar for this - she totally carries this from start to finish. It's a bit clumsy in places but I honestly don't care, because the overall message is so great and important to humanity that it can't be ignored.

[@CinHotlanta]

Concur, this was complete MAGIC on the big screen with a great sound system.

[@SeattlePioneer]

The first part, up through the discovery of the contact, was great! The rest, with all it implausible machine building and travel to the stars, was wildly implausible garbage. But enjoy that first part! It's the only contact with extraterrestrial intelligence you are ever going to have.

[@scottjo63]

You would think after Close Encounters and Contact, Hollywood couldn't make another one of these movies and out comes Arrival (2016). Directed by Denis Villeneuve (the new Dune director). It stars Amy Adams, Forrest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner, ( and most everyone should know who he is). Another excellent movie with a twist. Highly recommended, and oh that memorable music as well.

[@benjalucian1515]

The twist at the end of Arrival made me hate the main character Louise.

[@JoshuaC0rbit]

This makes me so happy. I'm a huge Carl Sagan fan as well. And this is one of my absolute most favorite movies and books of all time ever.

[@alecmcclymont]

As frustrating as the ending is, I love it. Everything that happens before her trip, and everything that happens after, proves that we're not ready for such a massive shock to our beliefs or society. The aliens know this, and give us an ambiguous tease. 'Small moves', even if those moves are hundreds or thousands of years apart. It's perfect.

[@adarael]

You know, I never disliked the end. I think people who complained about it when it came out just had an insufficient sense of wonder and joy at the universe.

[@chrissmith6097]

It makes no sense. If we’re not ready, why did they reply to the Hitler broadcast? What is the point of sending instructions to a wormhole machine that brings us to them if they’re just going to say ambiguous things and send us back with technically no proof? And why is Ellie the only person sent? Wouldn’t they try a couple more times, to see if her story could be verified? We didn’t stop sending people to the moon after Apollo 11 got there, or after the Apollo 13 disaster.

[@jowbloe3673]

Reminds me of the *Star Trek TNG* episode "First Contact".

[@adarael]

That was such a good episode. The president declining introduction to the Federation, and Yale asking to stay because she had always dreamed of a greater world.

[@fastertove]

@@chrissmith6097 Maybe it isn't suppose to make sense. We're maybe just not ready. The reason isn't given, but it could be something as simple as not trusting and respecting each other - it is after all a recurring theme in the movie. Perhaps the aliens resent something as simple as the lack of cooperation within the human race. We were able to get together and build something truly impressive beyond our normal scope, but on the other side we weren't mature enough to trust in each other, when we don't stand to get something for it. In the movie humanity had all the evidence needed; there was an eye witness and apparent "static" recording that lasted 18 hours. Maybe that was enough evidence for the Aliens. If we, humans, needed more proof it might show a lack of group thinking . The aliens seems to have access to at least some of Ellie's memory, so it is also conceivable that they knew about all the dark sides of our species. While the Nazi-video is likely just a interested scientific phenomena, it could also be a hint in this direction. Like in so many movies before, mans history comes back to hunt him :). I really love that this is a open-ended movie. Makes it soo much more fun. (I know the book has more info, but I'm trying to keep it about the film).

[@hettbeans]

That line at the end about emptiness and each other is very reminiscent of a quote from another Sagan book - "For small creatures such as we, the vastness is made bearable only through love."

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

"If you could be plucked from where you are and deposited to a random point in the universe, most every time you'd end up in empty black space with perhaps a few smudges of light from distant galaxies for company." - astronomer and author Terence Dickinson

[@hendrsb33]

Thank you for reviewing CONTACT, Shan. This is the only movie that I watched in a theater where I walked out to the box office, bought another ticket and walked right back in. I had to watch it again to catch nuances I had missed the first time around. Loved it because it was positive and forward-looking, a movie that inspired thought and wonderment. An in-depth review and discussion would be great.

