Between autumn 1975, after Jaws had become such a, excuse the pun, monster hit the previous summer, and November 1977, when Close Encounters finally opened, it held the distinction of being the most eagerly awaited movie since Gone with the Wind. Alas, it didn't turn out to be the attraction for the ages that so many people, myself included, had hoped. That said, it does deliver a terrific amount of entertainment value.