A young boy befriends a stranded alien and tries to help
​reach his people before the government finds out about him.

​FAMILY/SCI-FI

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Written by Melissa Mathison

Starring Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore,
Robert MacNaughton, K.C. Martel, C. Thomas Howell,
Sean Frye, Peter Coyote, Pat Welsh

Oscar Wins - Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing,
Best Sound Editing, Best Original Score (John Williams)

Oscar Nominations - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

---

Connor Eyzaguirre

September 29, 2019

8/10

A lot of people consider E.T. to be Spielberg's masterpiece, and while I wouldn't go quite that far, I'll admit it is a wonderful film that brought tears to my eyes. This was my first time watching E.T., which I know is ridiculous considering how much I adore Spielberg's work. I'd just been putting it off, and now that it's done, I can't believe it took me so long. E.T. is a delightful family adventure accompanied by one of John Williams's strongest scores.

​The story is iconic at this point, and in it, young Elliott (Henry Thomas) meets a friendly alien in the woods whose been accidentally left behind by his people. He names the creature E.T. and together with his brother and sister, they try to help E.T. find a way to contact his people so they can come get him. Of course, the government is also trying to find the creature. I like how there's no clear-cut villain of the film. It's just the government, all of whom are faceless drones of the big machine. And of course, E.T.'s relationship with Elliott drives the film. The creature never seems like a prop. He always feels like a full-fledged character.

E.T. is another feather in the impressive cap of Steven Spielberg. He did this in between Indiana Jones movies and shortly after Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The man is a legend for a reason, and E.T. is one of his best. An 80's classic in every way that holds up today. This was my first watch, and it felt like I was watching something special.