E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace

A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.

Honestly, is there anyone out there who has never seen or heard of this movie? Made over four decades ago, ‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’ remains one of the most endearing and most loved feel-good alien movies ever made. To this day, the creation of E.T. is incredibly realistic and still holds so well by today’s standards. Had it been made today, ‘E.T.’ probably would have been a CGI creation.

Made in a time before CGI as we know it today, the film’s visuals are absolutely stunning. With the titular character being an actual moving prop, the actors had something real to interact with and the result is performances that are believable. The film’s protagonist is young Elliott (Henry Thomas), who discovers the little alien creature in their back yard. He befriends it, and decides to keep it as a pet.

But E.T. – being accidentally left behind by his species – desperately wants to return home. This is the story of an unlikely friendship that’s bound to tug at the heartstrings. It also allows for many hilarious moments, especially when E.T. is introduced to Elliott’s younger sister, Gertie (wonderfully portrayed by 6-year old Drew Barrymore).

The performances by the child stars are fantastic. The film is atmospheric with excellent lighting effects. The instantly recognizable score by John Williams is beautiful. Oh, and that iconic bike ride!

‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’ is an alien fantasy film young and old can enjoy, and sure to entertain audiences for generations to come. This is an all-time classic and quite frankly one of the most beautiful alien movies ever made.

‘E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial’ was a huge success, raking in $795 million on a $10.5 million budget. It received 88 award nominations, winning 52 including 4 Oscars (Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Original Score).

Would I watch it again? Oh, absolutely!