Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writer:

Steven Spielberg (written by)

Release Date:

16 November 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Close Encounter of the First Kind - Sighting of a UFO. Close Encounter of the Second Kind - Physical Evidence. Close Encounter of the Third Kind - Contact. WE ARE NOT ALONE

Plot:

After an encounter with UFOs, a line worker feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.

Plot Keywords:

Vision | UFO | Desert | Military | Close Encounter Of The Third Kind

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 11 wins & 30 nominations

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Roy Neary
François Truffaut	...	Claude Lacombe
Teri Garr	...	Ronnie Neary
Melinda Dillon	...	Jillian Guiler
Bob Balaban	...	David Laughlin
J. Patrick McNamara	...	Project Leader
Warren J. Kemmerling	...	Wild Bill (as Warren Kemmerling)
Roberts Blossom	...	Farmer
Philip Dodds	...	Jean Claude
Cary Guffey	...	Barry Guiler
Shawn Bishop	...	Brad Neary
Adrienne Campbell	...	Sylvia Neary
Justin Dreyfuss	...	Toby Neary
Lance Henriksen	...	Robert
Merrill Connally	...	Team Leader

Also Known As:

CE3K (USA) (informal short title)
The Close Encounter of the Third Kind (USA) (working title)
The Special Edition: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (USA) (reissue title)
Watch the Skies (USA) (working title)
Närkontakt av tredje graden (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
Rencontres du troisième type (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Bliskie spotkania trzeciego stopnia (Poland) [pl]
Blizka setkani tretiho druhu (Czechoslovakia: Czech title) [cs]
Contatos Imediatos de Terceiro Grau (Brazil) [pt]
Contatos Imediatos do Terceiro Grau (Brazil) [pt]
Encontres a la tercera fase (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Encontros Imediatos do 3º Grau (Portugal) [pt]
Encuentros cercanos del tercer tipo (Argentina) [es]
Encuentros en la tercera fase (Spain) [es]
Encuentros en la tercera fase: Edición especial (Spain) (reissue title) [es]
Harmadik típusú találkozások (Hungary) [hu]
Incontri ravvicinati del terzo tipo (Italy) [it]
Kolmannen asteen yhteys (Finland) [fi]
Michi tono sôgû (Japan) [ja]
Nærkontakt af tredie grad (Denmark) [da]
Stenes epafes tritou typou (Greece) [el]
Stenes epafes tritou typou: Special ekdosi (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
Steven Spielbergs Unheimliche Begegnung der dritten Art (West Germany) (complete title) [de]
Tehlikeli iliskiler (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Unheimliche Begegnung der dritten Art (West Germany) [de]
Unheimliche Begegnung der dritten Art - Die neue Version (West Germany) (director's cut) [de]

Runtime:

132 min (special edition) | 137 min (director's cut) | 135 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Spanish | Hindi

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Spain:T | Netherlands:12 (original rating) | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | South Korea:All | Brazil:Livre | South Africa:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:TV-MA (TV rating) | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Iceland:L | Norway:12 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | UK:A (original rating) | Ireland:PG

Filming Locations:

Alabama, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Actor Bob Balaban kept a diary of behind-the-scenes events during production. This diary was published to tie-in with release of the film.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The helicopter used to evacuate the civilians from Devils Tower was a Bell 412, a model not used by any branch of the US military and is (or was at that time) produced strictly for civilian use. However, the entire UFO program was not a military operation. They only used their contacts to bring in military people, but the helicopter should still be civilian.

Quotes:

Farmer: [at press conference to discuss UFOs] I saw Bigfoot once!
[everyone in thr room reacts. The Farmer stands up]
Farmer: 1951! It made a sound that I would not want to hear twice in my life.
[sits down]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Day for Night: Truffaut in the USA (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

CHANCES ARE

Beautiful, extraordinary and beautiful.

Watch the skies, you may see the stars move. Is it your imagination, or did it really happen. Answer to that could go both ways. Three UFOs fly past you while you are on the highway, one bright blue, the other red and blue, and the third bright orange, followed by a small red orbit tailgating it. Was this real, or just your imagination: Either it was real, or you must be seeing things...

Thus is among th many questions asked in the Steven Spielberg UFO classic, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" a film that explores not just the possibility that we are not alone in the universe, but a film that compels us to look inside ourselves and try to find the real meaning in our lives. The story starts when lost pilots planes are being found, except that they have been lost for over thirty years! And in another part of this world, a married man, working for a cable company, experiences a "close encounter" of the first kind - sighting a UFO. Then, he experiences physical experiences regarding a shape and place he has never comprehending before. With a scientific expedition in pursuit, Roy Neary( Richard Dreyfuss) and a fellow "close encountering" Jillian Guiler(Melinda Dillon) try to find out the answer to their questions of why these strange occurrences are happening.

As realistic as it could be, this film transcends the usual alien picture because it portrays the unbelievable as totally realistic and what one wouldn't expect - intelligent life is just that - intelligent, and accepting, of our world and universe. The images in this film light up the screen and make you feel like you are living a dream, with flurry images of light, making one feel warm and gentle. The locations are great too, as they go from Mongolian deserts, to farmlands, to the famous "Devil's Tower" in Wyoming, where the main magic happens.

The characters are what really grab you. Roy Neary, the main focus, is as normal as he can be, what with working for a power company. A perfect fit in the puzzle this movie weaves. Francois Truffaut makes an almost rare appearance in a much bigger role than usual, as an astronaut that is just as fascinated with these happenings as the rest of the civilians. All characters are credible and you just learn to love 'em. The story lines (including family values, what is more important in one's life, and what the ultimate experience in heaven is) are as empathetic as it can get.

John Williams scores a masterpiece with a score that touches all the senses in our subconscious and takes us on a journey with the characters, but on a journey within ourselves, as does the movie, and in the end, you feel refreshed and ready to take on your troubles and strife.

The matter of which version is which is a real conversation piece. As the original theatrical version is VERY rarely seen, one suspects, based on many reviews, that the 1980 re - release is a much better film. But this should not hinder any viewings of this spectacular film.

Spielberg, get back to these kinds of films!