contact
Every time I watch the movie Contact, I am overwhelmed with the number of thoughts it brings to me.
The spiritual thoughts make me want to sit down with someone and discuss seriously why they believe the way they do. The movie probably doesn’t mean to be a witness, but to me, it is a clear path of faith. It makes me think that while I don’t always understand why I believe in a God, it isn’t important why.
It makes me so interested from a scientific standpoint. I have always considered myself a thinker - I like to know WHY. I can see how something like this could happen in our lifetime. I totally understand the argument that "If it’s just us, it seems like an awful waste of space." Ellie had such amazing thoughts.
For a feminist viewpoint, I am saddened that on this movie it was so obvious that SUCH a brilliant mind was held back just because she wasn’t a man. You could see them favoring Drummond for so much of the movie. My sense of equality makes me wish I could stomp on some people.
The beauty of the scenes that she saw just made me want to go to a imax movie on outer space so I could experience something so big. I know that’s the closest I’ll get to something big - I never have wanted to go to outer space, but owning a telescope might be amazing.
And then the final thing - the ending just always gives me hope. I won’t say more and ruin it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but its just terrific to know.
Comments
I love "Contact" too, but it’s been ruined for me in a way since that was the movie I saw the day I lost my virginity. So watching the movie always brings up that... not so pleasent memory. But something about the movie itself resonates with me. One of my all time favorie quoes is from that movie. What Ellie’s "dad" says to her near the end. "You’re an interesting species, an interesting mix. You’re capable of such beautiful dreams and such horrible nightmares. You feel so lost, so cut off, so alone, only you’re not. See, in all our searching, the only thing we’ve found that makes the emptiness bearable is each other."
Have you ever read the book? We covered it in a fem-sci-fi class and it’s really good... heavy on the math/sci but really good.
Posted by: Cristen | January 6, 2002 08:54 PM
eee! Contact is one of my most favorite movies for all the reasons you brought up. It makes me think so much about faith and science and the relationship between the two.
I always wanted Ellie to stand up at the trial thing and say "Don’t you see, my belief in this is the same as your belief in God. Can’t you see they’re the same thing?!"
but yes, I competely agree with you on so many points. I think that’s why I saw that movie in the theatre 3 times. but of course I missed it today even though I saw the ads for it earlier this week (darnit!) heehee, I’m a dork!
Posted by: zalary | January 6, 2002 10:44 PM
Awesome movie, As a christian I kept wanting to tell Drummond and the others that hey God is out there and he might use others to talk to us.. He created it all, whose to say he didn’t create others. Sometimes I think He must be so very amused with us and our ideas and thoughts.. I always wanted to travel in space. The feeling must be unexplainable!!
Posted by: Nancze | January 6, 2002 11:05 PM
Read the book!!!
I loved the movie i saw it 3 times in a theatre and 2 times at the discount theatre...
The line that Cristen pointed out is one of my faves from the movie, but the book has parts that are just awesome... and the book covers 30 years... its a long, long process there... i loved both...
Posted by: Laure | January 7, 2002 10:10 AM