A classic sci-fi for young and old alike

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2012)

I first saw this film in the cinema when I was in my mid-teens and I must say I was disappointed that it didn't live up to the hype; so much so that I didn't watch it again for another thirty years. Watching it again though I think I was at just the wrong age to watch it the first time; too old to enjoy it as a child but not quite old enough to enjoy it as an adult.
The film opens in the woods with strange half glimpsed creatures scurrying around picking various plants; that is until a group of people turn up and run into the forest; then the creatures return to their glowing spaceship and depart... at least most of them do; one is left behind. The creature is first seen by Elliot, a young boy who nobody believes when he says what he saw. Knowing he didn't imagine it he waits outside till he sees it again. He coaxes it indoors and shortly afterwards shows it to his older brother Mike and his little sister Gertie. The creature, dubbed ET, forms a sort of empathic bond with Elliot which causes the boy to feel what ET feels... with amusing consequences when ET starts drinking beer at home and Elliot falls off his chair drunk at school! After a while ET announces that he must 'phone home' to contact his people; to do this he makes a device and take it to the woods where he landed; something goes wrong though as Elliot starts to feel ill and passes out; when he wakes ET is nowhere to be seen. He gets home and Mike goes out looking for ET; he finds him close to death and brings him home. They aren't back long when government scientists turn up; they do what they can to save ET but it looks as though he will die anyway.
I am really glad that I decided to give this a second go as it was a real delight; the opening scenes provide no real hint of what is to come; in fact the creatures moving around in the forest could have been something from a horror movie! It quickly becomes clear that is not the case though and we learn that the stranded creature is entirely benevolent. This is very much a film about childhood; the three main characters are all children and ET only ever interacts with them; indeed the film is shot from a child's point of view with a low camera angle giving a child's view of the world. Henry Thomas does a fine job as Elliot and young Drew Barrymore is a delight as Gertie; it is not a total surprise that she is the cast member who is best known now. If you haven't heard how it ends already it is likely that you will shed a few tears towards the end when things are looking rather tragic. Like most science fiction films there are a fair number of special effects; the most obvious being the brilliantly animated ET puppet; he is far more real than any CGI creature is likely to be; there are also the famous flying bicycle scenes which are a bit corny but should be fun for younger viewers. If you haven't seen this before I recommend watching it some time; and if you saw it when you were younger and didn't like it; why not give it another go? You might find you like it a lot more now.