One of the most over-rated movies of all time.

Rating: 3/10 (23 July 2001)

This is a terrible movie - I have no idea how it makes it's way into top 10 or even top 100 lists.
The Elliot kid is a whiny baby and the kid who played him got terrible acting lessons and terrible coaching.
The alien looks like a pile of feces with legs.
The story is typical Spielberg overbearing sentimentalism. He pulled the wool over everybodys' eyes by using strategic emotional button-pushing and his typical order to John Williams for an overbearing tug-at-the-heart-strings soundtrack.
With the exception of Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark, I think Spielberg is an overrated kiddie-themed story teller, until he learned to make truly great movies like Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List.