Drama, Science Fiction, Mystery  •  1997  •  150 min  •  Older Kids (7+)

Contact (1997)

Contact poster

Contact (1997)


Rating & Dimensions

Bias Rating
Analyzing...
Center
Political: Center
Diversity: Moderate
Christianity: Positive

Viewer Rating
7.0

Overview

A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.


Starring Cast

Jodie Foster  •   Matthew McConaughey  •   Tom Skerritt


Where to watch

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Detailed Bias Analysis

Analyzing...
Center

Primary

Political: Center
Confidence: High

The film consciously balances the conflict between scientific empiricism and spiritual faith, ultimately advocating for a synthesis of both in humanity's search for meaning and understanding. It critiques ideological extremes from both sides, leading to a neutral rating.

Diversity: Moderate
Confidence: High

The movie features visible diversity in its casting, notably with a prominent Black actor in a significant role. However, it does not engage in explicit race or gender swaps of traditionally white characters. The narrative maintains a neutral to positive framing of traditional identities and does not center on explicit DEI critiques.

Secondary

Christianity: Positive
Confidence: High

The film portrays Christianity positively through the character of Palmer Joss, a compassionate and intelligent theologian who advocates for faith's role in understanding the universe. While religious extremism is depicted negatively, the narrative clearly condemns these actions, distinguishing them from the faith itself and positioning the audience to sympathize with a nuanced, respectful view of Christianity.

LGBTQ: N/A
Confidence: High

The film 'Contact' primarily focuses on themes of science, faith, and humanity's search for extraterrestrial intelligence. There are no explicit or implicit LGBTQ+ characters or themes present in the narrative, resulting in no specific portrayal to evaluate.

Trans: N/A
Confidence: High

The film 'Contact' does not feature any transsexual characters or explore themes related to transsexual identity. Its narrative focuses on scientific discovery, humanity's search for extraterrestrial life, and the interplay between science and faith.

Female Combat: N/R

The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.

Gender Swap: No
Confidence: High

The film "Contact" is an adaptation of Carl Sagan's novel. All primary and significant characters, including Dr. Ellie Arroway and Palmer Joss, retain the same gender as established in the source material. No canonical gender swaps are present.

Race Swap: No
Confidence: Medium

The film "Contact" (1997) is an adaptation of Carl Sagan's novel. No major characters whose race was explicitly defined or visually unambiguous in the source material were portrayed by actors of a different race.


Viewer Rating Breakdown

7.0

Viewer Rating

Combines user and critic ratings from four sources

User Ratings

IMDB logo
7.5
The Movie Database logo
7.4

Critic Ratings

Rotten Tomatoes logo
6.9
Metacritic logo
6.2

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