This movie just doesn't get old.

How can it hold up so well and still be such an enjoyable experience even when I know the whole story almost by heart? (word for word in some sections.) I credit the awesome acting, amazing (usually very subtle) effects, and open-endedly thought provoking subject matter. Anyone who uses the words "slow" or "boring" to describe Contact wasn't paying attention at all, in my oh-so-humble opinion.

If you watch attentively, and think about what it would take, mechanically, to setup a given shot or camera move, Contact is a rapid fire, no-holds-barred, extravaganza of an effects show for the entire 2 hours and 21 minutes between the opening company credit, and the fadeout to the "Directed by Robert Zemeckis" slide. An amazing piece of work. (It probably also helps to have listened to the technical commentary track by the two dudes who worked on special effects for the film. They point out a lot of subtleties that are easily missed on a casual viewing.)

Jodie Foster is an amazing actress, but everybody already knew that. In this film, she is nothing less than riveting. Right down to the nervous fidgeting finger movements while meeting with the president's cabinet. (And probably even more subtle things that I don't consciously notice.)

At least as much as being a scifi plot, the story is a modern day allegory about the search for truth, and the struggles of those who seek it earnestly. (So says me!) Once found, the most fundamental core knowledge about the meaning of our existence cannot be proven or demonstrated concretely, even by those who have witnessed it firsthand.

I love this movie. It is among my top all-time favorites. Watch it again every now and then, bask in the cinematic glory, and contemplate the wonder of it all.