ET: the ExtraTerrestrial

Steven Speilberg's particular gift is in evoking a particular place and time, and ET is no exception. Written by Melissa Mathison, the story takes place in 'middle America', mainly in the home of a divorced woman and her kids. Every touch, from the names the kids call one another to the games they play, is genuine yet idealized, like a modern day Norman Rockwell.

The Premise

The alien protagonist of the story, whose name we never discover, is one of a party of scientists. He is clearly a botanist and is collecting samples of earth fauna when we first meet him. His ship's landing, however, has been detected and a party of human hunters is soon closing on their location. Departing in a rush, his ship leaves without him, leaving him stranded on a strange planet.

ET

ET is discovered by Eliot, a ten-year-old boy, who quickly intuits that his new friend will be imprisoned by authorities if discovered. Elliot, played by Henry Thomas, hides ET in his home, while authorities scour the surrounding area for evidence of the alien incursion. Gertie, Elliot's sister (played by Drew Barrymore) and Elliot's friends are soon in on the plot to thwart the authorities and assist the little visitor in rejoining his party.

ET himself isn't what you would call 'attractive' by any stretch of the imagination. A strange horse-like face atop a weirdly long and thick neck, bulbous eyes and a three-foot stature make him very hard to disguise.

Stranger in a strange land

ET has to learn enough English to explain his predicament to Elliot. Once he has the vocabulary, he croaks out his intention - "ET phone home". Using gizmos salvaged from games and toys, he cobbles together a device that Elliot and friends need to place in the woods where the alien ship briefly visited. This expedition, on Halloween night, is the occasion for the visual that is most characteristic of this movie - the boy on the bike flying over the moon, with the strange little alien in his bike's basket.

Adults = bad guys

The adults in this movie are not villains per se, yet it is important to keep them in the dark because they will, in their adultness, try to keep ET from completing his call and reuniting with his own kind. And sure enough, The Authorities locate ET and quarantine the children's house.

Both Elliot and ET sicken from a mystery ailment, and it's a race with time to get ET to his people before they both succumb. Of course, since this is a Spielberg pic, a happy ending is assured.

Film History

Made for approximately ten million dollars, ET: the ExtraTerrestrial was released in 1982, re-released in 1985 and then a 20th anniversary edition was released in 2002, a director's cut with additional footage. The film has made, in world-wide box office and video/DVD rentals, over one billion dollars.