Contact, baby! One of the most thought-provoking movies of all time! Sorry more of you haven't seen it--or seen it recently enough to stay in your memories very well. Besides great acting, this film is completely engrossing even as it is wrestling with very high-level science and cultural commentary. If we actually had discovered irrefutable evidence of uber-intelligent life in another galaxy and this other species invited us to build a machine, I absolutely think the variety of reactions portrayed in this film would be nearly exactly the same--everything from the military and defense guys' worries over security, to the religious groups trying to protect their turf (in both subtle and terrible ways), to the parties and crazy folk, to the international committees attempts to find the right kind of person(s) to represent our species to the aliens, etc. Besides being fascinating in all these ways, it is also--at least to me--very inspiring, pointing toward a more ennobling future. I highly recommend it.
As a teaser to get some more of you to see it, there is a very short but unflattering Utah reference in the film (though not really something to be upset about as there is no Mormon-specific commentary). The reference relates to this crazy character (played by Gary Busey's son, who totally looks like his dad, I think):
Side note: Carl Sagan, the author of the book that this was based on, and which was quite different than the movie, spoke at my Ph.D. graduation just months before he died and also before the film came out. He admitted to being very much like the Jodie Foster character in this film: skeptical but capable of profoundly religious-type feelings upon some of his experiences pondering the cosmos. He didn't think it was a good idea to look to God or outside forces to solve our planetary crises--that is our job--but he could still understand the feeling of mystery at the heart of much religion.
So, how did the contest go? Matt and Alex weighed in with good guesses, though wrong ones, based on the Monday clue. They guessed Finding Forrester and Juno respectively. No one guessed anything from the Wednesday clue. Our winner came following the Thursday one about how they should have sent a poet--and that winner was George. I didn't know this was quite so high on his list of all-time favorites so perhaps the contest was a bit unfair. BUT it does show that the man with the unusual musical tastes does know a great film when he sees it! The Friday clues brought two more correct guesses, the first by Emily quite quickly after the clues were posted, and then a few hours later by Matt. That was it. (Let me quickly add that Emily is an impressive player to me. This was the second or third time she's weighed in on films that I've picked where she tells me she really isn't all that familiar with the film but then shares how she pieces the clues together to make her guesses. And she's been right each time simply based on really examining the quotes for any kind of context they provide and then running through films that she knows are about those subjects. So congrats to her for a well-deserved First Runner-up this week.)
George, you are stomping us in this contest! Congrats. Looking forward to what film you choose for this week's competition....
5 comments:
Spot-on, Dan, in your commentary on the movie. I just love this movie and it inspires me with the story going on and on with all the developments and Jodie Foster's determination. The only drawback for me is the wooden M. McConaughey character and the lack of chemistry between him and Foster. All the other characters were great. Props to Skerrett and the blind lab guy and all the others.
Whoop, whoop! I won again. Rippen! I better get busy and figure out a movie that we like and can live with. "Unusual musical tastes" huh! I have always likes In the Year 2525, and I was truly going to choose MJ's good earth song in my next play list. In fact I really like most if not all of your "theme" playlist, Dan. Nice work....
Did you ever find out what is with the "You might also like:" posting thingies? Will they pop up when I make a posting or do you, dan, have a key pressed somewhere on your keyboard? Emily, where are you when we need you? Just kidding, but weigh in on this if you please.
Just messing on the musical tastes comment. Glad you liked the protest/activist songs this week. Kind of fun doing themes, I think.
Interestingly, in the book, the Matthew M character has almost no role at all. There is no romance or any of that stuff in it. And the Rob Lowe religious-right dude is much more prominent instead with a growing friendship between his character and the Foster character at the end that you might read as leading to a romance later. Also way different in movie versus book is that in the book either 5 or 6 people go in the machine. Worth a read or an audiobook listen! One thing I DID like about the MM character in the movie was how he was able to offer up perspectives about science not being able to provide meaning or to challenge Foster's skepticism with his own kinds of evidence and informed views. That was important stuff for the intelligence of the movie even if you don't buy their love affair (which I thought was okay and not really that lacking in chemistry). Agree on the big number of really good characters in the film!
Emily did write somewhere about the "also like" feature. I think she said she liked it for her blog but recognized it not being that interesting for the WTB game posts. I think she said she can turn it off but we can't.
I did see it but yes it was once along time ago. I will have to see it again. Yes Uncle George you dominate in this. Have a good week.
Let me extend my congrats to dad on his usurping of my wtb throne. I am truly humbled.
Dan clued you in a little Pops, but thought I would explain it further. Linkwithin or the "you might also like thingies" is a free gadget that is easily added to your blog as a neat little feature for your readers. Just by giving them the name of your blog and signing up, they automatically pick 3 old posts that are loosely related to the current blog you are reading. They are picked (semi)randomly by recognizing either tags or words common to both posts. Basically it is a tool that dregs up old posts that have been buried in the archives never to see the light of day again.
By the way, I am now seeing other posts besides just the same old wtb threads with the gadget. I have seen a few posts today that were movie/book recommendations that I have forgotten I didn't check out when they were originally posted. Therefore I am more excited about having it on this blog too. If anyone has a real problem with that, let me know and we can open it up to discussion.
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