A four-handkerchief science fiction fantasy? Steven Spielberg managed it 40 years ago, and audiences went for it in a big way. “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” has been touching hearts with a great big glowing finger since the film’s release on June 11, 1982. And thank God for it. In a world that very badly needs to remember what it’s like to embrace its humanity, we could use more movies, more stories, more music like it. Never mind Flaubert. “E.T.” is a crash course in sentimental education.
We’ll talk about it tomorrow night on “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner.” I confess, even though I was the one to suggest it, I am also a little reluctant to discuss it. But Roy and I certainly didn’t want the 40th anniversary of this cinematic milestone to pass unremarked. It’s the one movie where, depending on where the discussion goes, I may have to turn off my video. And maybe even the audio. If you have any baggage, “E.T.” will unpack it in a hurry.
Spielberg and screenwriter Melissa Mathison draw on everything from the Bible to “Peter Pan” to craft an emotionally honest bedtime story that taps into eternal truths about childhood, love, and parting. Remarkably uncynical, full of hope, and just downright beautiful on every level, “E.T.” is a blockbuster with heart. It’s also a remarkably vibrant time capsule of what it was it like to grow up in the 1980s.
Kudos to Carlo Rambaldi for his animatronic puppetry. Rewatching the film last night, I marveled at what they used to be able to accomplish before CGI became the default.
And John Williams has never been better. In terms of storytelling, the last 15 minutes of “E.T.” is as good as it gets at the movies. Reportedly Spielberg shut off the projector at the recording session in order to give Williams maximum flexibility in conducting the orchestra, and fine-tuned the sequence later, reediting the images, the better to allow the music to fully breathe.
This is the film that unhorsed “Star Wars” as the highest-grossing of all time and held the top slot for 15 years.
Is it Spielberg’s greatest movie? Yes. Yes, it is. I’ll argue why, on the next Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner. So bring your Reese’s Pieces to the comments section. We’ll be chasing rainbows and clapping our hands for fairies when we livestream on Facebook, this Friday evening at 7:00 EDT.
https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner
If you are one of those obstinate folk who has avoided “E.T.” all these years, and you plan to tune in for our conversation, for the love of movies, do watch it before we spoil it!
May “E.T.” live long in our hearts!
