Close Encounters, released in December 1977, stars Richard Dreyfuss as a line worker who has a close encounter with an alien intelligence and feels drawn to a wilderness area where something important will soon happen. The film also stars Melinda Dillon and François Truffaut.

The film earned $303 million worldwide on a $20 million budget and was nominated for eight Oscars, winning best cinematography and a special achievement award for sound effects editing.

The film was released on the heels of Star Wars, making 1977 a very good year for sci-fi. The Hollywood Reporter's original review was so positive that it even suggested the film could match George Lucas' masterpiece: "To get to the bottom line with minimum delay, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a terrific movie, with every possibility of equaling the box-office popularity of Star Wars."

Here's the trailer Sony has released in preparation for the restoration: