re: Name a better science fiction movie than contact

Certainly one of the most realistic to our times. Read the book, own the movie, and a long time fan of Carl Sagan's work.

The opening scene is, imo, one of the most important and significant scenes on film. Once you grasp the idea that the further away the perspective from Earth, the older the radio signals, ending with the last sound of the S.O.S. from the Titanic, then silence... truly amazing.