contact american film contact american science fiction drama film directed film adaptation novel wife ann wrote story outline film portrays film protagonist eleanor ellie scientist finds strong evidence extraterrestrial life chosen contact film stars began working film wrote page film treatment set contact producers development stalled film published contact novel film adaptation planned direct dropped fired miller eventually hired direct filming contact lasted september february handled visual effects sequences film released july positive reviews contact grossed approximately million worldwide box office totals film won hugo award best dramatic presentation received multiple awards nominations saturn awards release contact plagued controversies clinton administration cnn individual lawsuits plot works program observatory puerto_rico fascinated science communication child radio emissions space hoping find evidence alien life president pulls funding believes endeavor futile gains backing secretive industrialist allows continue project large array new_mexico years later seeking close discovers signal repeating sequence prime numbers apparently sent star system light years away announcement causes led attempt control facility team discover video picture buried signal adolf hitler opening address summer olympics berlin team television signal strong leave earth atmosphere taking years reach transmitted project tight security progress followed worldwide learns signal contains pages data secretly meets provide means pages found arranged dimensions dimensional pages pages reveal complex machine determined kind transport single nations world fund construction machine international panel assembled choose candidate travel machine hopes christian philosopher panel member met puerto_rico brief romantic encounter brings attention panel instead belief representative humanity day machine tested religious fanatic destroys machine suicide bombing killing cancer stricken residence space station reveals second machine secretly japan outfitted recording devices enters machine pod dropped rapidly spinning rings causing pod apparently travel series sees radio array like structure signs advanced civilization planet finds surreal landscape similar childhood picture drew florida figure approaches deceased father recognizes alien taking father form attempts ask questions alien tells familiar landscape form contact easier journey humanity step joining species falls unconscious begins traveling awakens find floor pod mission control team repeatedly learns outside machine appears pod merely dropped machine rings landed safety net insists gone approximately hours recording devices static formed speculates signal machine hoax designed deceased prove happened asks committee accept truth testimony faith private conversation white_house official reflect confidential information recording device recorded static recorded hours reunite receives ongoing financial support expand program cast eleanor ellie ann scientist discovers alien contact message renowned christian philosopher romantically involved skeptical heads congressional investigation mission eccentric industrialist fundamental financing research alien message scientific aide president united_states director white_house chief staff president clinton blind scientist assists studies ellie father encourages daughter study science later plays alien extraterrestrial contact humanity young ellie joseph religious fanatic leader parody blake fisher scientist scientist production development conceived idea contact year closest friends hired film producer studio executive production company pitched idea contact commissioned development deal later wife wrote page film treatment finishing november explained dream write fictional representation contact actually like convey true universe added science religion metaphor philosophical intellectual interest searching truth humanity alien contact incorporated study space travel screenplay characterization inspired head researched lead role meeting served consultant story portraying struggling careers women scientists 1950s 1970s writers debated baby film end impressed treatment hired rewrite script new characters added native american park ranger turned astronaut suggested estranged teenage son believed add depth storyline woman consumed idea worth listening said thing contact child film disagreed idea incorporated storyline took contact film development stalled started turn original idea novel published simon september film adaptation remained development eventually vacated position new president tried purchase film rights contact warner studio refused coincidentally hired new executive warner began fast track film hiring writers eventually hired direct screenplay commenced pre production dropped hired rewrite script finished second draft late second draft interest contact offered chance direct turned opportunity favor making film based life script contact saw great page half recalled sky open aliens putting light said going work december hired direct contact commenced pre production miller cast lead role approached play considered casting president united_states addition having aliens laser lighting display earth version scripts alien swallow planet transporting earth center galaxy miller asked rewrite contact attempt portray pope key supporting character hoping film ready release christmas miller direction pre production lasted longer expected studio fired director blaming pushed start dates budget concerns miller insistence script needed weeks previously turned director position decided accept offer granted total artistic control