[@socialmoth4974]

I saw it 3 or 4 times in the theater, too. It was my favorite movie for a long while.

[@thinkgreen55]

I saw this movie as a kid and loved it. I distinctly remember thinking Jodie Foster was an excellent actress… which she obviously is. It was cool listening to your reaction based on your personal Sagan inspirations!

[@hettbeans]

That was the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico. Unfortunately it collapsed last year after several years of repeated damage and poor maintenance. Another victim of 2020.

[@Pixelologist]

Very sad. I'm not clear on just why it was allowed to fall into a state of such disrepair.

[@hettbeans]

@@Pixelologist Like always - money. They've been receiving dwindling funding since the early 2000s. One of the support cables finally snapped in August and another in November. Subsequent analysis determined it would be safer to decommission the telescope but then it collapsed before they could demolish it safely.

[@davidblauyoutube]

The "big telescope" at the start of the film was at Arecibo, PR. It collapsed suddenly last December, after the NSF had announced it would be decommissioned.

It took a hell of a beating after Hurricane Maria, the suspension's cables said no more.

[@sntxrrr]

I absolutely love this movie, saw it back then when I was on holiday in New York on a huge screen and it was a great and epic experience. Zemeckis was again pushing FX further with this movie. There are a lot of CG set extensions which was cutting edge at the time and the famous medicine cabinet scene was done with a CG mirror on wich footage was mapped. Another groundbreaking shot was the scene where Ellie discovered the signal and we get an uninterupted tracking shot of her getting out of her car and running all the way into the control room. That was partly shot on location outside at the VLA but the interior was shot on set at the studio. They blended the two separate shots with a 2d morph when Ellie opens the doors. If you know what to look for you can see it a bit in her hair. And although they shot on location at the VLA they still replaced the dishes with CG because in real life they don't turn fast enough to be noticable in a movie. Also, such a shame we lost the historic Arecibo Observatory. One of the biggest scientific instruments you don't have to go underground for to see. Hopefully it will be restored at some point.

[@pkrmkn31]

you should check out The Abyss (1989) basically Contact but underwater.

[@antimonycup7066]

I'll admit I don't stick around for *every* post-watching review (mostly not for the Bond reviews), but in general I really appreciate you doing them. I find you very knowledgeable and you often teach me something.

[@Jay-ln1co]

First rule in government spending: Why build one when you can have two at twice the price?

[@scottjo63]

Hey, an Alien came out of my chest once, so why not.

[@smokeyverton7981]

@@scottjo63 May I suggest Pepto Bismol?

[@tsogobauggi8721]

And it came out of his chest twice. ;)

[@paulhelberg5269]

I remember walking out of the theater feeling a sense of disappointment with the ending. I too loved Jodie Foster's portrayal and her character's enthusiasm for the work. Both actress and character were inspiring. Having re-watched this several times over the years, I have come to respect the ending more. Great review Shan.

[@sodem2810]

I felt exactly the same (how could it live up to our expectations) but like you, subsequent viewings have made me love the ending. I never tire of watching this film.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

The book is far superior.

[@pewburrito]

I was an extra on this for the New Mexico Jake Busey mob scene. 3 14 hour days, 5,000 extras, ended up being less than a minute in the movie

[@deg6788]

Impressive

[@astragalusson]

At the end of the worm-hole scene when Jodie Foster's character repeating "so, beautiful" over and over again, her face changes to her childhood face for a couple of seconds, which is great film-making in my opinion despite the questionable cgi face-swap work for today's standarts. Also, at the same scene, while she's overwhelmedly admiring the view she says "They should've send a poet" which is a great line.

[@veronicagross7458]

I was about to coment the same. That line gets me every time. Great movie

[@benjalucian1515]

I disliked that line. Thought it was cheesy. Do you think Drumlin would have reacted as she did? They emphasized her emotions too much. SMH. woman = emotions.

