E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home world.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writer:

Melissa Mathison

Stars:

Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote

Won 4 Oscars. Another 47 wins & 36 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dee Wallace	...	Mary
Henry Thomas	...	Elliott
Peter Coyote	...	Keys
Robert MacNaughton	...	Michael (as Robert Macnaughton)
Drew Barrymore	...	Gertie
K.C. Martel	...	Greg
Sean Frye	...	Steve
C. Thomas Howell	...	Tyler (as Tom Howell)
Erika Eleniak	...	Pretty Girl
David M. O'Dell	...	Schoolboy (as David O'Dell)
Richard Swingler	...	Science Teacher
Frank Toth	...	Policeman
Robert Barton	...	Ultra Sound Man
Michael Darrell	...	Van Man
David Berkson	...	Medical Unit (as David Berkson M.D.)

Storyline

After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott. Bringing the extraterrestrial into his suburban California house, Elliott introduces E.T., as the alien is dubbed, to his brother and his little sister, Gertie, and the children decide to keep its existence a secret. Soon, however, E.T. falls ill, resulting in government intervention and a dire situation for both Elliott and the alien.

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Plot Keywords:

friendly alien | empathy | extraterrestrial | bicycle | alien | 

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Taglines:

He is afraid. He is alone. He is three million light years from home.

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Genres:

Family | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and mild thematic elements

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song heard playing in the background at the beginning of the Dungeons & Dragons scene is "People Who Died" by Jim Carroll.

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Goofs

[20th Anniversary edition] When E.T. is eating potato salad and drinking beer in front of the refrigerator during the scene when he is alone at home, the shadow of his head cast on the fridge door is that of the original puppet, not the CGI head.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Steve: [reading dice] Five.
Michael: Oh, great.
Steve: So you got an arrow right in your chest.

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Crazy Credits

At the very end of the credits for the 2002 edition, the classic "When in Hollywood, visit Universal Studios" advertisement from the early 1980's is still retained.

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Alternate Versions

In the original theatrical release of this film, in the scene where E.T. is drinking and getting Elliot drunk, Elliot used chalk and began drawing on thin air. This scene was later cut from video and subsequent theatrical releases, but is pictured in The E.T. Storybook.

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Connections

Featured in Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013)

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Soundtracks

Papa Oom Mow Mow
(1977)
Written by Al Frazier, John Harris, Carl White, and Turner Wilson Jr.
Published by Beechwood Music
Performed by The Persuasions [Herbert Rhoad, Jayotis Washington, Jerry Lawson, Jimmy Hayes and Joe Russell (all as The Persuasions)]
from their album "Chripin'"
Courtesy of Elektra Records

User Reviews

Mawkish it may be, but it's a classic for a reason

E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL was one of those films that everybody took for granted as a child in the 1980s. Everybody had seen it, everybody loved it, everybody could reference it with the other kids knowing what they were talking about. Finding myself less than impressed than Steven Spielberg's overt sentimentalism, I wondered how I'd find it as an adult...

Well, I needn't have worried, because E.T. still hits the mark. Yes, it's mawkish and rather dated, but I think that's all part of the fun. This is the classic kid's film of the 1980s, in which the adults are portrayed as either out of touch or the enemy; it's the kids who have to band together to fight for justice, and the template works very well here.

Inevitably, the character of E.T. himself is what makes this film. The Carlo Rambaldi special effects still stand the test of time and the voice mannerisms are just right. Henry Thomas has a tough role, acting against an non-human for the most part, but he excels in the part and the frog scene is still excellent. Drew Barrymore is very effective too. E.T. is certainly a film that still manages to tug at the heartstrings with all of the increasing drama and that poignant ending, and I love it just as much as I always did.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 June 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Boy's Life

Filming Locations:

Capistrano Lane and Vista Grand Way, Porter Ranch, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,835,389, 13 June 1982

Gross USA:

$435,110,554

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$792,910,554

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 120 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints) DTS (DTS: X)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1