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 48 wins & 35 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:

The mystery. The suspense. The adventure. The call... that started it all.

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Genres:

Family | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and mild thematic elements

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 & 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:

$793,482,178

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is ranked as #6 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers, and as #3 on the AFI's top 10 science fiction films.

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Goofs

When E.T. is alone in the house and misspells "nuisance" on the toy, we see that the back panel has been removed, but in the next shot the panel is back on. Later, when E.T. drags the blanket with the "phone" ingredients on it, the panel is back off.

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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

In the 2002 special edition release, the movie opens with a sillouette of E.T. in basket with Elliot on bike flying in front of the Universal logo.

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Alternate Versions

Both versions were included on the Special Edition DVD that followed the 2002 theatrical re-release. The film was reissued on video in 2005 with a disc containing only the 20th Anniversary cut. This version was the only available release until the 2012 Blu-Ray which featured the original theatrical cut, presumably due to Spielberg regretting having ever re-edited the film in the first place.

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Connections

Referenced in Black Water (2007)

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Soundtracks

People Who Died
(1980)
Composed and Performed by The Jim Carroll Band [Jim Carroll, Brian Linsley (uncredited), Steve Linsley (uncredited), Terrell Winn (uncredited) and Wayne Woods (uncredited)]
from their album "Catholic Boy"
Courtesy of Earl McGrath Music

User Reviews

Still Blows Me Away to this Day

E.T. is one of my all time favorite movies. This movie blew me out of my seat as a kid, and still kills me every time I watch it. Only four or five movies have made me cry, much less sob uncontrollably. When I returned from seeing E.T. for the first time, I couldn't talk for the rest of the day. I laid in my bed and cried for about five hours.

The movie still makes tears well up in my eyes and gives me a lump in my throat. I still find it profoundly moving. It's heart-breakingly sad, yet phenomenally uplifting at the same time. I had no idea a movie could be so powerful when I saw this in the movies for the first time when I was eleven.

What I think makes E.T. so powerful for me now is the heart-wrenching way it has of making me long to be a kid again. I refuse to ever completely grow up, and my memories are my own, but man does this movie make me wish I was eleven again, when riding my bike was a pleasure, Matchbox cars were the greatest thing in the world, Halloween was a night of mystery and creepy fun I looked forward to all year, going to the movies was an adventure, and looking up at the stars could be a mind-blowing experience.

E.T. keeps those feeling alive for me. So do a lot of other things, but E.T. is the champ. As much as my cynical adult side may want to slap Steven Spielberg around sometimes, I would happily give him a hug for his timeless gift to the world, E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL.