Contact (1997): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Contact is a 1997 sci-fi thriller directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. It is partly based on Contact by Carl Sagan. It runs 2 hours 30 minutes and earned $171.1 million worldwide on a $90 million budget. It won 1 award from 4 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Critics gave it 62 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.5/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 30m (150 min)
- Director
- Robert Zemeckis
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Budget
- $90M
- Based on
- Contact by Carl Sagan
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Contact About?
The premise of Contact without spoilers, adapted from Contact by Carl Sagan. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Jason finds his world unraveling when his loved one vanishes without a trace. Driven by desperation, he embarks on a relentless search for answers. As he investigates, the lines between reality and illusion become increasingly blurred, forcing him to question everything he thought he knew. The search plunges him into a bewildering journey where the familiar transforms into the unknown.
Contact Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- first contact
- wormhole
- nasa
- religion
- message from outer space
- new mexico
- alien contact
- father daughter relationship
- space station
- alien intelligence
- alien technology
- space travel
+38 more Show fewer
- universe
- puerto rico
- atheist
- sect
- science
- astronomy
- telescope
- radio telescope
- based on novel
- religion versus science
- interstellar communication
- female protagonist
- alien
- radio
- military
- outer space
- seti
- astronomer
- vega
- heroine
- tv show
- helicopter
- courage
- spacesuit
- intelligence
- reference to god
- reference to adolf hitler
- zero gravity
- flashback
- flash forward
- space capsule
- isolation
- mir space station
- bill clinton character
- president
- faith
- florida
- cosmic zoom
Contact Cast
Jodie Foster leads the cast, with Matthew McConaughey. Directed by Robert Zemeckis.
-
Director Robert Zemeckis
Contact Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Contact 62 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.5/10.
-
IMDb 7.5 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 62 Metascore
User score 7.8
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 74% User score
See on TMDB
Contact Plot Summary
What happens in Contact from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Dr. Ellie Arroway, played by Jodie Foster, is a dedicated researcher for the SETI program stationed at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Inspired by her deceased father Theodore’s passion for science and communication, Ellie uses her expertise to listen for radio signals from the cosmos, driven by the hope of discovering extraterrestrial life. Alongside her colleague, Kent Clarke, who is visually impaired yet shares her enthusiasm for the pursuit of the unknown, Ellie navigates the challenges of her mission with the assistance of research assistant Fisher.
Full summary
The whole story of Contact, scene by scene
Contact Box Office & Budget
Contact grossed $171.1 million worldwide on a $90 million budget, 1.9 times what it cost. $100.9 million came from the US and Canada and $70.2 million (41%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$171.1M
1.9× its budget
- US & Canada
- $100.9M
- International
- $70.2M
- Budget
- $90M
Contact Awards & Nominations
Contact won 1 award from 4 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Its biggest night was the Saturn Awards 1998, with 1 win from 2 nominations.
1 win4 nominations3 ceremonies
-
Saturn Awards 1998 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress
- Nominated Best Director
-
Golden Globes 1998 1 nomination- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actress) – Jodie Foster
-
Oscars 1998 1 nomination- Nominated Sound
Contact Trailers & Videos
5 videos: 2 trailers and 3 clips.
- Trailer Original Theatrical Trailer
- Clip A Signal From Outer Space
- Clip Religious Zealot Infiltrates the Machine
- Clip Entering the Wormhole
How Well Do You Know Contact?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main character and scientist in Contact?
Cars in Contact
17 cars on screen, including the 1968 Chevrolet Impala Convertible and the 1981 Jeep CJ-7.
-
1968 Chevrolet Impala Convertible Important role -
1981 Jeep CJ-7 Important role -
1992 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role -
1985 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Minor role
Contact Also Known As
21 alternative titles, including “接触未来” and “コンタクト”.
- Also known as
-
- 接触未来
- コンタクト
- コンタクト：1997
- 超時空接觸
- Kontakt
- Контакт
- Contacto
- Ensimmäinen yhteys
- Kapcsolat
- 超时空接触
- 콘택트
- קונטקט
+9 more Show fewer
- Contato
- Mesaj
- Stik
- 接觸未來
- Kontaktas
- Kontakts
- คอนแทค อุบัติการสัมผัสห้วงจักรวาล
- تماس
- Che Giấu Sự Thật, კონტაქტი
Seen Contact?
Movies Like Contact
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Contactee, Contact and Mission to Mars.
Contact FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of Contact, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Contact?
Contact runs 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes).
When was Contact released?
Contact was released on July 11, 1997.
Who directed Contact?
Contact was directed by Robert Zemeckis.
More films by Robert Zemeckis Who is in the cast of Contact?
Contact stars Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey.
How much did Contact make at the box office?
Contact grossed $171.1 million worldwide ($100.9 million domestic, $70.2 million international) on a budget of $90 million.
How is Contact rated?
Contact has 7.5/10 on IMDb, 62 on Metacritic and 74% on TMDB.
Is Contact based on a book?
Yes. Contact is partly adapted from Contact by Carl Sagan.
What awards did Contact win?
Contact won 1 award from 4 nominations, including Best Performance by a Younger Actor/Actress at the Saturn Awards 1998.
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