Roy Neary, an Indiana electric lineman, finds his quiet and ordinary daily life turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO, spurring him to an obsessed cross-country quest for ans... Read allRoy Neary, an Indiana electric lineman, finds his quiet and ordinary daily life turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO, spurring him to an obsessed cross-country quest for answers as a momentous event approaches.Roy Neary, an Indiana electric lineman, finds his quiet and ordinary daily life turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO, spurring him to an obsessed cross-country quest for answers as a momentous event approaches.
- Director
- Writers
- Steven Spielberg
- Hal Barwood(additional story)
- Jerry Belson(uncredited)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Steven Spielberg
- Hal Barwood(additional story)
- Jerry Belson(uncredited)
- Stars
- Won 1 Oscar
- 15 wins & 39 nominations total
Videos6
Warren J. Kemmerling
- Wild Billas Wild Bill
- (as Warren Kemmerling)
- Director
- Writers
- Steven Spielberg
- Hal Barwood(additional story) (uncredited)
- Jerry Belson(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Two parallel stories are told. In the first, a group of research scientists from a variety of backgrounds are investigating the strange appearance of items in remote locations, primarily desert regions. In continuing their investigation, one of the lead scientists, a Frenchman named Claude Lacombe, incorporates the Kodály method of music education as a means of communication in their work. The response, in turn, at first baffles the researchers, until American cartographer David Laughlin deciphers the meaning of the response. In the second, electric company lineman and family man Roy Neary and single mother Jillian Guiler are among some individuals in Muncie, Indiana who experience some paranormal activity before some flashes of bright lights in the sky, which they believe to be a UFO. Roy becomes obsessed with what he saw, unlike some others, especially in some form of authority, who refuse to acknowledge their belief that it was a UFO in not wanting to appear crazy. That obsession both for Roy and Jillian is ratcheted up a notch when they begin to have a vision of a mound with vertical striations on its side as a key to what is going on. While the obsession negatively affects Roy's life as he knows it in its entirety, Jillian knows she has to find the answer as to its meaning, especially as it relates to her only child, three year old Barry Guiler, who may be more attuned to what is happening than the adult figures around him. These two stories have the potential to intersect if Roy and Jillian can discover where they've seen that mound before, and if they can overcome what they believe to be the lies perpetrated by those in authority in covering up what is going on. —Huggo
- Taglines
- 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
- Genres
- Certificate
- PG
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaDuring the Neary dinner scene, just before Roy piles on the mashed potatoes, the little girl Silvia (Adrienne Campbell) says: "There's a dead fly in my potatoes." This was unscripted and almost caused the rest of the cast to laugh. The scene was kept as-is.
- GoofsThe coordinates received by the scientists (40°36'10" N, 104°44'30" W) aren't very close to Devils Tower at all. The coordinates are actually in a farm paddock about 200 yards east of hwy 85, half way between the towns of Pierce and Ault, Colorado (17mi [27km] east of Ft. Collins, Colorado), 276 miles (444 km) due south from the Devils Tower monument (they got the north latitude wrong by 4 degrees, it SHOULD have been 44°35'25"N. In addition the longitude is incorrect, it should be 104°42'54"W)
- Quotes
Project Leader: He says the sun came out last night. He says it sang to him.
- Crazy creditsNear the end of the credits it starts to reads as follows: "During the filming of all animal sequences, H.L. EDWARDS, Veterinarian of Gillette, Wyoming, was in attendance at all times to aid the filmmakers and the anesthetist in proper treatment of the animals used, and at no time were the animals harmed or mistreated in any way."
- Alternate versionsA print of the film screened at the American Cinematheque (Los Angeles) several times features most of the Special Edition's edits, but also includes the Roy's tree-tossing sequence and his climb through the window. What's missing from this version is all of the footage from inside the spaceship.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Dream (2010)
- SoundtracksChances Are
(1957)
Words and Music by Al Stillman and Robert Allen
Performed by Johnny Mathis
Published by International Korwin Corp.
From the Columbia Records album "Johnny Mathis' All-Time Greatest Hits"
Top review
Still remember the long line I waited in at 11 years old with my friends and big sister at theatre. ;D
Was SOOOOOO excited to see this as a kid, with my friends and big sister (who got us in, since it was a PG movie) and it was AMAZING!!! We lived in New Mexico and would stay out late trying to spot UFO's . Ha hahaha Loved Crazy Richard Dreyfuss. That ship reveal was mind boggling to all us kids. ;D Ahhhhh Good Times!
helpful•60
- midnitepantera
- Jun 21, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- CE3K
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $135,189,114
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $1,767,758
- Sep 3, 2017
- Gross worldwide
- $306,889,114
- Runtime2 hours 18 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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