[@astragalusson]

@@benjalucian1515 I respect your opinion of dislike but I don't feel like it's related to her gender at all. I'm a man who's more than fairly fascinated by astronomy and possible alien life and I'm absolutely sure if I've made that journey I'd react that way or even more emotional and I don't think that's rare, male or female. I really don't care how that asshole Drumlin would react but If I had to guess I'd say he'd be more shocked than emotional. So, what? I would say that reaction perfectly fits to Ellie's character we've seen throughout the movie.

[@benjalucian1515]

@@astragalusson - thanks. I just find it hard to believe that Ellie, who keeps her emotions really under control for much of the movie, would get all weepy when she's trying to make a scientific report. As far as she knows, the entire world will be waiting to hear her report and the best she can do is weepy comments and vague statements?

[@astragalusson]

@@benjalucian1515 I think she's really really passionate about these stuff and you get emotional when you experience something extraordinary related to your passion. She's watched the sky from far away for years and dedicated her life to it, starting from her early childhood. She also waited all her life to get that proof of alien life and make contact. Now, finally she's doing something far beyond her dreams, she's actually travelled to another system, she sees that view up-close and she's about to meet real aliens. I literally can't think anything more emotional to be honest. So, I believe no matter how professional you are, it's perfectly natural to get emotional for a minute when you see that view, after trying to be calm and collected for all the journey and reporting/recording everything. In fact, I even get emotional watching the scene knowing it's only a movie. Being in her shoes, I can't even imagine...

[@markhamstra1083]

FYI, primality of numbers doesn’t depend on their representation, e.g. in base-10 numerals. Primality is a property of numbers, not of numerals. The Roman numeral III is still prime, and XV is still composite, even though they are not base-10 representations. This is precisely why primes would be used to communicate when you don’t want to assume any knowledge of a particular representational system.

[@johnm.2633]

If I remember right, the numbers aren't base 10 in the book and they make a conversion. Been a while since I read it though, so I might be making that up.

[@hettbeans]

@@johnm.2633 The transmission was in binary in the book. "Better and better. Now let's take a closer look at those moving pulses. Assuming that this is binary arithmetic, has anybody converted it into base ten? Do we know what the sequence of numbers is? Okay, here, we can do it in our heads... fifty-nine, sixtyone, sixty-seven... seventy-one... Aren't these all prime numbers?"

[@jowbloe3673]

There are *seven* days in a week regardless of if you write *seven* as *7* (base 8 or more) or *111* (base 2) or *21* (base 3) or *13* (base 4) or something else (12, 11, 10).

[@OathofLight]

For those unfamiliar with prime numbers: one way to think about any prime number is that if you take that number of, say, children's blocks, you cannot arrange it into any form of rectangle (or cube, etc.) other than a line with a width of a single block.

[@joerenaud8292]

Base 10 numerical systems are a bias humans have due to having 10 toes and fingers. What we really have is a numerical system of 9, because any number above it is not a single digit and can be reduced using reduction.

[@ukaszhaskie1526]

I recommend also "Frequency" 2000 and "Star Gate" 1994, very similar vibes.

[@smokeyverton7981]

Definitely Stargate

[@markplott4820]

NOPE, COSMOS and Chariots of the Gods.

[@jowbloe3673]

*Stargate* is like two separate movies. The first part I like (similar to Contact) and the second part I don't (what most people wanted from Contact).

[@thewinner7382]

I rewatched Stargate recently... I have to say I think it's total crapola.

[@markplott4820]

@@thewinner7382 - the 5th element was Better than Stargate.

[@michaelbastraw1493]

I hope and pray that new generations might rediscover Cosmos (1980) someday. It was certainly a big deal for my friends and I when it first came out. Best. Leo.

[@fastertove]

I really hope so. I first saw the updated 1990 version, and it was awesome! .. It is really a shame the new version was dumbed down, because it is likely the only version young people will ever come across. The old one was much better featuring both Sagen, pretty, great music and most importantly was more on the point. The new one spent way to much time on skeptics. The new was such a wasted oportunity.

