Classic Film Friday: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

You know it has been 20+ years since I seen this one. It is the story of Elliot and his discovery of an alien. It is so 80's, but it seems to have worn the journey well. I mean you can watch this movie with your kids today and it still seems relevant.

Elliot (Henry Thomas) is a boy, coming from a broken home and he has his older brother, Michael (Robert MacNaughton)and little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) and he doesn't really fit in with anyone. Then enter "E.T." the extra terrestrial. He (I think it is a he, we don't know for sure) is visiting our planet picking up some plant samples... then some government officials appear and try to catch E.T. as he watches his spaceship and all his little E.T. buddies leave him behind.

E.T. and Elliot meet, and scare the crap out of each other, but there is a bond already and E.T. winds up in Elliot's house. The kids all know, but the adults, i.e. mom does not, and thus begins the game of "keep E.T. away from mom." E.T. learns some very basic English and tells Elliot "E.T. phone home". So E.T. has very limited 1980's electronics to work with, but he does make it work, and a signal is sent but it may be too late. As E.T. has been doing wondrous things, telekinesis, a psychic link with Elliot, bringing a plant back to life. Basically it wore E.T. down. Michael finds E.T. near death near a culvert and Elliot suffers as well, because they are linked.

Federal agents finally catch up to E.T. and quarantine the house, but it is too little too late. E.T. "dies" and they are left with pretty much nothing. We know that E.T. isn't dead, though enough tears have been shed, but anyway. It is a kid revolt as the kids enlist every kid around to meet up and get E.T. home. Ah yes, the bike scene. I know I'm talking like everybody has already seen this movie and I hope you have, if not you should right away.