Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan's 20-year journey to make the movie "Contact" is filled with challenges, including struggles to make the lead character relatable to male studio executives. The film's development process involved multiple writers, directors, and producers, resulting in a lightning-in-a-bottle project that resonates intellectually and emotionally. "Contact" finally premiered in 1997, but tragically, Carl Sagan did not live to see its realization.