[@markplott4820]

Ummmm, its on iTunes BOOKS, anyone can Download it.

[@fastertove]

@@markplott4820 People need to know it while also have a reason to download it. I teach science for pupils (age 9-14), and I doubt any of them would be particular interested. The show is sadly dated by now. I have shown scenes from the show for them, like the the explanation of the 4th dimension, how constellation evolves, and the comparison of sand to stars in the universe - and the children loved it. But parts of the series is (too) slow pasted and heavy relying on dated visuals.

[@darrenyoder5114]

I love this film. I like science and human exploration of our universe, but I'm also a Christian. This film tackles humanities ability to work together despite our different world views, and I'm sure that is what Carl Sagan was trying to say in the book. We won't get much further as a species if we don't learn to acknowledge this fact. Great reaction and review!

[@lucianaromulus1408]

I don't see why you can't be Christian and also Believe in the possibility of Aliens. Alien life doesn't negate religion, regardless of what that religion is.

[@bigbow62]

That beach she was on looks exactly like her drawing at the beginning of the movie 😉Great film & performance by Jodie Foster !

[@majkus]

A friend of mine who read the book told me that some narrative time was spent on the construction of the Machine, which was basically just a chair in a room. He said that Zemeckis made a brilliant choice to turn that into a huge machine which, without a word of narration, communicates to the audience the time and effort it took to build. This is how adaptation should be done.

[@matthewbrown1849]

In regards to the one night stand with Matthew McConaughey's character, she probably has some attachment issues due to losing her father at a young age. She also still drives her father's car.

[@smokeyverton7981]

Been there, done that. Driving my late father's car I mean

[@markplott4820]

LESBIAN.

[@jowbloe3673]

@@markplott4820 - Didn't see any evidence that the character played by an actor was a lesbian.

[@jamessullivan4391]

Either that or she’s just a goddamned hussy!

[@ThomasKnip]

"Contact" and "Interstellar" sure do have one thing in common - Matthew McConaughey plays in both of them. 😀

[@w1975b]

16 years apart. I know I'm not alone in thinking "where does the time go?"....but it just flies by.

[@ThomasKnip]

It sure does. He looks so different in "Interstellar"!

[@evilervcowart6234]

"The universe is a pretty big place. It's bigger than anything anyone has ever dreamed of before. So if it's just us...seems like an awful waste of space." An awful waste of space, indeed...

[@scottjo63]

In which I'm surprised Shaun had managed NOT to include at all the three times the quote is given and it's my favorite quote.

[@BigSleepyOx]

Of course, that begs the question of whether "intelligent life" is a useful use of space in the first place. Maybe intelligent life is also a "waste of space".

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Maybe there's no such thing as a waste of space. Space isn't obligated to be useful, or useful as we understand it anyway.

[@hernandemornay7559]

@@BigSleepyOx believe in the outer space is a waste of time.

[@Teeb2023]

@@hernandemornay7559 Ignorance of the existence of outer space is utterly inexcusable these days. Denial of it is just embarrassing.

[@attorneyrobert]

This is such an amazing good film. I read the book also, but the movie was just so well done. I think that this film is underappreciated in the KZbin movie reviewers space. Glad to see you watch it. After I saw this movie in theaters, I could not stop thinking about the issues presented in this film afterwards.

[@uraniaininverno995]

I loved this movie so much, Foster's character gets the chance of doing something I always dreamed to do. But at the same time it made me so angry, the blind stubborness of the politicians, the military and the religious fanatics. The lack of curiosity, the close-mindedness, the projection of the worse human traits on alien species... it drives me mad. Good reaction Shan, you had me nodding and smiling at all of your comments throughout the movie.

