Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
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The story
In 1977, a series of mysterious events involving unidentified flying objects (UFOs) begins to impact the lives of several individuals. Roy Neary, a blue-collar worker in Indiana, becomes obsessed with a mysterious signal after a close encounter with a UFO. Simultaneously, a single mother named Jillian Guiler deals with the aftermath of her son's abduction during a similar occurrence. Meanwhile, French scientist Claude Lacombe investigates these global phenomena. As the characters become increasingly drawn to a specific mountain location, they must navigate the mystery of the extraterrestrial presence and the growing tension between their ordinary lives and the extraordinary events unfolding around them.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1977, French scientist Claude Lacombe and his assistant David Laughlin investigate the discovery of abandoned aircraft in the desert, linking them to global UFO activity. In Indiana, Roy Neary experiences a close encounter with a UFO that leaves him obsessed with a mysterious mountain shape. Nearby, Jillian Guiler's son, Barry, is abducted by a UFO. Both Roy and Jillian become fixated on a specific mountain, which they identify through shared visions. While the U.S. military prepares a secret site at Devils Tower, Roy and Jillian are intercepted by the military but eventually escape to reach the mountain. There, they join other seekers and a group of scientists who use a five-tone musical phrase to communicate with a massive mothership. The ship eventually lands, releasing several people, including Barry, who is reunited with his mother. Roy is selected by the extraterrestrials to join them, and the film ends with a musical exchange between the humans and the visitors.
- First release year
- 1977
- Runtime (minutes)
- 135
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steven Spielberg
- Writers
- Steven Spielberg · writer
- Cast and characters
- Richard Dreyfuss · Roy Neary; Melinda Dillon · Jillian Guiler; Teri Garr · Ronnie Neary; François Truffaut · Claude Lacombe; Bob Balaban · David Laughlin; Cary Guffey · Barry Guiler
- Genres
- science fiction; drama
- Themes
- humanity's readiness for cosmic community; scientific progress
- Tone and mood
- mystical; dreamy
- Setting
- 1977, locations including Indiana, the Sonoran Desert, and Devils Tower in Wyoming.
- Premise and plot tags
- first contact; alien abduction; UFO mystery
- Reception
- The film was a critical and financial success, praised for its visual effects, story, themes, performances, cinematography, musical score, editing, and Spielberg's direction.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 9.1 · scale: 10 · review count: 117; Metacritic · score: 90 · scale: 100 · review count: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Sound Editing · win; Grammy Award · Best Original Film Score · 1979 · win; Grammy Award · Best Instrumental Composition for "Theme from Close Encounters" · 1979 · win
- Production trivia
- The title is derived from J. Allen Hynek's classification of close encounters.; The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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