How does Elli's search for truth and meaning differ form Palmers?

Contact is a film mainly about faith, faith in yourself to do what is right and faith in others that they do right by you. It's also a film about belief, and whether we, as human beings should be forced to justify what we believe in when there is no physical proof that the focus of our belief actually exists. It's also a film about hope, and love, and life, and death. The whole concept …

…He searches for truth through his religion and is motivated by this. Elli was determined to find the truth of life through scientific research but wasn't always successful. She wasn't always proven correct and here she relied on her beliefs in faith and used it to find answers. Ellie Arroway and Palmer Joss's beliefs differed in terms of beliefs and life experiences but one thing they both had in common was their belief through faith.