Still one of the greats

Rating: 9/10 (21 December 2013)

An alien being is left behind when his compatriots take off without him. He is hounded by humans but he escapes. Elliott (Henry Thomas) is a 10 year old boy with a rambunctious family. He finds the little alien hiding in the woods behind his family home. Nobody believes him. Not his single mother (Dee Wallace), not his older brother (Robert MacNaughton), nor his cute little sister (Drew Barrymore).
Spielberg got the visual style with the beautifully shot backyard with the light streaming from the shed. He's got the emotional touch with the boy and alien relationship. And he's got the comedic touch with Drew screaming at the alien. This is a beautifully put together story. Henry Thomas' performance draws you into his character. The pacing is good. The camera work is thoroughly modern. The jokes are still funny. The emotional payoff is still powerful. It is a modern classic.
I watched the redux version again recently, and it's interesting to see the intention of Spielberg with a CGI alien. I do miss the animatronic ET sometimes. And sure there are the minutia of gun or no gun controversy. But the story still remains. And that's the best part of the movie.