[@jamesalexander5623]

I was driving from New Mexico to Arizona on Holiday about 12 Years ago and happened on the VLA! When I saw the huge Antennae I started hearing the Surging Sound in my head! .... I pulled in and took a tour of the Facility. Very cool to sit where Jodi Foster sat! .... And Bought a "VLA - Very Large Array" T-Shirt!

[@NominePatris]

I'm shocked to hear that so few viewers stay for your review! That's the best part, for me at least. I look forward to the next one!

[@Veged4]

I agree. This review/analysis part is what I always waiting to see. Those few reactors I follow all have review at the end.

[@edcatt6003]

Wow! One of my favourites. So good to see a reaction to this.

[@bigneon_glitter]

With a uniquely grounded, thoughtful, & chilling tone, _Contact_ is one of the great underrated films of the '90s. Possibly Foster's greatest performance, her _"They should've sent a poet"_ destroys me every time. More underrated '90s Jodie Foster: 1994's _Maverick_ with Mel Gibson. A perfect Comedy & great Western.

[@ethanvilla4418]

Shan's so intelligent man. The guy gets the answers to clues barely teased while watching. Always learn something new watching this guy.

[@benjalucian1515]

Made me think he'd already seen it..

[@thedrudgetick]

A million perfect lines in this film, but one of my favorite quotes is "They should have sent a poet" as she witnesses the "celestial event".

[@Tigermania]

I always thought the scene with Ellie's "father" is a VR experience for her. If they used her memories it would explain the sky is always night with stars as they are her primary memories. Also they day shots when Ellie is outside are shown mostly on a dry sandy environment around the telescopes after the 4 years she worked at the array. Merged together you get a dark sky but over lit ground as a framework for the VR then add the dad as the interface.

[@Markus117d]

Someone else earlier in the comments pointed out that the beach scene looks a lot like the painting young Ellie gave to the dad near the start of the film. I hadn't thought of that either until they mentioned it 😄🤔

[@wwoods66]

Yeah -- no point in criticizing it for not looking realistic when it's just an alien's CGI.

[@davidq.5488]

A lot of people HATED this movie because they don't show what the aliens look like. And oblivious to the plot. My friend and loved it in the theater.

[@dylanprice2960]

There are a few films scenes that give me shivers everytime than when she first detects the signal and when Haddon leans in and says "wanna take a ride?"

[@anonimuso]

Contact has always been one of my favorite films. The wormhole scene is still amazing to this day.

[@chefskiss6179]

I pressed "Like" just on principle. Incredible that you mentioned the father-daughter relationship right from the get-go; dang yer good.

[@richelliott9320]

I read the book before the movie came out. I miss that they didn’t put the idea of a message hidden in pi that even the aliens didn’t know how it came there

[@cryptc]

Agreed, and the theme that had with spirituality

[@thunderstruck5484]

One of my all time favorites saw at the theater and when she was floating around in the pod I remember how utterly silent the packed theater was everyone was so dialed in it was a great experience thanks Shan!

[@thunderstruck5484]

I liked her in Sucker Punch also great movie in my opinion thanks

[@superpotroast]

One of my Dad's favorite films..Always makes me think of him when I watch this..

[@DrWHO-jv5qi]

Just watched it. Cried my eyes out...such a beautiful thought. And I am so glad they cast a woman as the main character. This film was truly ahead of its time, in story, theme, script, sound design, everything. Loved it. Made me realize why I love the universe so much.

[@timgooding9464]

Did you notice that the picture that Ellie as a child drew, and her father pinned up, looked the same as the place where Ellie met the alien? I've seen the film many many times, and never noticed that before. Maybe the same for you. Love this film.

[@kens97sto171]

There were several moments throughout this movie that always seemed profound to me. When Jody was at the ball room gathering. Out on the balcony Matthew McConaughey asked her if she loved her father. She said yes, he said prove it. Also at some point Matthew McConaughey's character in that TV interview was talking about weather technology had made our lives better or not. You might listen to that again it was quite deep actually talking about fundamentally are we happier as a people today than we were 30 years ago without Facebook and all of the technology that's made our lives easier. It's a complicated question of course that's the point to make you think a little bit. It was a great movie. Love your reactions and reviews. Keep up the great work.

