E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Original 1982 Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Steven Spielberg
Produced by	Steven Spielberg Kathleen Kennedy
Written by	Melissa Mathison
Starring	Henry Thomas Dee Wallace Robert MacNaughton Drew Barrymore Peter Coyote
Music by	John Williams
Cinematography	Allen Daviau
Editing by	Carol Littleton
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	June 11, 1982 July 19, 1985 (re-release) March 22, 2002 (20th anniversary edition)
Running time	115 min. (1982) 120 min. (2002: 20th anniversary edition)
Country	USA
Language	English
Budget	$10,500,000 USD (estimated)[1]
Gross revenue	$792,910,554
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Dee Wallace and Peter Coyote. It tells the story of Elliott (played by Thomas), a lonely boy who befriends a friendly alien, dubbed E.T., who is stranded on Earth. Elliott and his siblings help the alien return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a video game developed by Howard Scott Warshaw based on the film of the same name and released by Atari for the Atari 2600 video game system in 1982. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (485x755, 78 KB) Universal impawrds. ... Steven Allan Spielberg (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director and producer. ... Kathleen Kennedy (b. ... Melissa Mathison (born 3 June 1950) is an American screen scriptwriter. ... Henry Jackson Thomas, Jr. ... Dee Wallace-Stone (born Deanna Bowers on December 14, 1948, in Kansas City, Kansas)[1] is an U.S. motion picture and television actress. ... Robert MacNaughton (born December 19, 1966 in New York City) is an American actor, best known for his role in Steven Spielbergs E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. ... Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress and film producer, the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors. ... Peter Coyote (born October 10, 1941) is an American actor and author, and has narrated many documentaries and audio books. ... For other persons named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation). ... Allen Daviau (born June 14, 1942 in New Orleans) is a five-time Academy Award nominated American cinematographer. ... Carol Littleton (born in 1948 in Oklahoma) is the Academy Award-nominated American feature film editor of the heartwarming blockbuster, the Steven Spielberg-directed film, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as well as editor of several other popular films (such as The Big Chill and Body Heat). ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... “USD” redirects here. ... // This is the year of film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which will become the highest grossing movie for almost 15 years (until Titanic), earning double or triple against any major film of the 1980s. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Steven Allan Spielberg (born December 18, 1946)[1] is an American film director and producer. ... Melissa Mathison (born 3 June 1950) is an American screen scriptwriter. ... Henry Jackson Thomas, Jr. ... Robert MacNaughton (born December 19, 1966 in New York City) is an American actor, best known for his role in Steven Spielbergs E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. ... Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress and film producer, the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors. ... Dee Wallace-Stone (born Deanna Bowers on December 14, 1948, in Kansas City, Kansas)[1] is an U.S. motion picture and television actress. ... Peter Coyote (born October 10, 1941) is an American actor and author, and has narrated many documentaries and audio books. ... “Green people” redirects here. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ...

The concept for E.T. came from an imaginary friend Spielberg created after his parents' divorce. When work on Night Skies stalled, Spielberg met screenwriter Melissa Mathison, whom he hired to pen the script for E.T.. The film was shot from September to December 1981 in California on a budget of US$10.5 million. To facilitate convincing emotional performances from the young cast, the film was shot in roughly chronological order. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Night Skies was a sci-fi horror suspense thriller film that was never made. ... Melissa Mathison (born 3 June 1950) is an American screen scriptwriter. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ...

E.T. was a box office hit, surpassing Star Wars to become the most financially successful film released to that point. Critics acclaimed it as a timeless story of friendship, and it is considered one of the greatest films ever made. The alien became the subject of analogies for Jesus. The film was rereleased in 1985, and in 2002 with altered special effects and additional scenes. Spielberg believes E.T. epitomizes his work.^[2] This movie poster for Star Wars depicts many of the films important elements, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters Star Wars, retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981 (see note at Title,) is the original (and in chronological... // Note: This article does not include films that had the highest box office receipts. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ...

