E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Favourite Films Series

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Favourite Films Series

Steven Spielberg has made four films focused on the subject of extraterrestrials, and given his age, I think this year’s Disclosure Day might be the last one of its kind from him. It’s five films if you count Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (though most wouldn’t—I think those creatures were considered ‘interdimensional beings’ or something like that, anyway), but many still cite his first effort, 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as the greatest one. I tend to disagree. While I appreciate Close Encounters and have grown to appreciate it more as I’ve gotten older, I find it lacks some relatability and an emotional core. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is not just my favourite Steven Spielberg alien movie because of nostalgia, but because it still stands out as one of the most unique tales of an alien invader ever to grace the silver screen.

I remember renting the VHS of E.T. from the video store when I was about seven: the perfect age to see this film for the first time, especially for a kid interested in science fiction like I was. I watched it by myself while my parents were out one night, and I distinctly recall being utterly convinced of the film’s outlandish events, as well as emotionally invested in the plight of the kids and E.T’s attempts to evade the government and reconnect with his people. What I don’t remember, though, is whether I saw the original version or the much-maligned special edition when I watched it for the first time. I didn’t even know there was a special edition released in 2002 until many years later, after I bought the 30^th anniversary edition Blu-ray, and discovered the Blu-ray only contained the 1982 version, luckily. As an adult I have only ever seen the original version, and suspect that was the one I saw as a kid, as well, for I do not have any recollection of the off-putting CGI shots of E.T. that were added later (particularly him in the bathtub), or any of the other digital alterations. 

I’m surprised Spielberg was bothered by so many of the shots of the animatronic creature, for I still find the majority of them hold up reasonably well. Beyond just the effects, the cinematic language of E.T. is rich and oh so very Spielbergian. Right from the opening titles in that unique purple font (I can’t think of any other movies to use purple for credit text) there’s this air of mystery and intrigue, and any shot that’s at night looks incredible, not just in the early scenes when E.T. isn’t fully revealed yet. I don’t think I had a concept at such a young age that the same guy who made Jurassic Park and Jaws, two other films that would go on to become favourites of mine in the years to come, also made E.T., but looking at it now, it’s clear why E.T. was so inspirational to filmmakers in the 80’s and beyond. While it is a mix of science fiction and fantasy elements, the family drama at the story’s core is what has given it lasting power, even though Henry Thomas as Elliot or Drew Barrymore as Gertie are not what people usually think of first and foremost—they think of the spaceman after which the film was titled. 

Spielberg’s first major blockbuster success was Jaws, and one of the feats he accomplished on that film was making an animatronic creature genuinely terrifying. The shark in Jaws evokes an emotional reaction from the audience, and making audiences emotional with non-human characters is something he has done on many other occasions throughout his career, but E.T. might be the quintessential example of this. E.T. is not simply a creature effect, he is a character, and one the audience actively sympathizes with. Sure, he’s just this weird little guy, but his big, round eyes and his other just-human-enough-features like a simple mouth and grasping fingers on two hands make him relatable enough on a visual level that his simple agenda, to get back home to his people, is easy to buy into, and we can accept that the human characters would willingly help him and become emotionally attached to him, as well.

Obviously one of the most famous moments from the film, if not the most famous moment, is when E.T. lifts his finger and points toward the sky, eventually finding the words to articulate “E.T. phone home.” What I find funny is that everyone remembers this crucial moment, but they seem to forget that it happens during the scene when E.T. is dressed up like a little old woman with a wig and a dress! For all its atmospheric mystery and suspense in act one and somber sadness in act two and heart wrenching catharsis in act three, Spielberg cleverly doled out family-appropriate humour throughout the film, through a mix of dialogue, situations with E.T., and kids keeping secrets from adults.

One part I remember being highly amused (and fascinated) by when I first saw it was when E.T. raids the fridge while Elliot is at school and gets drunk, which in turn makes Elliot act drunk in the classroom. If you look at his body of work, Spielberg clearly has fascinations with numerous unexplainable phenomena, and this was the first time I encountered the concept of a psychic connection in a film, although E.T. and Elliot seem to connect on more than just that level as the film progresses. The part that makes me consistently laugh the hardest every time, though, is when they dress E.T. up like a ghost in a bed sheet for Halloween and pass him off as Gertie so they can sneak him past their mom. Specifically, it’s the moment when she takes their picture, and the flash makes E.T. fall backwards in a daze. It’s this blending of different emotional moments that ultimately defines E.T’s success, to me. It hits the high highs and the low lows, ending with that tearful sendoff to cement the story in your heart with that fantastic John Williams theme absolutely blasting through the speakers.  

If I were to be critical of anything in E.T., I would say that while Henry Thomas is fantastic in the lead role as young Elliot, he comes off as a little loud and annoying at the incitation of the film, but I see it now as somewhat intentional, to help emphasize his role in the family dynamic and show he’s an outsider seeking a companion. I also find the scenes of E.T. being probed by doctors when he’s sick to be a little drawn out, but this might be a byproduct of having watched it over and over so many times. I seem to recall the first time I watched the movie finding the government invasion of the home quite disturbing and really thought E.T. might be dead, which made his resurrection all the more exciting and the ending that much more impactful. While I do love the E.T. theme by Williams, I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favourite overall soundtracks for a Spielberg/Williams collab, but I doubt either instance of Elliot riding his bike up into the sky would be quite as impactful and wonderful without that theme. If I haven’t said it before, I’ll say it here, as so many others have said before me: John Williams and Steven Spielberg are one of those ultimate combinations of talent to produce nothing short of pure magic.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a movie I find many people remember fondly but forget to revisit as they age, so take my word for it that it hasn’t lost an ounce of what made it so special when it was first released. I often think of John Carpenter’s The Thing when I think of E.T. because The Thing came out two weeks after E.T. and was the polar opposite for depicting what is essentially the same concept: visitation by a lifeform from another planet. Both are great, but The Thing was not well received upon release because everyone was still so wowed by E.T. at the time. The Thing is an alien movie that’s a favourite in my head. E.T. is a favourite in my heart.

“I’ll be right here.”