MovieChat Forums > Contact (1997) Discussion > Re -watched 17 years later *spoilers*

Re -watched 17 years later spoilers

posted 10 years ago by BrickNash
10 replies | jump to latest

I saw this film in around 1998ish and I must admit that I really enjoyed the build up but I was disappointed when she actually met the aliens in that dream image form. I thought it was a bit of a cop out and sort of stole the climax away.

Re-watching it last night I think I like the build up a little less and the end a little more now.

This is all just my opinion of course but there was a lot of rubbish that made the film drag a little although I do understand why it was there but a little less of it would have maybe helped.

I couldn't stand McConaughey's character in the film. Not because he was a holy Joe which I actually have no problem with but because he seemed like a bit of a c%*t with all the cruel jibes about her father and his selfish twisting of her selection. Plus the fact he looked like the kind of curly haired, golden tanned hipster prick I despise. Just give him an acoustic guitar and tie-dye t-shirt and he'd be your typical looking vegan carrot hero.

If the film didn't have him in it or any of the *beep* love sub story I think the pace would have been much better and the God angle would still have been quite happily in there with Jake Buesy and Tom Skerrit's characters. I also feel the flashback parts with her father, while absolutely necessary seemed to be stretched out a little. Most of these sour points for me also seem to happen within the first 25 minutes which makes for a pretty depressing introduction.

It's still a great film though. Once the crap is over with it is really, really gripping stuff and I enjoyed it a lot. It was really cool to see two actors from Alien in a sci-fi film again even though they didn't share any screen time together. Jodie Foster is superb and is easily the best thing in the film by far.

So yeah, great film and maybe in another 17 years I'll dig it out again but I don't think it has much re-watch value for me.

[–] estadefabula 10 years ago

Thank you, now I can sleep at night.

[–] akingofcomedy 9 years ago

Thank you, now I can sleep at night.

Full-on hateful. Glad not to know you.

[–] dcobbimdb 9 years ago

I really liked this movie and on reflection of seeing it quite a few times have learned to ignore the whole faith vs. science part of it, which by design is a big part of the inner conflict of the movie.

I was raised religious but have since turned more agnostic years back as I couldn't see nor feel anything behind the helm, nor much relied upon it either. Far as I'm concerned to each their own and I'm not going to preach one way or the other.

That said once you get past the religious vs. science conflict the movie overall far as getting a signal from ET and being able to visit them is one of the most plausible and believable movies I've ever seen. And I've seen quite a lot of Sci-Fi movies throughout the years...

[–] Waigon 9 years ago

All this hatred of Palmer. Goodness. He's not a useless character at all. He is the one Ellie clings to when nobody else believes her, and realises what it must be like for religious people. Which is part of the point to the movie.

CDEGFEDCC. (Shhh!)

[–] LordManhammer 9 years ago

Ellie is already dealing with one powerful person who keeps pushing her down (Drumlin), and now there's another man who thinks he knows what's best for her. Palmer has feelings for Ellie, but just like Drumlin, works to ruin her chances of meeting her dreams because he selfishly doesn't want to lose her. As he admits, he voted against her because he put his own needs first--and keep in mind that if Ellie was the best person to send in the machine, then Palmer was also working against the interests of everyone on the planet!

__ __ __
Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"--Pres. Merkin Muffley

[–] dj_watts1 10 years ago

Matthew Mc C although bible bashing a little kinda explained why he turned on Jodie as he didn't want her to go because he loved her!

I supose that's what's really bothered you about him.

[–] MuMu2525 10 years ago

I don't remember him making any cruel jibes about her father, and although I would have preferred a different actor in the role, I can see the importance of his character. If we just had Busey and Skerrit there to provide "the God angle", it would have been quite an unbalanced story which was basically just bashing religion by making people with religious beliefs out to be nutjobs and sycophants. I don't have a religious bone in my body and feel it's always held us back from making quicker progress, but that was actually part of the story and there was some merit in Ellie discussing science vs. religion with Palmer Joss because it gave the story an interesting dynamic. Even though she didn't share his beliefs, she didn't want to just dismiss them because she respected him, and vice-versa. I was totally on her side in that discussion, but it's an important discussion to have because "proof vs. faith" is the heart of the story (as we see at the end). I suppose what I liked about that aspect of the story is that after I went to see this film back in the 90s, I had the exact same discussion on the way home with my then-partner (who was also religious, whereas I wasn't). I love films that can make you think and spark up discussion like that.

[–] MxSChizo 9 years ago

Watched it just now. I can't believe this passed for movies back then. I was expecting a scifi movie and ended up with a 90 minute long televangelist broadcast.

[–] chatfan 9 years ago

90 minutes? So you didn't watch the last hour of the movie? Shame it's fun.

Yes you are being trolled

[–] chatfan 9 years ago

90 minutes? So you didn't watch the last hour of the movie? Shame it's fun.

Yes you are being trolled