right final cut privilege director cast dropped lead role role contact despite diagnosed continued involved production film cast main crew members conducted academic conference depicted detailed history astronomy development contact production crew watched space odyssey inspiration filming principal photography began september ended february shooting took place large array near new_mexico shooting course spectacular difficult aspects filming producer said working facility order accomplish shots movie negotiate dish control order dishes direction needed effect dramatic shot story weeks location shooting new_mexico arizona production contact returned los_angeles months worth location sound stage shooting total burbank art department created sets attempt create sense realism storyline principal cnn news outlet commentators scripted contact news reporters cnn roles film cnn programs included ann makes cameo appearance debating character january second unit sent puerto_rico week observatory second unit work took place fiji newfoundland canada essential production host technical white_house staff member consult government protocol issues visited set number times helped minute filming briefly delayed news death december contact dedicated comes screen fade shot film format cameras large format special effects shots sound designers software audio mixing sound visual effects visual effects sequences joint effort separate companies team included cgi rendering particular responsible designing sequence admitted difficulty blue screen technology actress blue room blue walls blue roof blue blue blue foster explained rotated lazy susan camera moving arm tough news footage president bill_clinton digitally altered appear speaking alien contact original plan film initially approached play president actor turned role favor shortly refusal saw nasa announcement august clinton gave mars rock speech director explained swear god like scripted movie said line continue listen closely died stood mouth hanging open notable feature contact use digital color correction approach helped solve continuity errors location shooting large array new_mexico weather killed going changing skies colors times day roughly visual effects supervisor commented opening scene minute computer generated sequence beginning view earth high listening numerous radio waves modern programming planet camera starts backward passing moon mars features solar system cloud space local bubble way eventually deep space occurs radio signals start drop reflect older programming representing distance signals traveled speed light eventually silent distance greater sequence eventually resolves iris young ellie eye listening amateur radio set scale view shot entire universe inspired short documentary film powers time longest continuous computer generated effect live action film eventually surpassed opening sequence day tomorrow extraterrestrial message architectural drawings machine created sixth film collaboration director supervisor created visual effects shots combination model miniature shots digital computer work designing machine explained machine novel somewhat vague fine book movie going build giant physical structure alien design believable continued huge audience feel like bigger man look absolutely real machine designed concept artist conceptual design originally created appear scene final cut early conceptual designs pod based existed novel primary shapes geometry sided figure eventually pod modified spherical capsule traveler production crew visits kennedy space center officials allowed access sites limits visitors filmmakers brought launch space shuttle concentrated mechanics elevator area loading arm resulting photographs research incorporated design machine surrounding supports concept met filmmakers approval physical construction began sets pod interior elevator took months build rest effects compiled digitally climactic scene depicting mysterious beach near core makes contact particular called major visual innovations goal sky stars exist near core galaxy said thought beach heightened reality everyday world like vague question alive real mind elements ocean waves running reverse palm tree shadows sped motion applied hitler required digital manipulation music original score composed released august score approximately hour long minutes including major cue track entitled good features slightly different opening brief brass motif film cues identical orchestration mix film region special edition dvd release contains isolated score track presents complete score feature isolated scores mentioned product descriptions dvd science religion contact suggests cultural conflicts religion science brought fore apparent contact aliens occurs film point discussion existence god different positions portrayed description emotionally intense experience describes seeing god met suggestion needed significant personal experience indicative greater compares certainty god exists certainty loved deceased father despite unable prove contact depicts intense debate occurring result apparent contact aliens clips known debate shows shown participants discussing implications message asking proof existence alien life god science religious ground believer puts talking god head religious organization casts doubt morality building machine noting don know aliens believe god machine ultimately destroyed religious belief building detrimental revelation end film recording device recorded approximately hours static arguably conclusive proof fact experience journey indications film cast doubt authenticity director indicated point movie certain doubt aliens real indications consist visual