Contact (1997): Wanna Take a Ride?

After the original spacecraft is destroyed, tech billionaire S.R. Hadden (played by John Hurt) surprises Ellie by offering her a ride to the stars in a secret spacecraft.

Grab the coffee mug that features this comic on Etsy.

This is one of the scenes from the movie Contact (1997) I rewatch the most when I need a little pick-me-up.

The actor John Hurt who plays S.R. Hadden is a legend in this scene with his raspy voice and scheming grin. Life is his playground. And even though he’s not the most trustworthy character in the movie, he gives Ellie hope after the original alien transportation device is destroyed. 

There is so much that’s great about this scene. The first thing is Hadden initially appearing on Ellie’s TV screen, floating upside down with a perfectly peeled banana hanging in the air. The second is Hadden bragging to Ellie about how his “little room has one helluva view” and floating awkwardly toward the window by his computer. The third is Hadden making the blooping sounds with his computer mouse, zooming in closer and closer to Hokaido Island, the systems integration site where they built a second, secret spacecraft.

And then of course there’s the finale. Hadden shares some political wisdom — “First rule in government spending. Why build one when you can have two at twice the price?” — and presents Ellie with an opportunity: “They still want an American to go, doctor. Wanna take a ride?”

The music and cut to the next scene with the ship make this scene especially memorable. I’m convinced that it inspired this scene in the movie Tenet when the affluent character, Priya, reveals something of interest to the protagonist.

During the reveal, there’s a cut to a ship slicing through the water with bold, brassy music. If this isn’t convincing enough, Christopher Nolan who directed Tenet also directed Interstellar, a movie with similar themes as Contact that also stars Matthew McConaughey (his memoir is great).

It seems like Nolan wanted to take a ride. If you also wanna take a ride, you can grab the comic above that features our old, scheming friend S.R. Hadden.