Movie-A-Day #89: Contact (1997).

Besides being Women’s History Month, March also has the important (though unwieldy) distinction of being Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month. While society as a whole could do a lot more to promote girls’ interest in the sciences, movies could do better in that area too. On screen, most women in science tend to either be assistants relegated to the sidelines or improbable sexpots who don’t demonstrate a mastery of their chosen field. So it’s refreshing to see a film like “Contact,” based on Carl Sagan’s novel, that raises thought-provoking issues about scientific exploration and puts a credible, realistic female scientist at the middle of the story. It’s just the kind of movie to inspire plenty of young women to reach for the stars.