A charming. heart-wrenching fairy tale set in the late 20th century !!!

Rating: 9/10 (23 October 2015)

'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' directed by Steven Spielberg is one of the most renowned and well known films in the said director's oeuvre. It stars young Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Robert MacNaughton and Dee Wallace as the mother of the three kids played by the aforementioned child actors. The film's plot follows Henry Thomas' character Elliot in particular. One fine evening, he discovers an alien being. The film is about Elliot and his siblings falling in love and befriending this alien and hiding it from their mother and all other adults including the government who are clearly aware that an alien being has landed in the area.
I have a love-hate relationship with Steven Spielberg. I am ready to acknowledge the fact that he is arguably one of the most important filmmakers of all time in terms of making films that become box office behemoths. He has always been the box office's darling. I have always loved some of his grittier and personal films like 'Schindler's List' or 'Saving Private Ryan'. But there are other films in his filmography that make me cringe due to the saccharine nature of the direction and the style of storytelling. Some of his other big blockbusters like 'Indiana Jones' or 'Jurassic World' are examples of films that I can appreciate for the technical achievements, but I haven't been able to love them. 'E.T.' is an example of an aberration when it comes to my impression of a Spielberg film. It has all the schmaltz and John Williams' sweeping music that has made me cringe in some of his other films, but those are exactly the aspects I believe that work in this film because 'E.T.' at its basic level is a fairy tale.
Like many other fairy tales, the storyline to this film is strictly from the point of view of the kids. This is a story that can't be told without the presence of the kids. In other fairy tales like 'The Wizard of Oz' or 'Alice in Wonderland', etc., the protagonist goes to a new, magical and wondrous world where the story is set. But in 'E.T.' it is the magical element of an extra-terrestrial being which is brought to Elliot's home.
Without a shadow of a doubt, 'E.T.' is a children's film. But the best children's films are those that impress adults too. I watched this for the first time as an adult in my twenties and it blew me away. Not just because of the fact that it's adorable, but also because of the rich subtext. It is revealed very early that Elliot's parents have recently separated and clearly Elliot feels the absence of his father. This film is about Elliot, Gertie and Michael trying to avoid premature adulthood and maturity which can be inevitable when your parents separate or divorce when you're very young. The alien being itself represents Elliot's innocence. Elliot's attempt to hide E.T. from the adults epitomises his attempt to restore his innocence and his childish spirit in the face of great mental trauma brought on by his parent's separation. The E.T. is also going through emotional problems because of being separated from the other aliens. There is no real villain in the film except adulthood. Spielberg made an artistic and thematic decision to not show any adult's face for a major part of the film except for the mother played by Dee Wallace. For the most part of the film we don't see adult faces, we only can listen to their incomprehensible science talks.
The script written by Melissa Mathison in collaboration with Spielberg is beautiful. It tugs at your heart strings and embodies the magic and the wonder that comes along with a child's view of the world. This is undoubtedly one of Spielberg's most intimate films. There is some special effects work in the film, but they never drown the human element of the subject. The alien in the film becomes a real character instead of remaining a gimmick. John Williams pumps out his characteristic sweeping scores that works beautifully to complement the magical scenes in the film. The acting in the film is also great. Special mention has to go to Henry Thomas. He is adorable and makes it impossible for viewers to not fall completely in love with him. A good aspect about the writing is that the kids actually behave like kids for the majority of the film which is not the case in some Hollywood films. Having said that there is one particular monologue by Elliot that felt a bit mature for his age, but that is a minor nitpick.
'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial' is an intimate and magical fairy tale set in the 20th century. Spielberg consciously attempts to create a film that oozes childish innocence. Children will love the friendship between the alien and Elliot and also the fun chemistry between Elliot, Gertie and Michael. Adults and other perceptive viewers will appreciate the rich subtext of children trying to not get forced into growing up prematurely by sacrificing their childhood due to their parents' separation. 'E.T.' also makes you nostalgic about your childhood and taps the inner child in you. Along with 'Stand by Me', 'E.T.' is one of a select few films that will surely make viewers rue the loss of their childish innocence. Highly Recommended.