E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Tags: comedy, boring, fantasy, dramatic, cult, sentimental

Plot synopsis:
In a forested area overlooking a sprawling suburban neighborhood, an alien spacecraft has landed. The creatures aboard have come to observe and collect specimens. One of them wanders some distance away, when strange lights and sounds cause him to hide. The group of men are led by one who has a jingling set of keys attached to a belt loop. Scared, the creature takes of running, with the men in pursuit. The creature attempts to get back to his spaceship, but it leaves without him. Eventually, it makes its way down an embankment into the suburban housing development below.In one house, a young boy named Elliot is sent out to pick up a pizza being delivered for his brother Michael and his friends. Elliot is about to return inside when a strange noise in the backyard catches his ears. Elliot traces the noise to a gardening shed in the backyard. Elliot throws a baseball into the shed, and is scared when something in the shed throws it back out. Elliot rushes inside to tell everyone, and they all come out to investigate, but find nothing in the shed, except for some strange prints, which Michael assumes must belong to some type of coyote from the nearby woods.Later that evening, Elliot hears some noise outside in the backyard, and goes outside. He encounters a strange creature that scares the both of them. The creature quickly leaves the backyard and through a nearby gate that leads into the woods.The next day, Elliot goes out on his bike to the forest, taking a bag of Reese Pieces with him, hoping to find the creature he saw. He soon sees the man with the keys on his belt loop, and quickly leaves the forested area.That evening, Elliot gets into an argument with his family, when it seems that noone will believe him. Elliot claims that his Dad would believe him. As their Mother has just been through a messy divorce, this causes her feelings to be hurt, with Michael angrily chastising his brother for being cruel.Later that evening, Elliot stays outside, where this time, the creature comes right up to him, and returns some of the Reeses Pieces that were in the forest. Elliot then lures the creature into the house and up to his room. When he finally sees the creature in full, it is a strange brown-colored being that is like nothing he's ever seen before.Elliot fakes having a fever the next day to stay home from school. During the day, he acclimates himself to the creature, and tells him his name, as well as shows him different things around the house. Later that evening, Elliot shows the creature to Michael and their younger sister Gertie, who both promise not to tell anyone about him.They soon surmise that this thing must in some way be an alien, and get him to try and explain where he's from. Instead, the creature displays its powers, which cause several spheres to levitate and rotate like the planets in the solar system. Gertie also gives the alien a potted plant with dying flowers,which the alien revives.Elliot has the creature hide in his closet the next day, as everyone heads off to school. While everyone is away, the alien gets out and into the fridge, raiding the food and drinking several beers, before watching TV. Unknown to Elliot, the alien has formed a mental bond with him, and these feelings carry on over to his Science Class, where Elliot finds himself setting loose a number of frogs for a dissection project, as well as kissing a girl in class.After Elliot returns home that evening, he finds that Gertie has helped teach the alien to talk, and Elliot then decides to name the alien E.T. E.T. then attempts to explain that he intends to build a machine to communicate with his home planet, so they can come to get him.Later that evening, Elliot and Michael go through the garage looking for items to use. Michael notes that E.T. doesn't look so good, to which Elliot explains that "they are fine." Unknown to the two of them, a van monitoring outside has picked up their conversation.On Halloween, Elliot and Michael dress E.T. up in a sheet, pretending to their Mother that it is Gertie dressed up as a ghost. Gertie has already left with Elliot's bicycle, and gone to a specific point above the suburban area. Once the three meet her there, Gertie trades places with E.T., as both Elliot and E.T. head off to assemble and use the communications machine he has assembled.Elliot wakes up the next day in the woods, with no sign of E.T. He returns home where his Mother has been afraid something had happened to him. Elliot pleads with Michael to find E.T. Michael first goes to the forest, but eventually finds E.T. barely breathing near a storm drain.Getting him home, Michael and the others show E.T. to their mother. E.T. has taken on a pasty look, and is shallowly breathing. Elliot explains that both he and E.T. are sick and perhaps dying. Their Mother demands they leave E.T. and get out of the house immediately, but they are soon set upon by persons in space suits, and then government men who quickly seal off the house and set up a medical unit to examine and help Elliot and E.T.It is here that the man with the keys on his belt loop (who we will call "Keys") returns to the picture. Keys explains to Elliot that they have found the machine in the forest, and wants to know how to save E.T.. Elliot explains that E.T. needs to go home, but as they talk, E.T. soon detaches himself from Elliot, and finally succumbs to the illness. Michael realizes this when the plants E.T. had revived begin to wilt and die.The medical team attempts to revive E.T., but he eventually dies. Before they take E.T. away, Keys allows Elliot some time alone with E.T.. Elliot then explains that E.T. must be dead, because he can't feel anything anymore. Elliot then tells E.T. that he loves him, and turns away. As he does so, he sees the flowers that were dying before are returning to life. Elliot goes back to the container where E.T. is, and finds him alive, and explains that his planet's people will be returning to get him. Elliot manages to hide the fact that E.T. is alive, and then hatches a plan with Michael to get him to the forest.Michael has his friends take Elliot's bike and theirs to a playground at the top of a nearby hill. Meanwhile, Michael and Elliot steal the van with E.T.'s container, and make their way to the playground. Meeting Michael's friends there, they then take E.T. and head for the forest. The government agents then give chase before E.T. causes the bicycles to fly, sending the boys to the forest.As they land, and night settles, E.T.'s ship lands. Elliot's mother and Gertie show up shortly afterward, and Gertie and Michael say their goodbyes, before it's Elliot's turn. E.T. asks Elliot to come with him, but Elliot says he has to stay. E.T. gives his new friend a hug, and then lights his finger and points it at Elliot's head, telling Elliot that he'll "be right here."Gertie gives E.T. the plant she initially gave him, and he goes into the enormous ship, which soon lifts off leaving a rainbow behind, as everyone stares off into the sky.

