Close Encounters of the Third Kind

As does the later ET the Extra-Terrestrial, this brilliantly realised suburban sci-fi saga reverses years of flying saucer attacks with the notion that visitors from outer space just might be friendly. Richard Dreyfuss strikes the perfect note of childlike inquisitiveness as the electrical engineer "chosen" to make contact with alien lifeforms, despite obstruction by family and government. Director Steven Spielberg confirmed his genius for painting a convincing picture of mundane domestic life, subsequently shattered by extraordinary events (notably the terrifying kidnap of a young boy and Dreyfuss's slide into apparent insanity). The special effects are spectacular, John Williams's score is emotionally charged, nouvelle vague director François Truffaut makes an elegant UFO expert and it's impossible not to get caught up in the protracted climax.