Trailer
Contact(1997)
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1997 · FILM
Contact
Astronomer Dr. Ellie Arrowby races against political sabotage and looming shutdown of her telescope array to prove humanity’s place in the cosmos before the universe’s silence becomes permanent.
“Take a journey to the heart of the universe.”
Directed by
Written by
Rated
MPA · PG
Runtime
150 min
DramaMysterySci-Fi
Synopsis
A radio astronomer detects the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever received on Earth. As global powers race to decode the message and determine an appropriate response, she faces difficult choices between her personal beliefs, the pursuit of truth, and the demands of reality.
Credits
Actors
Production Designer
Director of Photography
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 355+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Arthur SchmidtShot by Don BurgessScored by Alan SilvestriDesigned by Ed VerreauxSound by Phil BensonCostumes by Jessica FasmanStunts by Bud Davis
Box Office
1997 · Box office
⚖️ Fell short of break-even — grossed 1.9× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$171.1M
Budget$90.0M
Worldwide gross$171.1M
break-even (2.5×)
US & Canada: $100.9M — 59% of worldwide · International: $70.2M (41%)
Opening weekend: $20.6M — 20% of its US run.
Opening week (7-day): $31.3M — 31% of its US & Canada run.
Peak 1,923 theaters
Full synopsis
Also known as
- Contactde
Release dates around the world3 countries · showhide
- United StatesJul 5, 1997
- CanadaJul 11, 1997
- FranceSep 1, 1997
Companies
ProductionWarner Bros., South Side Amusement Company
Community tags
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Cast & Crew
355 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Supporting cast
130Max Martini
as Willie
Larry King
as Larry King
Thomas Garner
as Ian Broderick
Conroy Chino
as KOB-TV Reporter
Dan Gifford
as Jeremy Roth
James Woods
as Michael Kitz
Vance Valencia
as Senator Valencia
Angela Bassett
as Rachel Constantine
Donna Kelley
as Donna Kelley
Leon Harris
as Leon Harris
Claire Shipman
as Claire Shipman
Behrooz Afrakhan
as Middle Eastern Anchor
Saemi Nakamura
as Japanese Anchor
Maria Celeste Arraras
as Latina Anchor
Tabitha Soren
as Tabitha Soren
Geraldo Rivera
as Geraldo Rivera
Ian Whitcomb
as British Anchor
Jay Leno
as Jay Leno
Natalie Allen
as Natalie Allen
Robert D Novak
as Robert D. Novak
Geraldine A Ferraro
as Geraldine A. Ferraro
Ann Druyan
as Ann Druyan
Rob Lowe
as Richard Rank
Jake Busey
as Joseph
Kathleen Kennedy
as Kathleen Kennedy
Michael Albala
as Decryption Hacker
Ned Netterville
as Decryption Expert
Leo Lee
as Major Domo
William Jordan
as Chairman of Joint Chiefs
David St James
as Joint Chief
Jill Dougherty
as Jill Dougherty
Haynes Brooke
as Drumlin Aide
John Holliman
as John Holliman
Bobbie Battista
as Bobbie Battista
Dee Dee Myers
as Dee Dee Myers
Bryant Gumbel
as Bryant Gumbel
Linden Soles
as Linden Soles
Steven Ford
as Major Russell
Alexander Zemeckis
as Major Russell's Son
Janie Peterson
as Major Russell's Daughter
Philippe Bergeron
as French Committee Member
Jennifer Balgobin
as Dr. Patel
Anthony Hamilton
as British Committee Member
Rebecca T Beucler
as NASA Public Relations
Marc Macaulay
as NASA Technician
Pamela Wilsey
as Voice of NASA
Tucker Smallwood
as Mission Director
Jeffery Thomas Johnson
as Mechnical
Yuji Okumoto
as Electrical
Gerry Griffin
as Dynamics
Brian Alston
as Communications
Rob Elk
as Pad Leader
Mark Thomason
as Security
Jose Rey
as Controller #8
Todd Patrick Breaugh
as New VLA Technician
Alex Veadov
as Russian Cosmonaut
Alice Kushida
as Scientist
Robin Gammell
as Project Official
Richardson Morse
as Mission Doctor
Seiji Okamura
as Japanese Ensign
Bernard Shaw
as Bernard Shaw