[@markjohnson2079]

S.R. Hadden : "First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price?" classic.

[@carm3d]

The next time you watch it, look out for the theme of the crescent shape made of stars; starting with the popcorn on the floor when her father dies. This shape repeats through the movie.

[@randallshaw9609]

One of the greatest movies I've seen, bar none. Moved me to read the novel, which I highly recommend.

[@smokeyverton7981]

The little girl is Jena Malone. She starred in one of my favorite movies " B$stard out of Carolina" plus many more

[@NifferGal]

Donnie Darko is the movie I’m thinking he may know her from. But yeah she was in lots of 90s flicks

[@Easy_Skanking]

I really enjoyed your love for Carl Sagan! As a young teen, I was fascinated by his "Cosmos" series getting to watch it as it aired. His voice and speaking style was iconic and resonated with my imagination. Later in life I found that Carl was a cannabis user and I could see a contributing factor to his wonder at the universe and his creativity and passion. 😁 The world could use more people of his caliber.

[@majkus]

The image of the handful of sand with only two or three sparks is magnificently Carl Sagan. It is one of the very few science fiction films that treats its audience as intelligent adults.

[@solidpython]

One of my all time favourite film scores. Alan Silvestri did an incredible job on this one for me.

[@McPh1741]

In the beginning when young Elly asks if they can speak to Mom reminds me of the movie “Frequency” starring Dennis Quaid From 2000. I cannot recommend that movie enough. You should definitely check it out.

[@AnAfricanApe]

I only found your channel this week when looking for Rambo reactions after rewatching it for the first time in 20 years. As a Carl Sagan fan and lover of this movie, I am glad I found the channel! Very impressed so far and look forward to what's to come.

[@jeffwerth2707]

The beach scene - if you recall in the beginning she drew a beach picture which her dad looked at and hung up. So yes the aliens picked that from her memories for first contact

[@MRxMADHATTER]

The opening scene which starts with a closeup of her eye, there is a reflection of the "machine" being built. This movie differs quite a bit from the book but the message is the same.

[@waynet1022]

I remember reading the book back in the 80s. There is something very interesting going on with Pi.

[@juhawks37]

Of all the alien 'invasion/discovery' movies, I have always felt that Contact came the closest to showing what the cultural, political and religious implications/reactions that would most likely happen if we ever discovered definitive, scientific proof that there is intelligent life elsewhere. All other movies seem to gloss over that, or not even mention it at all.

[@bankbarcomo806]

I no longer own this movie. Used to watch it 3+ times a year. Going to have to watch it here.

[@hungfao]

Note that the island background at one point (the three trees) is a replica of the drawing Ellie did as a child.

[@batzilla3629]

It cannot go unsaid. "They should have sent a poet."

[@sirjohnmara]

Great reaction to a legendary movie! Fun to hear comments from someone that knew something about stuff, like Sagan, and space. Thanks for being smart!

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

If you think of the sequence of events, Palmer actually saves her life. She would have been in the device the first time it was sabotaged

[@benjalucian1515]

And in the chair that wasn't part of the design. She unstrapped herself from the chair and went after the necklace she made of his gift to her.

[@kuribayashi84]

I watched this in the Cinema back in '97 and you could hear a pin drop during the Opening Scene.

[@stevemccormack9948]

I am a big Carl Sagan fan. I read the book in 86 while in New York. The essence is the same except the plot was altered for the movie to keep it more manageable. But they did a terrific job of the movie. Sagan would have been proud of it.

[@jrrobles79]

The wormhole effect has been used on other movies and tv shows, like Stargate, the 'skin' or colors is the only thing that is change

[@WUStLBear82]

I think Star Trek: The Motion Picture may have been one of if not the first to use a similar representation; Isaac Asimov was an advisor on the film and at the time I thought it looked like something he had described.

