E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Movie Review

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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Written by: Melissa Mathison
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, C. Thomas Howell, Erika Eleniak
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.

Verdict
This movie was incredibly popular upon release. And while it's sentimental, that's part of the problem. It's too sweet and cute, though depicting an alien as child like was unique. As a kid, you like to see children play the protagonist. Speilberg has always been excellent at tapping into a child's imagination and an adult's nostalgia. Part of the reason my feelings are muted for this is that so many properties have copied this formula and idea. Despite that, it's still Spielberg, and the directing is excellent. There's a reason this movie endures.
Watch it.

Review
It's a cultural classic that shares a few parallels with Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), though that's primarily aliens and Spielberg while shifting the story's focus to a child.

There are no illusions to what this is. While the title is obvious, we see a classic alien space ship in the first scene. We don't see any aliens, but there are plenty of hints. Even the perspective is from a diminutive alien's height. We can assume the humans present are some kind of government agents, and we only see them from the waist down.

Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore play Elliot, Michael, Gertie Taylor

The alien is drawn to a nearby town where young Elliot (Henry Thomas) lives. Elliot hears something outside, and upon investigation he encounters E.T. They're both frightened and run away. Elliot's family doesn't believe he saw an alien, telling him it was probably an iguana. That only increases his resolve to find it. He tries to lure E.T. with Reese's Pieces.

Part of this is that Elliot feels neglected, and E.T. is this unique friend. They're both isolated as E.T. wants to get back to his ship. Elliot helps E.T. evade the government agents who remain faceless which makes them more ominous.

E.T. and Henry Thomas plays Elliot

E.T. has some amount of power and a connection to Elliot. E.T. heals a wound and has telekinetic abilities. Even when they're apart, the two share thoughts and emotions. E.T. needs to get home, and he fashions a device out of items around the house to call home. Of course the government agents catch up to E.T. where he falls ill under their watch. Elliot teams up with his brother to save E.T. and get him back to his species.

Part of the appeal for many of Spielberg's movies is a focus on the child that gets to play hero. It's a lot of wish fulfillment and it works. Elliot sets up this happy ending that brings his family together while saving his new best friend. This is a unique portrayal of aliens. While they're often portrayed as aggressive, this was one of the first and certainly best examples of a child like alien. That makes the friendship portrayed between E.T. and the alien all the more touching.