Plot

The film opens in a California forest as a group of alien botanists collect vegetation samples. U.S. government agents appear and the aliens flee in their spaceship, leaving one of their own behind in their haste. The scene shifts to a suburban California home, where a boy named Elliott plays servant to his older brother, Michael, and his friends. As he fetches pizza, Elliott discovers the stranded alien, who promptly flees. Despite his family's disbelief, Elliott leaves Reese's Pieces candy in the forest to lure it into his bedroom. Before he goes to bed, Elliott notices the alien imitating his movements. In popular fiction and conspiracy theories, life forms, especially intelligent life forms, that are of extraterrestrial origin, i. ... Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ... Bag of Reeses Pieces, current design Reeses Pieces are a peanut butter-flavored candy manufactured by The Hershey Company. ...

Elliott feigns illness the next morning to avoid school so he can play with the alien. That afternoon, Michael and their younger sister, Gertie, meet the alien. Their mother, Mary, hears the noise and comes upstairs. Michael, Gertie, and the alien hide in the closet while Elliott reassures her everything is alright. Deciding to keep the alien, the children begin to ask it about its origin. It answers by levitating balls to represent its solar system, and further demonstrates its powers by healing a dead plant. At school, Elliott begins to experience a psychic connection with the alien. Elliott becomes irrational due partly to the alien's intoxication from drinking Coors beer and he begins freeing all the frogs from a dissection class. As the alien watches John Wayne kiss Maureen O'Hara in The Quiet Man, Elliott's psychic link causes him to kiss a girl he likes in the same manner. Elliott is taken to the principal's office following his inappropriate behavior. This article is about the Solar System. ... The Coors Brewing Company is one of the world’s largest brewery companies. ... Dissected rat showing major organs. ... For other persons named John Wayne, see John Wayne (disambiguation). ... Maureen OHara Maureen OHara (born Maureen FitzSimons) on August 17, 1920 is an Irish film actress. ... The Quiet Man is a 1952 American film starring John Wayne, Maureen OHara, Victor McLaglen, and Barry Fitzgerald, and directed by John Ford. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

E.T. makes Elliott's bike fly to the forest

The alien learns to speak English by watching Sesame Street and dubs itself E.T. It enlists Elliott's help in building a device to "phone home". Michael starts to notice that Elliott's health is declining and that he is referring to himself as "we". On Halloween, Michael and Elliott dress E.T. as a ghost so they can sneak it out of the house. Elliott and E.T. ride a bicycle to the forest, where E.T. makes a successful call home. The next morning, Elliott wakes up to find E.T. gone, and returns home to his distressed family. Michael finds E.T. dying and takes him to Elliott, who is also dying. Mary becomes frightened when she discovers her son's illness and the dying alien, before government agents invade the house. Image File history File links ET_Moon. ... Image File history File links ET_Moon. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... This article is about the holiday. ...

Scientists set up a medical facility in the house, quarantining Elliott and E.T. The link between E.T. and Elliott disappears as E.T. suddenly dies. Elliott is left alone with the motionless alien when he notices a flower coming back to life. E.T. revives and reveals that its people are returning. Elliott and Michael steal a van that E.T. had been loaded into and a chase ensues, with Michael's friends joining Elliott and E.T.'s bicycled evasion of the authorities. Suddenly facing a dead-end, they escape as E.T.'s telekinesis lifts them into the air and toward the forest. E.T. stands near the spaceship, his heart glowing as he readies to return home. Mary, Gertie and Keys, a government agent, show up. E.T. says goodbye to Michael and Gertie, and before entering the spaceship, tells Elliott "I'll be right here"; pointing its glowing finger to Elliott's heart. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The term psychokinesis (from the Greek ψυχή, psyche, meaning mind, soul, or breath; and κίνησις, kinesis, meaning motion; literally movement from the mind)[1][2] or PK, also known as telekinesis[3] (Greek + , literally distant-movement referring to telekinesis) or TK, denotes the paranormal ability of the mind to influence matter, time...

Cast

From left: Henry Thomas as Elliott, Drew Barrymore as Gertie, and Robert MacNaughton as Michael

• Henry Thomas as Elliott: A lonely 10-year-old boy who is picked on by his older brother. Elliott adopts the stranded alien and forms a mental, physical, and emotional bond with it.
• Robert MacNaughton as Michael: Elliott's older brother, who often picks on him.
• Drew Barrymore as Gertie: Elliott's younger sister.
• Dee Wallace as Mary: The children's mother, coming off a recent separation from her husband. She is mostly oblivious to the alien's presence in her household.
• Peter Coyote as Keys: A government agent dubbed as such due to jangling his keys at times. He has waited to see an alien since the age of 10.
• K.C. Martel as Greg: One of Michael's friends who mostly picks on Elliott. He later helps Elliott and E.T. evade the authorities.
• Sean Frye as Steve: One of Michael's friends who is mostly quiet and shy. He later helps Elliott and E.T. evade the authorities.
• Tom Howell as Tyler: One of Michael's friends who is eccentric at times. He later helps Elliott and E.T. evade the authorities.

Spielberg auditioned more than 300 children for the roles.^[3] Having worked with Cary Guffey on Close Encounters of the Third Kind, he felt confident in working with a cast composed mostly of child actors, rather than young adults.^[4] Robert Fisk suggested Henry Thomas for the role of Elliott.^[5] Thomas, who auditioned in an Indiana Jones costume, did not perform well in the formal testing, but he got the filmmakers attention in an improvised scene.^[4] Thoughts of his dead dog inspired his convincing tears.^[6] MacNaughton auditioned eight times to play Michael, sometimes with boys auditioning for Elliott. Spielberg felt Drew Barrymore had the right imagination for the film after she impressed him with a story that she led a punk rock band.^[5] Spielberg enjoyed working with the children, noting that the experience made him feel ready to become a father.^[7] Image File history File links ETKidcast. ... Image File history File links ETKidcast. ... Henry Jackson Thomas, Jr. ... Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress and film producer, the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors. ... Robert MacNaughton (born December 19, 1966 in New York City) is an American actor, best known for his role in Steven Spielbergs E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. ... Henry Jackson Thomas, Jr. ... Robert MacNaughton (born December 19, 1966 in New York City) is an American actor, best known for his role in Steven Spielbergs E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. ... Drew Blyth Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress and film producer, the youngest member of the Barrymore family of American actors. ... Dee Wallace-Stone (born Deanna Bowers on December 14, 1949, in Kansas City, Missouri) is an U.S. motion picture and television actress who is best remembered for her role as Elliots divorced mother in the Steven Spielberg film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and as Karen White... Peter Coyote (born October 10, 1941) is an American actor and author, and has narrated many documentaries and audio books. ... K.C. Martel (born on 14 September 1967 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian former child actor. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966 in Los Angeles, California, USA) is an American actor. ... Cary Guffey (born May 10, 1972 in Douglasville, Georgia) is a former child-actor who is non-active in adulthood. ... This article is about the film; for the a definition of the UFO related phenomenon, see Close encounter. ... The term child actor is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion the latter is also called a former child actor. ... Dr. Henry Indiana Jones, Jr. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ...

Doctors working at the USC Medical Center were recruited by Spielberg to play the doctors who try to save E.T. after government agents take over Elliott's home, as he felt actors playing doctors and reading lines of technical dialog would feel unnatural.^[7] During post-production, Spielberg decided to cut a scene featuring Harrison Ford as Elliott's principal. The scene featured Elliott being reprimanded for his behavior in science class, and saw Elliott's chair being levitated while E.T. was levitating his "phone" equipment up the staircase with Gertie.^[5] The Trojan Shrine, better known as Tommy Trojan located in the center of University of Southern California campus. ... For the silent film actor, see Harrison Ford (silent film actor). ... A cubical magnet levitating over a superconducting material (this is known as the Meissner effect) Levitation (from Latin levare, to raise) is the process by which an object is suspended against gravity, in a stable position, by a force without physical contact. ...

