Over the past few years, my family has been collecting our favorite movies on Blu Ray, and over the summer I managed to re-watch most of them. But E.T. stuck out as my favorite re-watch of the year. It had been several years since I'd seen the film, and for some reason now that I'm older, I appreciated it even more than I did as a child. I kept asking myself why; technologically, it's well done, even great, but not enough to truly warrant a huge discussion. The acting is impressive, and the writing is poignant and nostalgic. The direction is great even for Steven Spielberg, but normally I would not consider this to be my favorite film of his.
So why is this film so good? Why does it keep ranking among the all-time bests? In fact, a few years ago, ABC released a documentary of fan picks for the best films ever; E.T. ranked at #5, bested only by classics like The Godfather and Gone with the Wind.
But then it clicked: E.T. works because, first and foremost, it is a movie.
Let me explain. No matter how much analysis one puts into a motion picture, no matter how much critics praise or pan a film, cinema is intended for the audience. Some directors, like Spielberg, just do it better than others. But E.T. is an exception even for the director of Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark. It is the family film that is ahead of all others, and is the one movie that virtually everyone, no matter what age, can agree on. However, the majesty of E.T. exists not only on the silver screen, but through the production as well.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial was a combination of Steven Spielberg's desire to follow up Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and tell a story of how divorce affects children. His family had personally gone through a divorce, and many of the elements of the film reflect his childhood experiences. Young Steven had also created an imaginary friend to make up for the absence of a father figure, eventually inspiring the friendship between main character Elliot and E.T.
The character of E.T. was designed to look stumpy, and many prosthetics and computer effects were used to generate the body and motions. When his image was first revealed, many promotion companies found him to be ugly. Mars, Incorporated thought he would ruin the image of their M&M's, so Universal instead drafted The Hershey Company to use the similar Reese's Pieces. That product received a 65% sales boost after the popularity of the picture. The line "E.T. phone home" has become very synonymous with this film and with popular culture in general.
Most of the film is shot from Elliot or E.T.'s perspective; with the exception of Elliot's mother (Dee Wallace), no adult is seen in the film until the scientists ransack Elliot's family's home (and even then, the adults are dressed in space suits- horrifying for most children). The scientists who try and save E.T. were all actors, so that their medical jargon was clearly fake and confusing, as if we were hearing it the way Elliot would.
Spielberg has an uncanny ability to capture children's emotions, and after he cast the picture, ordered a rare production schedule in which they would film the scenes chronologically. This was to ensure clairty and genuine emotion for the young actors, and during production, the kids would all receive on-the-set schooling. Production was kept relatively short, as child labor laws prevented long hours. Spielberg has repeatedly stated that this was one of his most relaxed and enjoyable films to make.
Henry Thomas nails it as Elliot. Robert MacNaughton's performance as the brother Michael remains consistently underrated; his story is almost as important and realistic as Elliot's (but perhaps I think so because I too am the oldest brother). Drew Barrymore certainly entertains as the young Gertie, and all the children's relationships with Spielberg made him believe that he was ready to become a father.
John Williams composed an Oscar-winning score, which Spielberg gave his complete blessing the first time he heard it. Williams particularly notes the difficulty of scoring the famous flight sequence, to make sure he hit the right cuts and moments. After several orchestral problems, Spielberg offered to turn off the film and let Williams flow the music naturally. This made the music sound much better, so Spielberg carefully edited the cuts in the film around the score, a very rare thing to do for directors.
Part of the enjoyment of watching E.T. comes from the genuine emotions experienced throughout the movie. E.T. and Elliot's drunk scene is hysterical, as is seeing E.T. hide amongst the stuffed animals and dressing up for Halloween. The near-fatal sickness of E.T. and his first encounter with Elliot is pretty scary even for adults, and remains nearly traumatic for children. And, of course, we feel as mentally attached to the cute alien as Elliot is, so seeing their friendship flourish is heart-wrenchingly touching.
Several critics are not prepared to accept the film at face value, and as such several theories about the picture have developed over the years. Many compare the film to Peter Pan- with a boy who longs to stay young forever, and a band of scientists/pirates who seek to control his dream. Others call it a modern-day fairy tale, and compare E.T. to the resurrection of Jesus (Spielberg always laughs at this one, for obvious reasons: he's Jewish).
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial was released in 1982, to widespread critical and commercial acclaim. First viewed in it's entirety during the Cannes Film Festival, Spielberg fondly remembers the nearly half-hour long standing ovation. It beat Star Wars as the highest-grossing movie of all time (a record it held for over a decade, until Spielberg's own Jurassic Park topped it in 1993), and has seen two re-releases since it's initial debut. Virtually every critic adored it, calling it great science fiction and great storytelling in general. AFI has ranked it on nearly every one of it's lists, and the film currently stands at #24 among their greatest films of all time.
The production, the reception, and the legacy of E.T. all prove it's worth and greatness. But are these aspects what makes E.T. magical? Yes, but then again I believe that the magic of E.T. comes from viewers experiences; we all can find a bit of ourselves in Elliot and E.T. It's a film that gets better the more we age, and it reminds us what it feels like to be a kid. No movie generates the kind of raw emotions that E.T. does. For no truer words were spoken than when E.T. puts his glowing finger on Elliot's heart, in one of cinema's most powerful scenes, and says those magical words:
"I'll...be...right...here."
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