Review: I refuse to ever completely grow up, and my memories are my own, but man does this movie make me wish I was eleven again, when riding my bike was a pleasure, Matchbox cars were the greatest thing in the world, Halloween was a night of mystery and creepy fun I looked forward to all year, going to the movies was an adventure, and looking up at the stars could be a mind-blowing experience.E.T. keeps those feeling alive for me.
The genesis of film was started in my life with films like First Blood, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Ghostbusters, The Goonies, Back To The Future and of course E.T. Being that movies were such an intricate part of my young life and these experiences shaped me into the man that I am today, it is easy to recall with reverence the entire experience that went with those films.
Even though we were ten years old, we knew that Spielberg had given us great films like Jaws, Close Encounters and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
A very bad experience which proves this: I was watching this scene with the flying bike, the music was beautiful and soaring, and I was saying to myself, "Now this is supposed to be a great moment," and I repeated some comment like that too at the last few scenes of the movie.
In 1982 Steven Spielberg directed ET: THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL, a film which captured the hearts of millions around the world, making it the Top Grossing Film of all time taking $760,000,000 worldwide.
I hate you Steven Speilberg.You're one of the few directors who can make a movie that after all of these years, still makes me cry.E.T. is a true classic that stands the test of time.
Both go through a change in each other's personality and life, as the boy (Named Elliot.) must learn to share his new friend with others, while making sure his Mother (Played EXCELLENTLY by Dee Wallace Stone, as usual when she acts in films.) doesen't know that he is keeping that special alien with him.
It is just such an emotional film, that stands the test of time better than any other movie could.Recommended: Forever.RATING: **** of ****.
Firstly, I cant believe that poor old E.T. isn't getting a better showing in the rankings than the high sevens - its a beautiful gem of a film and deserves to be at least a high eight.Anyway, this is one of those films made by Spielberg that helps to cement his status as the premiere fairy tale teller of all (film) time.The simple premise that not all aliens want to rip out our spines of lay chest bursters inside us a kill all our friends is a concept that has not been returned to since (apart from the dismal Cocoon).This is probably because nobody will ever be able to recreate the intense emotional journey that Spielberg has portrayed.
THe heart wrenching scenes between Elliot and E.T. at the end of the film will go to prove the exqisitely realised genuinity of the love and friendship that develops and actually exists (I mean that Henry Thomas - ELiiot - came to love the puppet as if he were real) is what makes everything in life worth it.Full of warm moments, clever touches and humour, E.T. is an absolutely essential watch for all fim fans.Timeless.
E.T. the Extra Terrestrial is a magical film and one of the best movies Steven Spielberg has made.
Everything you could want in a good family Spielberg movie is in E.T. There's great acting, smart writing, beautiful use of cinematography, good lighting with Spielberg's famous shadow work, an amazing musical score by John Williams, and, of course, there is plenty of memorable moments and what is often referred to today as the "Spielberg magic".
This is not what alien landings are about , there not about monsters with extendable necks being vulnarable - They're about carnage , gunfire , explosions and lines like " We can't hold them sir " If anyone thinks I'm missing the point let me say this: Spielberg's first movie was a pseudo horror movie called DUEL a fairly effective thriller ( Casting aside ) about a man driving through desert wilderness .