Production

After his parents' divorce in 1960, Spielberg filled the void with an imaginary alien companion. Spielberg said that E.T. was "a friend who could be the brother I never had and a father that I didn't feel I had anymore."^[8] Filming Raiders of the Lost Ark in Tunisia left Spielberg bored, and memories of his childhood creation resurfaced.^[9] He told screenwriter Melissa Mathison about a project he had planned with John Sayles called Night Skies, in which malevolent aliens terrorize a family. Spielberg and Mathison developed a subplot from the failed project focusing on Buddy, the only friendly alien, and his friendship with an autistic child. Buddy's abandonment on Earth in the script's final scene inspired the E.T. concept.^[9] Mathison wrote a first draft titled E.T. and Me^[9] in eight weeks, which Spielberg considered perfect.^[5] Columbia Pictures, which had been producing Night Skies, met Spielberg to discuss the script. The studio passed on it, calling it "a wimpy Walt Disney movie," so Spielberg approached the more receptive Sid Sheinberg, president of MCA.^[10] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Raiders of the Lost Ark, also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a 1981 adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas and starring Harrison Ford. ... Melissa Mathison (born 3 June 1950) is an American screen scriptwriter. ... Photo of John Sayles by Robert Birnbaum John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an independent American film director and writer who frequently takes a small part in his own and other indie films. ... Night Skies was a sci-fi horror suspense thriller film that was never made. ... A boy with autism and his mother Autism refers to a spectrum of disorders, and lies somewhere under the umbrella of a greater encompassing spectrum, that of pervasive developmental disorders that involve the functioning of the brain. ... The Columbia Pictures logo from 1993 to the present Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. ... For the company founded by Disney, see The Walt Disney Company. ... Sid Sheinburg was the head of Universal Studios productions from 1973 to 1995. ... The Music Corporation of America was a United States based corporation in the music business. ...

Carlo Rambaldi, who designed the aliens for Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, was hired to design the animatronics of E.T. Rambaldi's own painting Women of Delta led him to give the creature a unique, extendable neck.^[5] The creature's face was inspired by the faces of Carl Sandburg, Albert Einstein, and Ernest Hemingway.^[11] Producer Kathleen Kennedy visited the Jules Stein Eye Institute to study real and glass eyeballs. She hired people from the Institute to create E.T.'s eyes, which she felt were particularly important in engaging the audience.^[4] Four E.T. heads were created for filming, one as the main animatronics and the others for facial expressions, as well as a costume.^[11] Tamara De Treaux, another dwarf, and a boy born without legs took turns wearing the costume, depending on what scene was being filmed.^[5] Caprice Roth, a professional mime, filled prosthetics to play E.T.'s hands.^[4] The finished creature was created in three months at the cost of $1.5 million.^[12] Spielberg declared it, "something that only a mother could love."^[5] Mars, Incorporated found E.T. so ugly that they refused to have M&Ms used in the film, believing E.T. would frighten children. This allowed Hershey's the opportunity to market Reese's Pieces.^[13] Carlo Rambaldi is an Italian-born special effects artist who is most famous for designing title character of the 1982 super-smash hit E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. ... This article is about the film; for the a definition of the UFO related phenomenon, see Close encounter. ... Carl Sandburg in 1955 Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, historian, novelist, balladeer, and folklorist. ... “Einstein” redirects here. ... Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. ... Producer Kathleen Kennedy Kathleen Kennedy (b. ... Dr. Jules C. Stein (April 26, 1896 – April 29, 1981) was an American musician, physician, and business leader. ... Tamara Detro, known by the stage name Tamara De Treaux (21 October 1959 – 28 November 1990) was an American actress. ... This page is about the medical condition. ... Mars, Incorporated is a world-wide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food and other food products with US$18 billion in annual sales in 2005. ... Plain M&Ms M&Ms are small, milk chocolate candy pieces popular in the United States and in many other countries around the world. ... The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY), until April 2005 Hershey Foods Corporation[5], commonly called Hersheys, is Americas largest chocolate company. ... Bag of Reeses Pieces, current design Reeses Pieces are a peanut butter-flavored candy manufactured by The Hershey Company. ...

