Close Encounters of the Third Kind Movie Review 1977

Middle-American strangers become involved in the attempts of benevolent aliens to contact earthlings. Despite the sometimes mundane nature of the characters, this Spielberg epic is a stirring achievement. Studded with classic sequences; the ending is an exhilarating experience of special effects and peace-on-earth feelings. Dreyfuss and Dillon excel as friends who are at once bewildered and obsessed by the alien presence, and French filmmaker Truffaut is also strong as the stern, ultimately kind scientist.

Distribution

Fusion Video, 100 Fusion Way, Country Club Hills, IL 60478, URL: http://www.coldfusionvideo.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 152 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Sci Fi, Alien Beings--Benign, Special FX Wizards: Douglas Trumball, Top Grossing Films of 1977, 4 Bones

Screenplay

Steven Spielberg

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon, Francois Truffaut, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, J. Patrick McNamara

Cinematography

Vilmos Zsigmond

Director

Steven Spielberg

Music

John Williams

Awards

Oscars 1977: Cinematog., Sound FX Editing; AFI 1998: Top 100.