Movie Review: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) directed by Steven Spielberg
Elliott (Henry Thomas) is a middle child. He’s old enough to want to participate in his teen brother Michael’s (Robert MacNaughton) Dungeons and Dragons game, but not old enough to be welcome there. He thinks of his little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) as babyish, and hasn’t noticed yet how smart she is. The kids quarrel a lot, exasperating their separated mother Mary (Dee Wallace). But Elliott is about to become one of the most important little boys on Earth. An alien has been stranded near their Northern California suburb, and Elliott is the key to saving this extra-terrestrial.
Somehow, I had just never gotten around to seeing this much-beloved movie during the year it ran in theaters or on TV or home video. My knowledge of it was all from pop culture references and ripoffs. So it’s nice that I was randomly challenged to finally give it a watch.
E.T., as it will come to be known, is a member of a group of peaceful explorers who were examining an Earth forest when the ship was forced to take off before meddling humans could get to close. In the excitement, E.T. was left behind, and evidently the aliens do not possess a way to return to the same coordinates. E.T. senses a kindred spirit in the nearby town, and slowly reveals itself to the shocked pre-teen.
Elliott is forced to admit the existence of the alien to his siblings–despite their own tensions, they quickly bond over protecting the visitor. They try to hide E.T. from their mother, though Gertie tries the other approach and Mary completely misses what’s going on due to her own pressing concerns. Meanwhile, shadowy figures infiltrate the neighborhood, led by the mysterious Keys (Peter Coyote).
E.T. has seemingly miraculous powers, but separation from its people is slowly killing it. The kids need to help it “phone home.” Fortuitously, Halloween has arrived, making it easier for weird creatures to go out on the street, but will it be too late?
Good: Neat special effects, excellent music, some lovely shots. Keeping the government agents shadowy and a bit sinister until the last third of the movie works well. I also like that said agents turn out to be well-meaning, if overbearing and not willing to listen closely enough to the children.
Oh, and one of the first D&D scenes in media and mostly positive!
Less good: I found my attention wandering during the early “cute kid” scenes. Elliott seems a little too invested in E.T. being “a boy” (officially, its species does not have gender as we understand it.)
Content note: Some naughty language from children. E.T. comes close to dying and Elliott suffers with him. Younger children should have a grownup for support during darker moments.
I think I missed the window to consider this a really great movie, but it is pretty good and suitable for families to watch together (if your family is okay with “penis-breath” as dialogue.)