E.T. began shooting in September 1981.^[14] The project was filmed under the title A Boy's Life to keep production a secret, as Spielberg did not want anyone to discover and plagiarize the plot. The actors had to read the script behind closed doors, and everyone on set had to wear an ID card.^[4] The film was shot on location, over 61 days, at Northridge, Los Angeles, California, a redwood forest near Crescent City, a high school, and at Laird International Studios in Culver City.^[9] Spielberg shot the film in roughly chronological order to achieve convincingly emotional performances from his cast. In the scene when Michael first encounters the alien, the creature's appearance caused MacNaughton to jump back and knock down the shelves behind him. The chronological shoot gave the young actors an emotional experience as they bonded with E.T., making the hospital sequences more moving.^[7] Spielberg ensured the puppeteers kept away from the set to maintain the illusion of a real alien. For the first time in his career, he did not storyboard most of the film, in order to allow spontaneity in the performances.^[14] The film was shot so adults, bar Dee Wallace, are rarely seen from the waist up, as a tribute to the cartoons of Tex Avery.^[5] Northridge is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. ... Binomial name (Lindl. ... Crescent Citys harbor, with the jetty visible Crescent City is the county seat, and the only incorporated city of Del Norte County, California, USA. It is named after the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city. ... Culver City sign near the intersection of the 405 and the 90. ... Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of previsualizing a motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity. ... Dee Wallace-Stone (born Deanna Bowers on December 14, 1948, in Kansas City, Kansas)[1] is an U.S. motion picture and television actress. ... Frederick Bean Fred/Tex Avery (February 26, 1908 – August 26, 1980) was an American animator, cartoonist, and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. ...

Longtime Spielberg collaborator John Williams composed the score for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Williams described his challenge on this project on creating a score that would create sympathy for an odd-looking creature like E.T. As with their previous collaborations, Spielberg liked every theme Williams composed, and had it included. Spielberg loved the music for the final chase so much that he edited the sequence to suit it.^[15] For other persons named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation). ... Sheet music is written representation of music. ...

Themes

Spielberg drew the story of E.T. from the divorce of his own parents;^[16] Gary Arnold of the Washington Post called the film "essentially a spiritual autobiography, a portrait of the filmmaker as a typical suburban kid set apart by an uncommonly fervent, mystical imagination."^[17] Reflections of Steven Spielberg's childhood are seen throughout: Elliott feigns illness by holding his thermometer to a light bulb while covering his face with a heating pad, which was a trick frequently employed by the young Spielberg.^[18] Michael's picking on Elliott echoes Spielberg's teasing of his younger sisters,^[5] and Michael's evolution from tormentor to protector reflects how Spielberg had to take care of his sisters after their father left.^[7] ...

Critics have focused on the parallels between the life of E.T. and Elliott, who is "alienated" by the loss of his father.^[19][20] New York Times film critic A.O. Scott wrote that while E.T. "is the more obvious and desperate foundling," Elliott "suffers in his own way from the want of a home."^[21] At the film's heart is the theme of growing up. Critic Harry Sheehan described the film as a retelling of Peter Pan from the perspective of a Lost Boy (Elliott).^[22] E.T. cannot survive physically on Earth, as Pan could not survive emotionally in Neverland; Neverland’s pirates are replaced by government scientists.^[22] Some critics have suggested that Spielberg's portrayal of suburbia is very dark, contrary to popular belief. A.O. Scott said, "The suburban milieu, with its unsupervised children and unhappy parents, its broken toys and brand-name junk food, could have come out of a Raymond Carver story",^[21] and Charles Taylor of Salon.com said, "Spielberg's movies, despite the way they're often characterized, are not Hollywood idealizations of families and the suburbs. The homes here bear what the cultural critic Karal Ann Marling called 'the marks of hard use.'"^[16] The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... A.O. Scott (born July 10, 1966) is a film critic for The New York Times newspaper. ... Raymond Clevie Carver, Jr. ... Salon. ...