cues journey echo ellie experiences earlier film ellie believed result aliens thoughts memories timing message arrival eventual highly message received shortly team ejected facility successfully sponsor close death cancer weeks failed attempts team end film position traditionally viewed skepticism contempt believing complete certainty despite unable prove face widespread skepticism admits scientist normally share evidence apparently contrary stated intended message film science religion opposing camps shown scientist religious acceptance journey took place scattered references film science religion nominally incompatible interviewer asking construction machine despite knowing happen activated dangerous suggests built faith alien designers puts know release contact release july public interest novel book remained list july september box office contact premiered july los_angeles california film released united_states july theaters earning opening weekend contact eventually grossed foreign countries reaching worldwide total home video contact released vhs new dvd format december special features dvd contains separate audio commentaries director producer visual effects star contact released october critical reception contact received positive reviews critics basis reviews collected rotten_tomatoes critics enjoyed film average score metacritic calculated average score based reviews denoting generally favorable reviews roger_ebert gave largely positive review believing contact par steven_spielberg close encounters kind hollywood cinematic study extraterrestrial life movies like contact help explain movies like independence day leave feeling commented december added contact collection los_angeles_times wrote film carried philosophical portrait science fiction genre films believed contact managed satisfy general public simply want entertained said internet reviewer called contact finest motion pictures forceful reminder hollywood capable making magic felt film par space odyssey greatest science fiction films san_francisco_chronicle largely enjoyed minutes contact felt director obsessed visual effects cohesive storytelling pivotal climax writing washington_post gave largely negative review like film main premise described debate science awards sound designers nominated lost nominated motion picture drama awarded category work brown contact won hugo award best dramatic presentation fifth element men black starship awarded individual awards best performance younger actor 24th saturn awards director writers film score composer visual effects received nominations contact nominated saturn award best science fiction film lost american_film_institute lists afi years thrills nominated afi nominated science fiction film controversies bill_clinton found antarctica thought mars years later paper nasa scientist published journal science proposing contain evidence microscopic fossils bacteria later disputed interpretation announcement headlines world following day august president united_states bill_clinton remarks news press conference places sufficiently generic nature allow fragments statement included contact implying clinton speaking contact extraterrestrial life film story later film separate fragment generic remarks president clinton speaking iraq different press conference october lifted context inserted contact july days film opened united_states received letter white_house counsel protesting use clinton digitally appearance letter demands director pulling release prints film trailers marketing called duration manner clinton appearance inappropriate legal action planned white house counsel simply wanted send message hollywood avoid unauthorized uses president image reminded official white_house policy prohibits use president way implies direct connection president commercial product service explained feel completely frank white_house issue saw scripts notified film completed sent print advance film july opening confirmation print received july pursued received formal release white_house use clinton image counsel commented parody satire protected amendment press secretary believed difference president image control way lead viewer believe said didn cnn shortly white_house complaint cnn chairman president ceo announced believed mistake allow members cnn air staff including appear film cnn owned johnson added contact cnn presence creates impression manipulated line cnn changed policies future films requires potential appearances cleared ethics group lawsuits director developed contact hiring unsuccessfully sued studio breach contract policies filming december filmmaker filed lawsuit died previous week claimed novel based story pair developed television special titled contact development agreement split proceeds project novel write program produced simon published contact warner moved forward development film adaptation sought damages injunction production distribution film february judge dismissed claim agreed violated terms contract explained waited long file lawsuit contract written appealed suit taking april dismissed suit finding claims barred brought late court noted filmmaker thought contact nasa scene nasa scientists caused controversy production film came film nasa advisor insisted nasa given astronaut case astronaut truly wished commit suicide space cut oxygen supply insisted nasa pills mission astronaut flown said radically different truth unknown left suicide scene movie way line beliefs vision film nasa technical consultant project griffin cameo role dynamics mission control previously technical advisor film working nasa actual flight director mission 1980s director
Contact (1997 American film)