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:

$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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steven Spielberg shot most of the film from the eye-level of a child to further connect with Elliott and E.T.

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Goofs

Gertie's hamburger changes size, and eventually disappears (inconsistent with her eating it).

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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 an early cut, Elliot and his mom go to the principal after the frog incident. The principal was played by Harrison Ford, the screenwriter's husband. The scene was cut in post-production and can only be found on the American laserdisc, released in 1996.

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Connections

Referenced in Chuck: Chuck Versus the Nemesis (2007)

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Soundtracks

Twilight Zone (Main Title)
(uncredited)
from the CBS series The Twilight Zone (1959)
Written by Marius Constant
Sung A Cappella by Robert MacNaughton, Sean Frye, C. Thomas Howell, and K.C. Martel

User Reviews

Sheer Brilliance

The first time I saw E.T was at the age of 12 and I cried. Really cried. Six years later, I still cry at it. The ability of this film to pull emotions out of you is unlike most films we see today.

As many of the users have said, this is a film made for children and it achieves this brilliantly.

I do feel as well that it targets adults, returnign them to their innocence. The time of our lives when mothing was impossible and everything had goodness in it. In modern times it is all too often seen that children are desperate to become adults and lose their innocence far too quickly. This story in which S.S developed helps adults to return to that time.

I would give this film 11/10. Anyone who feels that it is not heart warming and emotional, I think have been watching a totally different film!!!!!