Spielberg admitted this scene triggered speculation as to whether the film was a religious parable.^[23]

Other critics found religious parallels between E.T. and Jesus Christ.^[24][25] Andrew Nigels described the story of E.T. as "[c]rucifiction by military science" and "[r]esurrection by love and faith".^[26] According to Spielberg biographer Joseph McBride, Universal Studios appealed directly to the Christian market, with a poster reminiscent of Michelangelo's Creation of Adam and a logo reading "Peace".^[9] Spielberg answered that he did not intend the film to be a religious parable, joking, "If I ever went to my mother and said, 'Mom, I've made this movie that's a Christian parable,' what do you think she'd say? She has a kosher restaurant on Pico and Doheny in Los Angeles."^[23] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 216 × 162 pixelsFull resolution (216 × 162 pixel, file size: 7 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A scene from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in which E.T. appears in white clothed and his heart glowing, which some critics compared to various... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 216 × 162 pixelsFull resolution (216 × 162 pixel, file size: 7 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A scene from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in which E.T. appears in white clothed and his heart glowing, which some critics compared to various... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Joseph McBride is an American film columnist, screenwriter and professor of film and literature. ... This article is about the American media conglomerate. ... For other uses, see Michelangelo (disambiguation). ... Categories: Art stubs | Paintings ... The circled U indicates that this can of tuna is certified kosher by the Union of Orthodox Congregations. ...

As a substantial body of film criticism has built up around E.T., numerous writers have analyzed the film in other ways as well. E.T. has been analyzed as a modern fairy tale^[27] and in psychoanalytic terms.^[27][28] Producer Kathleen Kennedy noted that an important theme of E.T. is tolerance, which would be central to future Spielberg films such as Schindler's List.^[5] A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... It has been suggested that toleration be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Reception

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was previewed in Houston, Texas, where it received high marks from viewers.^[9] The film premiered at the closing gala of the May 1982 Cannes Film Festival,^[29] and was released in the United States on June 11, 1982. It opened at number one with a gross of $11 million, and stayed at the top of the box office for six weeks. It fluctuated between the top and second positions until January. At the end of its theatrical run on June 3, 1983, it grossed $352 million domestically.^[30] Spielberg earned $500,000 a day from his share of the profits,^[31][32] and spent his earnings on several new homes^[9] and a "Rosebud" sled prop from Citizen Kane.^[33] The Hershey Company's profits rose 65% due to the film's prominent use of Reese's Pieces.^[13] The film was rereleased on July 19, 1985,^[34] and grossed $40 million domestically.^[35] E.T. was released on VHS and laserdisc on October 27, 1988; to combat piracy, the videocassettes were colored green.^[6] “Houston” redirects here. ... The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes), founded in 1939, is one of the worlds oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals. ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... Citizen Kane is a 1941 mystery/drama film released by RKO Pictures and directed by Orson Welles, his first feature film. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Bottom view of VHS cassette with magnetic tape exposed Top view of VHS cassette with front casing removed The Video Home System, better known by its abbreviation VHS, is a recording and playing standard. ... Not to be confused with disk laser, a type of solid-state laser in a flat configuration. ... is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...

Critics acclaimed E.T. as a classic. Roger Ebert wrote, "This is not simply a good movie. It is one of those movies that brush away our cautions and win our hearts."^[29] Michael Sragow of Rolling Stone called Spielberg "a space age Jean Renoir.... [F]or the first time, [he] has put his breathtaking technical skills at the service of his deepest feelings."^[36] Leonard Maltin called it the best film of the year.^[37] George Will was one of few to pan the film, feeling it spread subversive notions about childhood and science.^[38] There were also allegations that the film was plagiarized from a 1967 script, "The Alien," by celebrated Bengali director Satyajit Ray. Ray stated, "E.T. would not have been possible without my script of 'The Alien' being available throughout the United States in mimeographed copies." Spielberg denied this claim, stating, "I was a kid in high school when his script was circulating in Hollywood."^[39] Roger Joseph Ebert (born June 18, 1942) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American film critic. ... This article is about the magazine. ... The Space Shuttle takes off on a manned mission to space. ... Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (September 15, 1894 – February 12, 1979), born in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France was a film director. ... Leonard Maltin (born December 18, 1950 in New York City) is a widely known and respected American film critic. ... George Frederick Will (born May 4, 1941) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning, conservative American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. ... The Alien was a science fiction film under production in the late 1960s which was eventually cancelled. ... Bengali cinema, or the Bengali film industry, is one of the earliest film industries in India. ...   (Bengali: সত্যজিত্ রায় Shottojit Rae) (May 2, 1921–April 23, 1992) was an Indian filmmaker who is widely regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. ...

