Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) — Screenplay
An ordinary man, haunted by visions after a UFO encounter, risks his family and sanity to reach the first contact site with alien visitors.
- Written by
- Steven Spielberg
- Genre
- Drama, Science Fiction
- Length
- 132 pages
This screenplay is a masterclass in slow-burn tension and grounded world-building, where the extraordinary emerges from everyday American life. Study how Spielberg balances intimate character drama with cosmic-scale mystery, and how his use of visual and sound motifs—from the iconic five tones to the glowing mountain—builds a compelling, emotional arc without relying on conventional exposition.
Read the full Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) screenplay in PDF, page by page, right here on Laper — or download the original script to study Steven Spielberg’s scene work, dialogue and structure at your own pace. A free resource for screenwriters and film students learning Hollywood script format.