[@lilchicklets]

It's such a wonderful and thought provoking movie without being preachy or showing any kind of favoritism towards one side. It's also a great exploration of the relationship between science and religion. That's the brilliance of Carl Sagan.

[@centuryrox]

I recommend another alien film "Starman" (1984). Another intelligently written sci-fi movie, with some rather funny moments, thanks to Jeff Bridges.

[@w1975b]

directed by John Carpenter, rumored to be an apology for making The Thing so nasty a creature

[@theonewiththeeyeoftruth884]

10:39 "She's also assuming, wherever this signal is coming from, they also use 10 as a base for counting." No. Counting pulses is completely independent of the number base, and so are prime numbers.

[@browniewin4121]

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie when it was new and I saw it in the theater.

[@w1975b]

my mother and I went to see it, I was either 21 or 22 depending on what day in July :) could have been for my bday

[@Tonyblack261]

In the book there was a whole team of scientists that took the voyage and all had experiences with aliens portrayed as loved ones. They all get discredited. Great to see John Hurt in this film - he was perfect for the role.

[@fritzk3627]

This film still blows me away. Just a beautiful creation.

[@bcsr4ever]

The book sent a team of people in the machine. That was one major difference.

[@jamessullivan4391]

One question I always had: They believe her pod fell straight through and nothing happened. Okay. But how do they explain that she is out of the chair and that it was bolted down and now torn free and mangled? That is certainly evidence of something happening other than just the pod falling for a few seconds.

[@johnm.2633]

I used to think John Hurt's character was the weak link in the movie -- too unbelievable in a very realistic movie. But now he seems only a slight exaggeration of Bezos/Musk.

[@markplott4820]

JEFF who ?

[@zombiTrout]

I never realized that was John Hurt…a “mind blown” moment.

[@anonimuso]

Really? I think Hurt was amazing. I love his character.

[@benjalucian1515]

or are they a form of him? This movie was made nearly a quarter century ago

[@johnm.2633]

@@anonimuso I like the performance; but when I saw it in the theatre I felt like he was dropped in from another, sillier movie. As I said, I don't feel that way now.

[@aatragon]

I loved Sagan’s book “Demon-Haunted World.” I recommend his “Cosmos” TV series from 1980. Very little of it is truly dated.

[@Yggdrasil42]

I felt the book was longer than it needed to be but the points made definitely still stand and are well made.

[@thunderstruck5484]

I cringe every time Ellie drops that tripod on the hood of that classic 68 Impala convertible ugg thanks again Shan!

[@anonimuso]

Impala: "No respect. I get no respect I tell ya..."

[@benjalucian1515]

It's her dad's car. That's more important to her than it being a classic car.

[@maggieshevelew7579]

Surprised you didn’t mention the violent vibration of the chair in the transport machine. If you remember, the schematics from the alien plans didn’t include a seat. It showed a person standing unencumbered. So, when Ellie was forced to strap into a chair, we eventually realize she would’ve been seriously hurt if she hadn’t gotten out of it just before it broke free and slammed into the ceiling. The viewer gets the impression the whole trip would have been a lot more comfortable if she hadn’t been strapped in the whole time. Also, the beach was taken directly from her childhood drawing. We even see the exact palm trees she drew.

[@thewinner7382]

Maybe he did. This isn't his full reaction.