Spielberg with President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan after a screening of E.T.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial holds a 99% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the best reviewed science fiction film on the site.^[40] It also has a 94% rating of "universal acclaim" on Metacritic. In addition to the many impressed critics, President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan were moved by the film after a screening at the White House on June 27, 1982.^[32] Princess Diana was in tears after watching the film.^[5] On September 17, 1982, the film was screened at the United Nations, and Spielberg received the U.N. Peace Medal.^[41] Image File history File links Ronald_Reagan_and_Steven_Spielberg_1. ... Image File history File links Ronald_Reagan_and_Steven_Spielberg_1. ... “Reagan” redirects here. ... Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6, 1921) is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... “Reagan” redirects here. ... Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6, 1921) is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... “Diana Spencer” redirects here. ... is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ...

The film was nominated for nine Oscars at the 55th Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Gandhi won that award, but its director, Richard Attenborough, declared, "I was certain that not only would E.T. win, but that it should win. It was inventive, powerful, [and] wonderful. I make more mundane movies."^[42] It won four Academy Awards, including Best Original Music Score, Sound, Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects. At the Golden Globes, the film won Best Picture in the Drama category and was nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best New Male Star for Henry Thomas. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association awarded the film Best Picture, Best Director and a "New Generation Award" for Melissa Mathison.^[43] Composer John Williams won a Grammy, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for the score. The film won Saturn Awards for Best Science Fiction Film, Best Writing, Best Special Effects, Best Music and Best Poster Art, while Henry Thomas, Robert McNaughton, and Drew Barrymore won Young Artist Awards. E.T. was also honored abroad: the film won the Best Foreign Language Film award at the Blue Ribbon in Japan, Cinema Writers Circle Awards in Spain, César Awards in France, and David di Donatello in Italy.^[44] The 55th Academy Awards were presented April 11, 1983 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. ... Gandhi (1982) is a multi-award-winning biopic film about the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (often known as Mahatma Gandhi), who was leader of the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. ... Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, CBE, KBE (born August 29, 1923) is an English actor, director, producer, and entrepreneur. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) was founded in 1975. ... For other persons named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation). ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ... The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy and horror in film, television and home video. ... The Young Artist Award is an award which is presented yearly by the Young Artist Foundation. ...

In American Film Institute polls, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial has been voted the twenty-fifth greatest film of all time,^[45] the forty-fourth most thrilling,^[46] the sixth most uplifting,^[47] as well as having the fourteenth greatest music score.^[48] The quote "E.T. phone home" was listed fifteenth on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes list,^[49] and forty-eighth on Premiere's top movie quote list.^[50] E.T. has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.^[51] In 2005, the film topped a Channel 4 poll of the 100 greatest family films,^[52] and was also listed by Time as one of the 100 best films ever made.^[53] In 2003, Entertainment Weekly called the film the eighth most "tear-jerking";^[54] in 2007, in a survey of both films and television series, the magazine declared E.T. the seventh greatest work of science-fiction media in the past 25 years.^[55] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Part of the AFI 100 Years. ... Premiere is an American and New York City-based film magazine published by Hachette Filipacchi Médias, beginning publication in 1987. ... The National Film Registry is the registry of films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of Congress. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Time (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated EW) is a magazine published by Time Inc. ...

