Contact: The book & movie most profound of our generation?

gpett

What other story or idea has so eloquently combined the ideas of science, faith, logic, religion and creationism?



I am still in awe that the story is so powerful in combining these ideas that have divided differing philosophies for centuries.



I am of the opinion that there is some correctness in any philosophy or theology.  What limits people is that they become so narrow minded that they cannot have an open mind and realize there might be other nuances or interpretations of the same information.



What the story 'Contact' means to me is that there are many ways of saying the same thing.  Faith, knowledge, experience, logic, and feeling are all different ways people validate what they choose to be right and wrong.  Why create such a divide between people that have different explanations for what they believe in?  It is ok that each individual can explain the world around them in a different way.  That is ok to have different opinions.  But, I think the moral of the story is to not deny other opinions.  It is the collective whole of all of our beliefs and experiences that will lead us to new answers!



OK I have rambled enough...  Have you read or seen the story 'Contact'?

shamall

I have to agree. Contact has been the only movie I can recall that has left me with the feeling of wonder I use to get when looking at the stars with my telescope when I was a kid. People are so caught up in their everyday lives that they don't take the time to stop and realize how small but yet important we are. There are greater things than us gong on in this univers, most of which we will never see. I think humbled would be the best word to use as to how contact made me feel. 

outfctrl

That movie really moved me.  Jodi Foster did a superb job in it.  Her emotions really touched me.  IT is my favorite movie, bar none.

 

Razorback

meeeh

It was ok...

I liked Close Encounters better

gpett

Well, Razorback I hope you are being funny.  Because to me the two stories do not even compare.  Close encounters was a story that seemed random to me.  Merely  hapenstance contact beteeen aliens and humans.  The climax of the story was that they explored the idea of communication between races.



Contact was on a whole another level.  Contact was a complete theological exploration of ideas that transcends the modern perceptions of science and religeon and how they can be intertwined.



Anywho.. glad some people agree.  I suggest anyone that does not know contact read the book.  Then see the movie.   Both are exceptional works.



Enjoy!

ntcrawler

Jodi Foster lacks lips. I don't really have any thing to contribute to this thread other then that and that Matthew may have t-rex arms.

gpett

Yeah, she doesn't have angelia jolie lips.  And I never new matthew was a short armed mofo until I saw some recent thing on tv.  But who cares?  They were just tools that helped enunciate a story that captivated me. ( I do not mean that in a negative way.)

Razorback

Dont get me wrong... I see where your coming from.

Im a massive fan of the Late Carl Sagan.... I guess I would have taken a slightly more  um..... "un hollywood" aproach to making a movie from his brilliant book.

Close Encounters never really presented itself as a ground breaking, mind melting work of artistic genius.... it was pure entertainment and it worked on that level.

I just thought contact aspired to so much more than it achieved.... but thats the great thing about opinions... we all have one

For a movie that I basically cry my eyes out at ..... that is so moving I have to like prepare myself to watch it, because of its deep deep emotional brilliance and stark confronting reality. Id have to name Born on the 4th of July. I have the DVD and have watched it about 4 times and it gets me more each time I watch it.

I want to not like TC.... but he is just brilliant in that movie and the story combined with the way it is presented is one of the most moving motion picture experiences ever for mine.

And Im a freakin Aussie!!

It must tear some Americans in two Im sure.

porgie

Yeah, Contact was a great movie/book.  What more would you expect from the mind of Sagan?



Another movie that touched me and got me to thinking was American Beauty.  That movie left me stunned for days after seeing it.  I just kept thinking about the characters and their interactions with each other.  It disturbed me and intrigued me at the same time.  A really weird feeling.

gpett

I totally agree with the two ^^ posts.



I never really liked tom cruise.  But with movies like eyes wide shut and vanilla sky I have a new found appreciation.  Too bad TC went crazy like micheal jackson and publically proclaiming his love.. gah.. how pathetic is that?



Yes, american beauty is high on my list also.  It tops the list of many awesome movies that kevin spacey was involved with.  Pay it forward, is another movie I ould eccomend eveyone to see.  Not because of spaceys performance, but because of the message of the movie.

malak118

i need to see contact again its been along time I do remember enjoying it  though. I often think of the sci fi series outterlimits when I think about contact. very different for sure but similar ideas.



Vanilla sky was terrible I am not a fan of cameron crowes at all.  He tries too hard to be on the edge and often leaves a dull impression at best from his stories. Pop culture is not cool in a chic sense.



If you liked american beauty I would reccomend Happines and Ghost World. These should not disappoint you.

Neanderthal

I never read the book and it's been a long time since I saw the movie.  The main impression I remember getting from the movie was that it was a huge, long build up followed by a ridiculously anti-climatic ending.

I don't have anything against Carl Sagan really but I did buy one of his non-fiction books once and to me it seemed like he spent way too much time rambling on and on for each point he was trying to make.

shae

I absolutely loved the movie Contact but ashamedly I honestly had no idea it was a book. I'll have to go out and buy it, is it drastically different than the movie? I don't really think I'm smart enough to grasp all the little things the OP talked about but I did really like the comparisons between religion and science and how hard it is for both to live in the same world together.

Oh and by the way, Matthew McConaughey is my scecret boy-toy. He doesn't tell anyone, ya'know, press being how they are, but he's quite in love with me...

gpett

It is ok. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  The book did have a more fluid plot-line and delved into the significant parts of the story a bit more.  In the book Jodie Fosters character was not the only one to go into the machine.  But the movie did do a good job in expressing the story so I have no complaints.

HebrewBomb

Interesting topic we've got here ...

This is what Sagan was upto:



22 (*) P (^) 4 (=) 2143 + TGR



Instead of assuming P and TGR was giant digital dumping ground with randomly scattered punctuation, he rather tried to find a pattern from haystack's seemingly chaotic arrangement.

Grunty

Contact is the only movie that made me want to read the book.  I'm glad I did.

Zephyn02

LOL I thought I was the only one that thought that; I loved the movieook and all my friends thought it was bad. Good to see I am not the only one that loved that story.