Episode 249: Contact (1997)

The Projection Booth Podcast

The Projection Booth

Film Reviews, Film Interviews, Film History, Tv & Film

4.8 • 686 Ratings

🗓️ 16 December 2015

⏱️ 229 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

After nearly a decade in development, Robert Zemeckis's Contact finally hit theaters in 1997. The film stars Jodie Foster as Dr. Ellie Arroway, a dedicated SETI scientist who uncovers a groundbreaking message from outer space, setting the stage for a profound exploration of science, faith, and human connection.

Mike is joined by Emily Intravia of The Feminine Critique and Jamey Duvall of Movie Geeks United to discuss this iconic sci-fi film. The episode also features insightful interviews with actor William Fichtner, producer Lynda Obst, screenwriter James V. Hart, and SETI science adviser Seth Shostak, offering behind-the-scenes stories and deeper looks into the making of the movie.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Christopher Media. Let's make some noise.
0:09.7	This morning's detection of an unidentified radio source from deep space can neither be confirmed nor denied.
0:16.0	Whatever it is, it ain't local.
0:17.9	Position?
0:18.8	I checked into barometry somewhere in Lira, I think.
0:21.4	Oh, Vega?
0:22.2	Can't be.
0:23.1	There's only 26 light years away.
0:25.3	I want all these people out of here.
0:26.8	You're having sent this announcement all over the world
0:28.4	may well constitute a breach of national security.
0:30.6	This isn't a person-to-person call.
0:32.3	This may be an announcement to get our attention.
0:34.6	The president's called an emergency meeting. You know those interlaced frames that we thought were noise? This says structure. I'm going to recommend to the president that we militarize this project immediately. There's no reason to believe that their intentions are hostile. There's no proof of that. Why don't they just speak English? Mathematics is the only truly universal language senator. Buried within the message itself is the key to decoding it. Those look like engineering schematics, almost like blueprints.
0:55.9	It is our belief that the message contains instructions for building some kind of machine.
1:01.1	A machine? It might turn out to be some kind of a transport. Transport. The fact is you don't know
1:07.5	what it does. It could be anything. Nobody's saying this isn't dangerous. They're going to build it.
1:11.3	Who gets to go?
1:12.1	It's complicated, Ellie.
1:13.3	Who gets to go?
1:14.3	By doing this, you're willing to risk your life.
1:16.3	You're willing to give your life and die for this.
	...

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