Have we become so cynical in the last twenty years that we seriously consider movies(as good as they may be) like Trainspotting and Heat to be superior to two of Spielberg's best?
It's hard to say a six-year-old has star quality, or if it's the script, or if it was Spielberg, but she has some of the film's best moments; dressing up E.T., calling him a deformed kid, telling her brothers, "Give me a break!" or her the film's heartfelt finale with E.T. telling Gertie to "Beeeeeee...
gooood." The overall story is of a boy hiding a lost alien in his closet and helping him get home is charming, but I believe it's really all of these small moments that made this film great.
At the end of this short period when the studios were saturating movie theaters with just about anything with space ships, Steven Spielberg and company produced and released "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial".Unlike most of Hollywood's Science Fiction offerings from the release of Star Wars in 1977 to its third installment "Return of the Jedi" in 1983, "E.T." didn't rely on space ships and galactic battles.
So although "Alien", "Close and Encounters of the Third Kind" and the original "Star Wars" films are in more or less the same Science Fiction genre, the similarities end there for the most part.The story-line is deceptively simple but allows for the development of not only the characters but their relationships.
Henry Thomas as Elliott is one of the best child performances of all time, thanks to the emotion he shows through caring for E.T. Drew Barrymore also does really well, especially considering she's four years old in this film.
"E.T." directed by Steven Spielberg , starring a hearth warming,cute and an iconic cinematic figure is the kind of movie you can grow up with and enjoy it as an adult even if you watch it today.The best way to enjoy this movie would be by surrounding yourself with kids and watching their reactions while watching the movie yourself.Even in year 2016 the special effects still hold up and makes you believe that this creature,the spaceship actually exists while watching the movie , which adds to the magical experience of it a lot.
The movie is masterfully shot which you would expect from a Spielberg movie but this one consists one of the most iconic shots ever in cinema history : The bicycle and the moon.The hero in the film, Elliot, played by a little boy might be the best child performance in cinema history ever.
From this point it is best to not describe what happens because each and every scene from this point has something that is best be seen.It has its scary,happy,comedic and very sad moments which made a lot of people cry all over the world for these years.Every scene in the movie serves a purpose which leads to a great plot development.Some movies are there to make us think,some for fun,some to take us away from this world for a couple of hours.
I dislike E.T. because ever time I watch it, I feel like I'm being emotionally manipulated by a series of cutesy images, plot mechanisms that defy logic, and a score that is WAY over the top.E.T. is supposed to be an intelligent being, capable of interstellar travel, but in this movie, he is relegated to the role, basically, of a child, and acts as such.
I was diplomatic, after all, I wanted to get laid, but it was a real chore to feign the slightest emotion over a squashed head alien and his foul-mouthed child protector.Years later, after the film had made many top ten greatest movies of all time lists, and at a point where I was more "sensitive", I went back and re-watched the movie, trying to see what all the fuss was about.Lord, I really tried, but for the life of me, I just don't get how people have swallowed Spielberg's hook.
Don't get me wrong, Spielberg is the world class manipulator of our feelings towards his movies, and I have taken his drug many times and liked it, but ET just sucks..
The fact that such a dud movie can be in the top 250 speaks volumes about the public's tastes.The story is mushy,maudlin to a fault,politically correct.The special effects are not that much impressive.No imagination,no humor(unless ET 's fancy for beer counts),and of course the young boy smarter than his mother.Some have gone as far as to compare ET's landing to the second coming.I'd rather see it as sci-fi Armaggedon time,when you see the decline of the genre beginning with star wars-which was a bit more imaginative than ET,at least,there was a screenplay and beautiful landscapes-This is sci-fi for kiddies or for retarded.It made a lot of bucks of course.It would..
One of the best Steven Spielberg films and one of the greatest masterpieces ever; With a great soundtrack, good actors, good scenes and special effects.
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..
I think E.T. is a real good family movie especially for all the children to watch but after seeing it again I realize that it is a little dated now, and not quite as good as I remembered it being when I first watched it when I was young and saw it in theater and when it fist came out on videotape.
Anyway I give E.T. a six out of ten rating because it is a good movie that is worth seeing with some unforgettable scene but only if you have kids watching and there are many better films out there that are not so well liked.
I know, it's supposed to be a sweet kid's film, but it seemed every scene was so dark and ominous that i don't remember feeling good the whole time i watched it.
E.T. is really nothing more than a dramatic commercial for things like Reese's Pieces and BMX bikes.I think Steven Spielberg gets a lot more credit than he truly deserves, especially with E.T. Steven Spielberg doesn't make these stories believable (as so many people claim), he just makes everything extremely dramatic.