[@minako134]

For a long time, this movie has been my default movie when asked the question, "What is your all-time favorite movie?" Now other films have fought for that spot, but Contact still does remain in my Top 5 for sure. I saw it with my computer engineer dad the year it came out in 1997, at an old theater, North America's last surviving 70-mm Cinerama-capable theater, in Seattle, which has since been demolished. Rather than a multiplex theater of several theaters, it had 1 theater house and 1 giant screen, a deeply curved screen that measured 88 feet wide and 32 feet high. That theater's sound system made the scene where Ellie boards the Machine absolutely soul-shaking. I'll never, ever forget it. I'm the opposite of you, Shan, where I actually only ever interacted with Carl Sagan through his fiction, through this movie and then by reading the book Contact, afterwards. I've always wanted to check out Cosmos. Hearing you bridge the divide into his fiction now inspires me to finally jump over to his non-fiction. :)

[@StevesFunhouse]

At the beginning of the movie, he is showing just how far away our radio transmissions have travelled through space. What's awesome is I never noticed (or let's say, remembered) the artwork she showed her dad when she was a child (when she asked if they could contact her mother), and that it was how the aliens chose to give her something she could feel comfortable with ... the beach painting/drawing and, as you figured out, her father. I think she would have freaked out if they didn't start out the "Contact" with the beach scene. As her father always told her, "Small moves, Ellie", and the aliens used that same technique.

[@LeeMaitland]

Such a shame that that huge radio telescope collapsed recently, the video of it collapsing is insane.

[@Questerry895]

I took acid and watched this on the big screen. I was a budding scientist at 10, and I never had a father, and also I had a close, low to the ground UFO experience also. This movie makes me cry every time. It evokes all the questions I am still looking for.

[@MassOverkill]

Shan, if you look back at the picture that Ellie drew as a child, it depicts the "beach" on the alien world. Look closely at the three palm trees.

[@vovindequasahi]

Young Ellie: Dad, do you think there's people on other planets? Ted Arroway: I don't know, Sparks. But I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space.

[@TheWendybird123]

"Contact" is one of my favorite films for many of the reasons you state, Shan. I read the book, and love Sagan, too, but I think the film does a better job of telling a great story. In the film, I love the blur between the alien contact experience and a mystical experience. What Ellie tries to describe is basically a mystical experience! "I had an experience that I can't explain!" and she's a scientist. Compare to NDEs (near death experiences) if you have truly studied them. More vivid and real than "real life" but ineffable, can take place in seconds but feel like days (time dilation). Anyone who has had an NDE or other mystical experience encountering otherworldly beings - maybe interdimensionally or via consciousness - gets this film!! I for one (sort of like Palmer states it at the end of the film) see science and spiritually actually beginning to dovetail in the frontier of consciousness -- inner space.

[@kastlerock01]

Saw this in my mid 20s and it really hit home for some reason. Great film with a great cast and a great director.

[@tonyadler1319]

I didn't notice it the first couple times I saw it but the beach area at the end copied from her memory, from the picture she drew as a child.

[@MattMajcan]

I couldnt agree more that science and technology have made the world a better place, but its fascinating how that's a rather contentious topic these days

[@squattingheads]

Finally an intelligent and perceptive reactor. Not so easy to find movies that make use of it

4:45 It wasn't in San Juan but in Arecibo, but after Hurricane Maria took its toll the Arecibo Observatory is no more, it fell on December last year. This is the same observatory from James Bond's Golden Eye and Battlefield 4. It held the record for more than a decade for being the biggest on the world and it holds various feats of discoveries and Nobel prizes. Why is it in CONTACT? In 1974, a team led by an astronomer from Cornell University named Frank Drake (and which included *CARL SAGAN* ) put together the “Arecibo Message”, a radio transmission that was beamed to a cluster of stars more than twenty-five thousand light-years away. The message was meant to celebrate human technological advancement, and, supposedly, to be decoded and read by extraterrestrials, it could also invite for an E.T. invasion of the Earth, I ain't joking, and the late Stephen Hawkings had strong words against this.

[@teemurimpinen2807]

Wow, you are so well versed in the subject matter, calling so many plot points. BTW, if you're interested, there is an excellent scene analysis of this film in Mike Hill Design youtube channel (the guy works in the industry). I've always loved this film, but I have to say the video opened my eyes and made appreciate it even more.