E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (also known simply as E.T.) is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, dubbed E.T., who is stranded on Earth. Along with his friends and family, Elliott must find a way to help E.T. return home while avoiding the government. The film stars Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, and Drew Barrymore.
E.T. was his most successful in terms of revenue. Spielberg’s combination of alien supernatural occurances and suburban reality created an incredibly loved film. The use of a mysterious film elements created such an interesting atmosphere of uncertainty and possibility, which when in contact with Elliott, was able to provide answers for the concerns he was dealing with. The authentic human characters and normal day to day situations made the film seem relatable, in many ways, to a large audience. As Andrew Gordon, in his article “E.T. as Fairy Tale” puts it, “For children, E.T. is a voyage of emotional discovery, for adults, a rediscovery of feeling we thought we had lost or outgrown”(Gordon, 303). With the target audience being kids, each of the three siblings could appeal to a different age children viewing the movie. With the film appealing to such a wide audience, it became the highest grossing movie of its time, beating the current records of another film that Spielberg made, Jaws; both films were made early in the modern blockbuster process that Spielberg played a huge role in. E.T. had an incredible heartwarming impact with a happy ending, and would pave the way for future science fiction films to come that would involve children and their experiences with the extraterrestrial.
The link between reality and the supernatural in this film as a means of displaying childhood conflicts and their solutions played a large role in the success of the movie. Gordon argues that E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial depicts a fairy tale environment that is suitable for all children, while the characters experience meaningful conflicts throughout the film. His argument goes along with mine, in that this film depicts childhood conflict, and because of this, it adds to the films greatness and the film is successful. Spielberg was able to create a masterpiece by combining realistic problems with a non-realistic environment; attracting people who either wanted to see a cool sci-fi film or a family friendly film, or both.
Credit : Digital Exhibits
Picture Credit : Google
