Film: E.T.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Country: USA
Released: December 1981
Runtime: 114 minutes
Genre: Science Fiction
Studio: Amblin / Universal
Influenced: Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron, Niki Caro, Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig
Spielberg has famously said that the idea for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial originated from his childhood, when his parents' divorce caused him to develop a relationship with an imaginary friend. Spielberg's outstanding run of successes including Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) meant that Universal were willing to indulge the director and green light this passion project. Spielberg teamed up with screenwriter Melissa Mathison, and together they developed the story of a young boy who befriends an alien stranded on Earth. The film begins when a spacecraft carrying a group of botanists from an alien planet lands in a forest near the fictional town of Llanview, a suburban neighbourhood in southern California. As the crew explores, the Earthlings arrive, prompting a hasty departure – but, in their hurry, one of the aliens is left behind.
The creature, a friendly and curious extra-terrestrial, discovers a suburban house nearby. This is where we meet Elliott (Henry Thomas), a lonely 10-year-old boy who discovers the alien in his garden shed. Elliott names the alien E.T. and befriends him, forming a telepathic connection. He hides E.T. from his family, including his older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore). The siblings eventually discover E.T.'s existence but help Elliott keep him a secret. One of the film's real strengths is the way it allows Spielberg's storytelling ability to shine through, creating an emotionally resonant narrative that explores themes of friendship, family and the universal desire to belong. Very few films from my childhood had the same emotional impact on me and it's incredible to see that power hasn't diminished while watching it with my own kids.
Spielberg's film was widely praised at the time for its innovative visual effects, especially the portrayal of E.T., a character brought to life through a combination of puppetry, robotics and a child actor in a suit. Standout moments in the film include the iconic Halloween scene where E.T. and the kids dress up as ghosts to escape detection while trick-or-treating, and of course the flying bike scene where E.T. uses telekinesis to make Elliott's bike fly across the moon. Being the big softie that I am, it still makes me well up watching that scene now. Elliott's connection with E.T. manifests itself physically more and more as their friendship grows deeper, with both experiencing each other's emotions and health. When E.T. falls seriously ill as his connection to his home planet weakens, this also impacts Elliott's health too.
The film's musical score, composed by John Williams, adds depth and emotion to the storytelling, and has become one of the most recognisable and celebrated soundtracks in cinema history. It's still hard for me to watch the emotional farewell scene, which follows E.T. telling Elliott and his friends he must phone home so that the spaceship will return to pick him up, meaning he will leave Earth behind. E.T. was a massive critical and commercial success, surpassing Star Wars to become the highest-grossing film of all time until Jurassic Park (also directed by Spielberg) dethroned it in 1993. The film received numerous accolades, including four Oscars for Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Effects Editing. For better or worse, E.T. also sparked a new trend of friendly, lovable aliens in science fiction films, my personal favourite being Batteries Not Included (1987).
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