Many directors have reached that important plateau in their career where they can be considered icons, some sooner than others. It would be unexpected to find Stephen Spielberg not being considered one of those and although I haven’t enjoyed every film that he’s done, there are those undeniable classics which virtually every movie buff enjoys. After his landmark film Jaws it seemed that virtually everything that Spielberg was involved in directorially had a way of generating enormous box office success. While most of his films during this era would be thought of as being more for an adult audience, it would be in 1982 when he would turn his attentions to what he thought would be more the “Disney audience” with E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Elliot (Henry Thomas) is your typical ten-year-old boy living in the suburbs of an unnamed California town with his older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton), young sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) and their mother Mary (Dee Wallace.) On one faithful night Elliot hears a sound in their backyard and investigates only to find there might be something in their shed but when they return there seems to be nothing there. Unable to let it go Elliot continues to investigate and finds a strange, alien creature. Eventually he manages to coax the alien inside and decides that he’ll take care of him. Naming the creature E.T., Elliot reveals its existence to his brother and inadvertently to his sister, both of whom he swears to secrecy. E.T. however begins to fall ill and longs to contact the rest of the aliens whom he came to Earth with. Elliot tries to help his alien friend but soon the two are both ill and government agents who have been trying to locate the creature finally close in.
Spielberg might have felt that this was more of a children’s movie but the reality is that E.T. is a modern classic which has impacted cinema just as many other films have. It’s without questions one of the top five movies that most will mention if asked to give a list of Spielberg’s work. It’s also a film which has become iconic if not simply for what is perhaps the most famous scene in the entire movie; Elliot and E.T.’s night flight over the forest, a moment which is highlighted by their silhouette passing by the moon. This is also one of the most parodied scenes in the movie. Anytime something similar is used in a movie, just about everyone knows exactly what the reference is.
There are things about E.T. that back when I saw it when I was little, I probably hadn’t noticed. One of these is that with the exception of Mary and up until the final part of the movie, we never do see any of the adults aside from either their lower bodies or a shadow. This makes E.T. a movie which is focused on the children, not the grown-up’s, and not only does this give children a better sense to identify with the characters it also would unknowingly force any adult to do the same as if the intent on some level was to connect them with their inner-child. E.T. would also change the commonly held science fiction narrative concerning visitors for another world. Instead of some slimy creature who had some to Earth with the intent to do us harm, E.T. was merely a victim of circumstance accidentally left behind. He wasn’t a menace but instead a kindly alien who was as anxious to learn about humanity as those who had taken him in regardless of his previous, negative encounter with the adult character in the movie. The friendship aspect as well as the benevolent alien approach gave way to a number of imitators all determined to be just as successful in theaters if not more, but this never happened for any of them.
E.T., for all of the fun and laughter it delivers through most of the movie, eventually takes a very morose turn in the third act, another moment or two that fans know. With Elliot and the audience having formed a bond with the alien creature the unthinkable happens when he appears to die, leaving a very hollow feeling for all concerned. This of course isn’t the case and E.T. comes back to life leading to Elliot and Michael coming up with a plan to get him back to the landing site where we have yet another depressing moment when E.T. must leave his new friends but not before asking Elliot to come with him, an offer which he tearfully declines but we’re left with knowing that in some way they will always share a connection. It’s another thing which I had never really noticed or thought of, but in that final scene E.T. and his limited English parrots something told to him by Elliot earlier in the film, “I’ll be right here,” a line he delivers by pointing to his head as if to say that if nothing else, Elliot will at least always have the memories that they shared during his short stay.
Some may recall there was quite a bit of controversy back in 2002 when E.T. was released for its 20th anniversary and in particular, it was the guns in the film being replaced with walkie talkies. I’m happy to report however that the blu-ray is back to the way it should be. As far as the transfer, like most Spielberg films I’ve watched in high definition, this is an amazing transfer although it does have a few spots which aren’t perfect. The long shot of Elliot waiting in front to the shed looks a bit too soft at times and there is a bit of visual grain which is noticeable. Some of the effects don’t hold up nearly as well as I had hoped although E.T. still looks great in most of the scenes. I believe though that overall, fans are going to be extremely happy with this version of the movie.
The 35th anniversary blu-ray actually doesn’t feature anything which hasn’t already been included on the previous release of the film. Instead, those who happen to have moved up in the HD world to 4K will discover there is in fact a limited edition version which again still offers the same extras but also includes a copy of the soundtrack and a collector’s book. As far as the extras however you will find Steven Spielberg & E.T. in an interview where Spielberg discusses the origins of the film, the reaction of the studio as well as the impact of the film. The E.T. Journals is nearly an hour of behind-the-scenes footage which hasn’t been seen until now, and it’s actually worth watching. The other extras come from the DVD. A Look Back is another documentary piece. The Evolution and Creation of E.T. is yet another documentary style piece which covers the origins of the movie. There’s also a reunion extra, features on the music, one of the many fantastic compositions by John Williams, a look at the 20th anniversary premier, and deleted scenes.
If you already picked up E.T. The Extra Terrestrial on blu-ray a few years back you won’t discover anything new with this version unless of course you absolutely feel it’s necessary to have a digital version as I’m not certain if those older vouchers will still work. This is much more a reason to release the film in 4K which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for those who have made that plunge and while I’m usually a person who jump onboard with new technology as soon as possible, I’ve held off on that side of things. The sets and players are decently priced but there’s the reality of having to once again replace some of the films that I own. There are those new to the world of blu-ray though and for them, E.T. is one of those modern classics that just about everyone loves and there’s really no sense in not owning it.
Mike is the resident reviewer for Couponing to Disney and his own site Underland Online. He has a toddler daughter and is obsessed with Haunted Mansion and all things Disney. You can read Mike’s complete bio here.