20th anniversary edition

The 20th Anniversary version of the film replaces the guns, used by the police, with walkie-talkies

An extended version of the film released on March 22, 2002, included altered special effects. Certain shots of E.T. had bothered Spielberg since 1982, as he did not have enough time to make the animatronics fully work. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) was used to modify several shots, including ones of E.T. running in the opening sequence. Spielberg also used CGI to add elements to the spaceship. Scenes shot for but not part of the original version played.^[56] This third were included for the first time: E.T. taking a bath, and Gertie telling Mary that Elliott went to the forest. Spielberg did not add Harrison Ford's scene, feeling that would reshape the film too drastically. Having become a father, Spielberg was more sensitive about the scene where gun-wielding policemen threaten Elliott and his escaping friends; he digitally replaced the guns with walkie-talkies.^[5] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 81st day of the year (82nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Computer-generated imagery (commonly abbreviated as CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically, 3D computer graphics) to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. ... Recreational, toy and amateur radio walkie talkies A walkie-talkie is a portable, bi-directional radio transceiver, first developed for military use. ...

At the premiere, John Williams conducted a live performance of the score while the film release grossed $35 million domestically, and brought the film's total worldwide gross to $792 million since 1982.^[35] The 20th anniversary edition was released on a two-disc DVD on December 9, 2002, and was also packaged in a collector's edition with the original version.^[57] The changes to the film, in particular the switch from guns to walkie-talkies, were criticized as politically correct. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wondered, "Remember those guns the feds carried? Thanks to the miracle of digital, they're now brandishing walkie-talkies.... Is this what two decades have done to free speech?"^[58] Chris Hewitt of Empire wrote, "[T]he changes are surprisingly low-key...while ILM's CGI E.T. is used sparingly as a complement to Carlo Rambaldi's extraordinary puppet."^[59] is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Political correctness is the alteration of language to redress real or alleged injustices and discrimination or to avoid offense. ... Peter Travers is the film critic for Rolling Stone magazine. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Emap Consumer Media since July 1989. ...

Other portrayals of E.T.

A traffic sign depicting E.T.

In July 1982, during the film's first theatrical run, Spielberg and Mathison wrote a treatment for a sequel to be titled "E.T. II: Nocturnal Fears". It would have seen Elliott and his friends kidnapped by evil aliens and follow their attempts to contact E.T. for help. Spielberg decided against pursuing the sequel, feeling it "would do nothing but rob the original of its virginity."^[34] Image File history File links ETBuckleUP.jpg Summary Photo taken by me with a single-use 35mm camera in Sept. ... Image File history File links ETBuckleUP.jpg Summary Photo taken by me with a single-use 35mm camera in Sept. ...

In 1998, E.T. was licensed to appear in television public service announcements produced by Progressive Insurance. The announcements featured E.T.'s voice reminding drivers to "buckle up" their safety belts. Traffic signs depicting a stylized E.T. wearing a safety belt were installed on selected roads around the United States.^[60] The following year, British Telecommunications launched the "Stay in Touch" campaign, with E.T. as the star of various advertisements.^[61] A public service announcement (PSA) or community service announcement (CSA) is a non-commercial advertisement typically on radio or television, ostensibly broadcast for the public good. ... The Progressive Corporation (NYSE: PGR) is a U.S. auto insurance company headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio. ... BT Group plc (which trades as just BT, and is commonly known as, British Telecom or British Telecommunications) is the privatised former British state telecommunications operator. ...

A theme park ride was also created based on the E.T. story. E.T. Adventure is a dark ride featured at the Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Japan, and, formerly, Universal Studios Hollywood theme parks. ...

Atari made a 2600 game that was based on the film. Despite the popularity of the film, the game was widely considered to be one of the worst games ever. Along with the Atari 2600 port of Pac-Man, the movie game is often blamed for the videogame crash of 1983. This article is about a corporate game company. ... E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a video game developed by Howard Scott Warshaw based on the film of the same name and released by Atari for the Atari 2600 video game system in 1982. ... Certain games have received negative publicity for various reasons, including poor gameplay, exceptionally poor graphics or music, a clichéd or stereotypical premise and storyline, a poor user interface, or an excessive number of bugs that hamper enjoyment or playability. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

References