We explore one possible road to mankind's first encounter with extraterrestial life. Curiosity and the scientific method clash with fear, religion, and greed. Along the way everyone's beliefs are tested. The film is a tribute to Carl Sagan who spent his life popularizing scientific inquiry, who tirelessly championed the search for extraterrestial life, and who stimulated the awe and sense of wonder in all of us. The edit is about Dr. Arroway's personal journey more than mankind's journey. Her perseverance against the odds and despite resistance. Palmer Joss, the alien, and Mr. Kitz are less frustrating, and the last quarter of the film is greatly improved. As epilogue Dr. Sagan himself talks about Contact, science, and religion (audio excerpt from 1985 Studs Terkel interview).

This version of Contact is slightly shorter than the theatrical release and differs in that instead of two attempts to use "the machine" there are three attempts so there is more going on. Contact: Special Edition is aimed at the fans of Contact who are interested in a slightly different spin on this intellectual tale, and question "what if?"

Contact: You Are Not Alone strives to improve upon an already-solid film by reorganizing the storyline and removing annoyances observed by the faneditor and reported by others. To that end, I felt that a careful hand was needed. I experimented with many different story arrangements, endings, etc., until I developed a combination that remains true to the spirit of the original film while improving the overall flow of the story