There's just no denying the magic of this film's appeal to the emotions

Rating: 9/10 (7 April 2017)

It's hard to quantify what's so magical about a Steven Spielberg film. No one has directed and produced so many broad-appeal, family- centered movies as consistently well as he has. "E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial" combines the best of his family-friendly sensibilities with his interest in aliens and adventure stories.
One might argue Spielberg's openness to engage new filmmaking technologies and big, daring projects has been a leading cause of his success, but that doesn't explain the enduring appeal of films like "E.T.," the "Indiana Jones" films, "Jurassic Park" and more. These films have aged impressively well despite the huge leaps in visual and special effects Hollywood has experienced in the last 30- some years.
"E.T." is a reminder that Spielberg's secret lies in his stories and their ability to tap into ideas and feelings that are so fundamentally human. This little alien is a stand-in for your childhood pet, favorite stuffed animal and best (real or imaginary) friend. That had a lot to do with why it ages so well. As a child, you relate to and connect to it; as an adult, you fondly remember those feelings.
You can tell this is a Spielberg story despite the writing credit going exclusively to Melissa Mathison, but Mathison deserves credit for constructing the narrative in such a way that the plot matters so little to enjoying the film. Why something happens in this movie matters less than what. E.T.'s desire to go home is profound and resonant – we don't care about how he's able to pull together a "phone" from scratch. "E.T." comes alive in the moments when the characters discover and connect with this creature.
Those moments are Spielberg's to own, but the script creates a simple conceit to move things forward, and that's a very basic notion that the adults are going to screw things up. That's the lone force of antagonism – the adults are going to find out about E.T. and they won't understand him and they'll ruin everything. The small touches of not showing most adults from the waist up or the kids' mom (Dee Wallace) being so caught up in her own head that she doesn't notice an alien walking around her house (and posing as her daughter at one point), drive these feelings home. The movie doesn't need a traditional antagonist to keep our attention for this reason.
The child actors, namely Henry Thomas as Elliott and Drew Barrymore as the adorable Gertie, also have a lot to do with the success of "E.T." Spielberg has a knack for working with kids, but these kids had to really react like this animatronic puppet/sometimes short person in a suit was real, and had to form a genuine connection to it, and they do. Watching Elliott ball over E.T. is so relatable. Friendship and loss, having someone who understands you – these are fundamental pieces and challenges of growing up.
The brilliance of the film comes in Spielberg's wrapping it into a science-fiction story. So many alien films before it (including Spielberg's own "Close Encounters" imagine what aliens might want if they came to earth. They were scary or at least suspenseful films. "E.T." twists all that upside-down. The "Star Wars" references in the film alone place the story in a world in which we have that concept of aliens and a love for this genre, which plenty of films have done since, but not so much in 1982. Add the touch of animatronics with the subtle facial and neck movements that make "E.T." stand out technically from "Star Wars" and other films, and you end up with what was a wholly unique yet completely familiar movie.
The other factor to consider with a Spielberg movie is its John Williams score. The music here is highly reminiscent of Williams' work in "Star Wars," but it plays such an integral role in the emotional moments. He and Spielberg are totally in sync. And frankly, scenes of kids flying on bikes would've been cheesy without the "E.T." theme to make them really soar. Spielberg's films have in many ways become synonymous with this majestic theme music in such a way that no one can compose like this for the movies anymore. You can't get away with it without being labeled an imitator.
"E.T." is a raw appeal to the emotions and surprisingly timeless despite the ways it has been associated with the '80s (Netflix's "Stranger Things" owes so much to it). There's an enduring magic in it that transcends time and generational gaps. To extend it much scrutiny as a film is to miss the power of its deeply human story.
~Steven C
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