I still remember the first time I watched E.T. My family and I were on holiday and it was raining so we stayed inside to see this film. Best 2 hours of my life. This film instantly became one of my all-time favourites, not just because I was a sci-fi geek, but because I also enjoyed the story and how powerful it was. It blew me away back then and it still does now. Very few movies do that these days.
Though I wasn’t born at the time, this film makes me want to live in the 1980’s. The time when Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future had just been released and were still fresh in everyone’s minds. There is a sense of brilliance and joy in this movie that makes you wish you could be around during its release. It’s an expertly woven tale of friendship for all ages that will both make you cry and warm your heart. The classic of classics, E.T explores the childhood of Californian Elliot and an extra-terrestrial who is stranded on Earth after his spaceship leaves him behind. Afterwards tells the story of two different outcasts on a tale of discovery, friendship, joy and heartbreak.
What I think makes E.T. a powerful classic is the way it appeals to the child inside us. Not just from the 80’s but the child in everyone. Everyone has felt like an outcast or missing out on something in some way and E.T. appeals to that part of us by making a friendship between two characters that might never have met in a million years. The innovative shots mixed with John William’s fantastic score make this film even more spectacular. Steven Spielberg pulls off some legendary cinematography with this and the acting from the children is excellent. Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore are great throughout the film and each had some standout moments that glued my eyes to the screen. Shoutout to Peter Coyote as well, even though he didn’t have as much screen time as the other kids, he was a brilliant actor and his character was great too.
Though Spielberg has made some less-than amazing films in his day, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who says E.T. isn’t one of his best. With one of the greatest friendships in cinema history and one of the most iconic movie shots ever, Spielberg shows us why he is a master of cinema. This film will make you laugh, smile and weep and it will touch your heart more than any movie has done in the past. John Williams’ score was superb (as usual), the costumes were perfect much like the cast altogether make for one great film. One of the best films ever.
Overall Score: 10/10
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