E.T. The Extraterrestrial - 1982
December 16, 2007 - 11:07 pm - Posted by Administrator
The cycle of family-oriented, adventurous science fiction movies that began with Star Wars in 1977 hit it’s pinnacle five years later when Steven Spielberg unleashed the movie that would be the biggest family sci-fi adventure ever–E.T. The Extraterrestrial.
An obvious contrast to the space-gallantry theme of the Star Wars films and Alien, E.T. is the tale of an extraterrestrial on a visit to Earth who is mistakenly left behind. Soon he makes friends with a 10 year old boy, Elliot (Henry Thomas), and his little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore). The relationship grows between Elliot and his newfound friend as they search for a way to “phone home”. Soon, they find themselves pursued by the government.
Spielberg has a grasp of family and the humor found in mundane life at home. The portrayal of family life with Elliot, Gertie, and Mom Mary (Dee Wallace) is somehow reminiscent of Richard Dreyfus’ family in Close Encounters… it speaks to you, and somehow you yearn for it. I remember watching E.T. and being envious of Elliot and the idyllic life he led in his California cul-de-sac. For the record, if you can make your audience feel that way, it’s a difference of like, a hundred million dollars. Maybe more.
At any rate, for those of us who love big budget blockbuster science fiction movies at the box office every fourth of July, we all owe a huge ‘thank you’ to the financial success of E.T.–once the box office returns came in, the tally ensured that science fiction would never again be considered an inferior genre, unfit for full support from the studios.
Someday when I retire from writing this blog, there will be less than twenty flicks with a five star rating.
***** Five Stars
Posted in 1982, Alien Contact, Five Star Rating | No Comments »
