Dividing critics on its release, Spielberg's heartfelt star gazing epic offered an existential antithesis to the interstellar dogfighting of Star Wars, but similiarly paved the way for the sci fi revival of the late 70s and 80s. Dreyfuss is the blue collar American everyman whose life is transformed by contact with intelligent, peaceful extra terrestrials. Spiritual, personal and optimistic, this is actually deeper than a lot of Spielberg's later 'serious' films.