My dad would never take us to see films in the theatre so of course I had to wait for home video of E.T., but in all that time considering the way he was merchandised I wondered at even a young age: is this actually a good movie or a ploy to sell Reeces pieces?
This is one of the great movies of the 80s in MY collection that I think about all the time.E.T. the Extra Terrestrial is a powerful and magical film that I feel is arguably Steven Spielberg's best film!
Your parents take you out of the theater, into the shock of daylight, and more than likely vow not to take you to a movie for a long, long time.Now, I can understand that ET is a highly regarded film, and I can appreciate why many people love it.
ET is simply a fabulous movie with some fancy modern effects and a space age theme, but mainly a story about the bonds of friendship revolving around a touching little guy that needs love and help from his new earthling buddy.
In fact the cgi ET looks weaker if anything because he does look like an effect first and a character second; it's hard to describe but the puppet works better because he is in the scenes whereas the effect has clearly been added later.Overall though this is a wonderful film that I saw as a child in a bingo hall cinema and loved and watch as an adult now and love.
The cast of children show, where later Spielberg films don't, that child actors don't need to be horribly cutest kids that bare no resemblance to real life, and they create a real sense of audience involvement and identification as well as emotion and wit..
The adults here does not have a really big role, but mainly the mother of these kids, played by Dee Wallace, has a great part too.Spileberg's direction in this movie has provided some of the most iconic shots in film history (just that bike flying over the moon is a true perfect shot).
(1982) when I was 10 years old - and for a long while after watching the film I wanted a space alien for a best friend just like Elliot had.
- and is most likely the reason why as an adult I would still love to "fly away" with space aliens (E.T. along with the aliens from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind").As an adult I think E.T. is one of the greatest family films ever made.
With innocence at its heart & sheer magic on its surface, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is one of the most adored & beloved films of all time which with its emotionally stirring narration, stunning portrait of childhood & exquisite depiction of the beauty of friendship ends up being a truly magical & spellbinding experience that still appeals to viewers of all ages.It tells the story of an alien left behind on the planet by its peers when they take off in a hurry due to human interference.
The contribution its score single-handedly made to this film is huge & an achievement in itself as it took the emotions of this film to a whole new level and is at its very best during the final moments.Featuring brilliant direction, mesmerizing narration, classic editing, innocent performances, lovely cinematography & great visuals, E.T. is magic in movie-making that presents Spielberg at his absolute best and succeeds not only as one of the most exciting sci-fi adventures of its or any other time but also as one of the greatest films ever made.On an overall scale, Covering themes of abandonment, childhood, innocence, friendship, loss & separation, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is a very adventurous, hilarious & heartwarming film that will leave you with a sense of immense joy, nostalgia & smile as well as tears in the end.
Steven Spielberg is one of the most famous directors in the world and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial is one of his most beloved films, which is remarkable considering he has made films like Jaws, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan and the Indiana Jones series.In a Californian town, Elliot (Henry Thomas) is a lonely 10-year-old who lives with his single mother (Dee Wallace), teenage brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and younger sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore).
Liked It As A Kid, Love It Now. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is a Family Sci-Fi film starring Henry Thomas and directed by Steven Spielberg.
Together with Eliott (Thomas), Gertie (Barrymore) and Michael (MacNaughton), the beloved space alien, E.T. embarks on an unforgettable adventure to reach home with the most unexpected things.This film is a beautiful journey of the heartwarming and soul- filled friendship between the kids and E.T. It also features iconic scenes that captivated the world in its magical way.
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.
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.
The effects are well- executed, the cast - both child and adult - are perfect in their roles (young Drew Barrymore is absolutely adorable), and not a minute of the two-hour run-time feels wasted.Spielberg is a masterful storyteller, adding little touches that elevate this simple story to being an unforgettable classic.Whether young or old, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial deserves your attention..
I really wanted to like this film - along with many other pre-teens I saw it when it was first released and although some scenes remained in my mind (ET amongst the toys in the cupboard; the bike ride up in the sky; ET's squeaky voice) I was largely bored with it.Twenty years later I tried to watch it again (this time with Spielberg's changes such as guns becoming flashlights).
What at first looks like a ugly creature, becomes a good friend during the movie.It's not the special effects that makes E.T. so great, but much more the depth of characters.
E.T. is a heartfelt and impressive film about friendship that easily sustains the wear and tear of time.Besides that: it's just a fun movie to see for both young and old!10 out of 10