I love this movie so much, I even put it ahead of "Close Encounters," which I love for Spielberg's kind take on the government's response (i.e., good people trying to do the right thing--however secretly).
I saw the movie before I read the book, and I've always thought it was Jodie Foster's coolest performance, because her lead character is so compelling and so strong that I just love showing it to my daughters because such films are still maddeningly rare.
I also think it's Robert Zemecki's best film, even better than "Forrest Gump," which is cloying in many places.
Specific things I like:
- That stunning opening sequence is a mind-blower (pulling back from Earth and giving you a sense of the reach of radio waves);
- I love the early sequences with the daughter and father, and how they're used to set up later stuff (I'm also a huge David Morse fan);
- I love Arroway's obession with her work and especially her sales scene at Haddon industry, when she loses it;
- I like the long-distance, irregular love story with Matthew McConaughey's spiritually opposite character (a bit didactic, but neat);
- I love the scenario of the discovery, especially the way Zemecki's paces it and make a mere sound seem so dramatic;
- I love the scenario of the unfolding of the building of the machine and how the whole discovery of life freaks out the planet in religious terms.
- I love the Japanese bargaining on the systems integration work and the whole long-term duel between Foster's character and Tom Skerritt's nasty bureaucrat;
- I love James Woods as the national security adviser and his reasonably justified fears ("Why is it always the consensus of the eggheads . . .");
- And I especially love John Hurt's "S.R. Haddon" character (both appearances are thrilling [his "Wanna take a ride?" line sends a chill down my spine] and I still cannot understand why he did not receive a supporting actor nomination); and finally,
- I love how Zemeckis did the whole journey across the universe bit at the end.
I've watched the movie maybe 20 times, and just watched it again this week in my home theater with my eldest son, who declared it the best scifi movie he's ever seen--on the spot!
Kev then threatened to watch it again with a friend he had over and--if he had--I probably would have watched it yet again.
I don't have on Blu-Ray, but will get it eventually. And yet, watching it on my Blu-Ray machine and my HD projector, I was stunned at how good the print looked. The cinematography on this film, in my opinion, is as good as it gets.