E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writer:

Melissa Mathison (written by)

Release Date:

11 June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

He is afraid. He is totally alone. He is 3 million light years from home.

Plot:

A group of Earth children help a stranded alien botanist return home.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Stranded | Friendship | Children | Period In Title

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 38 wins & 27 nominations

Cast

Henry Thomas	...	Elliott
Dee Wallace	...	Mary
Robert MacNaughton	...	Michael (as Robert Macnaughton)
Drew Barrymore	...	Gertie
Peter Coyote	...	Keys
K.C. Martel	...	Greg
Sean Frye	...	Steve
C. Thomas Howell	...	Tyler (as Tom Howell)
David M. O'Dell	...	Schoolboy (as David O'Dell)
Richard Swingler	...	Science Teacher
Frank Toth	...	Policeman
Robert Barton	...	Ultrasound Man
Michael Darrell	...	Van Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Berkson	...	Medic
Susan Cameron	...	Medic
David Carlberg	...	Medic
Erika Eleniak	...	Pretty Young Girl
Will Fowler Jr.	...	Medic
Barbara Hartnett	...	Medic
Milt Kogan	...	Big Medic (as Milt Kogan, M.D.)
Alexander Lampone	...	Medic
Diane Lampone	...	Medic (as Di Ann Lampone)
Rhoda Makoff	...	Medic
Robert Murphy	...	Medic
Richard Pesavento	...	Medic
Tom Sherry	...	Medic
Mary Stein	...	Medic
Mitch Suskin	...	Medic (as Mitchell Suskin)

Also Known As:

A Boy's Life (USA) (working title)
E.T. (USA) (short title)
E.T. and Me (USA) (working title)
E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial: The 20th Anniversary (USA) (longer version)
Night Skies (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for language and mild thematic elements. (2002 edited version)

Runtime:

115 min | USA:120 min (extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby Digital EX (re-release) | Dolby (35 mm prints) (original release) | SDDS (re-release) | DTS-ES (re-release)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) (video rating) (1996) (2002) | Canada:G (British Columbia) (2002) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Ontario) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Alberta) (2002) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2002) | Iceland:LH | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Mexico:A | South Korea:All | West Germany:6 (f) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Australia:PG (20th anniversary edition) | Brazil:Livre | Chile:TE | Finland:K-7 (20th anniversary special edition) | France:U | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:AL | Norway:12 | Norway:7 (20th anniversary special edition) | Peru:14 | Philippines:G | Singapore:G (20th anniversary edition) | Singapore:PG (original rating) | Sweden:11 | Sweden:7 (2001) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) (20th anniversary edition) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) (20th anniversary edition) | Switzerland:8 (canton of the Grisons) (20th anniversary edition) | UK:U | USA:PG (certificate #26717) (original rating) | USA:PG (certificate #38656) (20th anniversary edition)

Filming Locations:

7121 Lonzo Street, Tujunga, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

E.T.'s voice was provided by Pat Welsh, an elderly woman who lived in Marin County, California. Welsh smoked two packets of cigarettes a day, which gave her voice a quality that sound effects creator Ben Burtt liked. She spent nine-and-a-half hours recording her part, and was paid $380 by Burtt for her services. Burtt also recorded 16 other people and various animals to create E.T.'s "voice". These included Spielberg; Debra Winger; Burtt's sleeping wife, who had a cold; a burp from his USC film professor; as well as raccoons, sea otters and horses.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When E.T. takes a can of beer from the fridge, we see Harvey the dog bark twice - but we don't hear the first bark.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Steve: [reading dice] Five.
Michael: Oh, great.
Steve: So you got an arrow right in your chest.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in (T)Raumschiff Surprise - Periode 1 (2004)

Soundtrack:

People Who Died

Powerful and unique

Spielberg's powerful and remarkable film about a boy and his unusual befriendment of an extra terrestrial. Possibly his finest film, E.T. captures a piece of childhood, and reminds the rest of us of a time long since past. It excites a story adults often forget, and a powerful remembrance of a childhood friendship during difficult periods of development. Adult criticism of the movie loses its youthful bond, and fails to appreciate growing up in the 80's. This is the pinnacle of Spielberg's childhood movies. Few other films capture as powerful a message of childhood emotion. Other films which attempt to do so dive so deep into childhood memories they lose their connection with adults, and degrade to brief interludes of "dumb" comic relief to keep grown ups from falling asleep. The closest runner up is likely Goonies (a film written by Spielberg). A very personal film for Spielberg; as he explores atypical friendships after the separation of his father; he should be commended for achieving such a remarkable success and for sharing it with the rest of us. I was five when I first saw the movie, and although it frightened me at the time, it still makes me cry. An unparalleled film in its class, it is easy to see why it remains the fourth all time grossing film (adjusted for inflation, third otherwise) seventeen years after its release. Cheers to Spielberg for not ruining the movie by attempting a sequel.