Mak Takano
as Japanese Tech #1
Hiroshi Tom Tanaka
as Japanese Tech #2
Catherine Dao
as Life Support
Kristoffer Ryan Winters
as Dynamics #2
Valorie Armstrong
as Woman Senator
Jim Hild
as Reporter #5
William L Thomas
as Reporter #6
Diego Montoya
as School Boy
Jonathan Adler
as White House Official
Robert Aguilar Jr
as NASA Controller #2
Neil Armstrong
as Self - Voice Through Space
Mark Bailey
as Four-Star General
Matt Bennett
as Senate Observer
Tony Boldi
as Robert Hand
Christopher Boyer
as Scientist
Christine Brady
as White House Official
Ray Buffer
as Press Reporter
Mark Byrne
as Protester
Candice T Cain
as Supporter
Michael Chaban
as Hadden Suit
Aixa Clemente
as President's Secretary
Bill Clinton
as Self
Derrick Damions
as Ailing Believer
Elaina Davis
as Philanthropy Bureaucrat
Joey Dente
as Factory Worker
Michael Egan
as IMC Police Officer
Jeff Elmore
as Monk
Pamela Fischer
as Pedestrian
Carl Gilliard
as Controller
Adolf Hitler
as Self
William B Kaplan
as TV Interviewer
Martin Luther King
as Self - Voice Through Space
Boris Lee Krutonog
as Astronaut
Jason Laford
as U.S. Marine Corps
Ming Lo
as Pod Systems Control
Sunshine Logrono
as Puerto Rican Taxi Driver
Denise Loveday
as Press Secretary
Douglas Macarthur
as Self - Voice Through Space
Neal Matarazzo
as Kitz's Aide
Joseph Mccarthy
as Self - Voice Through Space
Cassidy Mcmillan
as Student Reporter at NASA
Bill Miller
as Reporter
Molly Mueller
as Family Exchange
Richard Nixon
as Self - Voice Through Space
Paul L Nolan
as Ellie's Attorney
Marisa Petroro
as Oval Office Secretary
Errica Poindexter
as Police Officer
J A Preston
as Senator
Frank Principe
as Ailing Believer
Billy Quinn
as Security Guard
Thomas Reid
as Senate Hearing
Leo Rogstad
as Ailing Believer
Franklin D Roosevelt
as Self - Voice Through Space
Russell Sanderlin Sr
as Photographer
Kelli Schloemer
as Reporter #3
Fran Severini
as White House Official
Frank Silva
as Army Officer
John A Taylor
as Senate Hearing Attendee
Todd Thompson
as News Reporter
Cenk Uygur
as Reporter
Holly Cross Vagley
as Religious Zealot
Francisco Viana
as Japanese Deck Crewman
Richard Allen Waite
as Extra
Michael Wajacs
as Reporter
Eric Alan Wendell
as Protester
Harold E Whitfield
as U.S. Senator
Delaney Williams
as Believer #1
Gregory L Williams
as Extra
Walter Winchell
as Self - Voice Through Space
Directors
1Writers
4Producers
8Other crew
210Judith Bouley
additional casting
Harry Keramidas
additional editor
Lindakay Brown
adr editor
David B Vallone
animator
Kelvin Lee
animator
Kevin Hudson
animator
Beth Bernstein
art department coordinator
Bruce Crone
Art Directors
Lawrence A Hubbs
Art Directors
Michael Taylor
as Michael J. Taylor
Kevin Bowe
assistant accountant (uncredited)
William Cueto
assistant chief lighting technician (as William E. Cueto)
Parents Guide
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Ratings & reviews
Official ratings
MPA·PGUSRe-ratedBBFC·PGGBRe-ratedFSK·FSK 12DERe-ratedACB·MAURe-ratedCBFC·UINRe-ratedEirin·GJPRe-ratedClassInd·LivreBRRe-ratedKAVI·K-12FIRe-ratedCNC·Tous publicsFRRe-ratedICAA·AESRe-ratedItaly·TITRe-ratedKijkwijzer·6NLRe-ratedIFCO·12IERe-ratedRTC·PGMXRe-ratedKMRB·12KRRe-ratedUNITED ARAB EMIRATES·PGRe-ratedTURKEY·13+Re-ratedTHAILAND·GRe-ratedTAIWAN·GPRe-ratedSWITZERLAND·12Re-ratedSWEDEN·7Re-ratedSOUTH AFRICA·ARe-ratedSINGAPORE·PGRe-ratedRUSSIA·0+Re-ratedPORTUGAL·M/12Re-ratedPOLAND·b.o.Re-ratedPERU·AptRe-ratedNORWAY·11Re-ratedNEW ZEALAND·MRe-ratedMALAYSIA·URe-ratedICELAND·12Re-ratedHONG KONG·IIARe-ratedGREECE·KRe-ratedECUADOR·TPRe-ratedDENMARK·11Re-ratedCHILE·TERe-ratedCANADA·GRe-ratedBELGIUM·KT/EARe-ratedARGENTINA·13Re-rated
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Trailers
Trailer
Contact(1997)
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