Author: Brandia Deatherage | Published: January 1st, 2010

    
Steven Spielberg's Second Alien Film Gave the Children's Perspective

    "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial," was made back in 1982, when science fiction films were more grounded in reality than in special effects. The movie's subject may have been out of this world, but the main human characters were so familiar, it might as well have been you and your family living out the adventure. This "children's film" gives uptight parents a reality check, in that the children in the film sometimes curse, experiment with unlicensed driving and make friends with an alien.

    Most of the story takes place within the cozy, lived-in northern California home of a single mother and her three children - which is very "80's" fem, yet still very relevant. Nine-year-old Elliot, played by Henry Thomas, discovers the extra terrestrial, which he names E.T., in a shed outside his house. Much of the film's humor comes from Elliot's surprisingly successful attempt at hiding E.T. from his mother, played by Dee Wallace. Usually the little brown alien creature with the big, soft eyes is in plain sight, either disguised as a stuffed animal in Elliot's closet, or as a ghost while trick-or-treating. There is even one occasion where a drunken E.T. is mistaken by the frazzled mom for the family dog. The working mom feigns order and control, but she is really just one the kids at heart - with her half-scolding, half-joking reprimands drowned out by the commotion of the day.

    Throughout the film, the house itself becomes a character, in that it is indispensable in the characterization of the family members that live within. Neighborhood teenagers play board gameson the same table where they have their family dinner, the same table where the eldest brother Michael, played by Robert MacNaughton, taunts Elliot about his "goblin" and Elliot responds by calling him the best insult ever: "penis breath."

    The next night, Elliot leads E.T. into his bedroom by leaving a trail of Reese's Pieces (a newly popular "80's" candy), then plays hooky from school the next day to bond with E.T. by introducing him to the things he plays with, eats, etc. (His ingenious faking-sick method is enough to add one full star to this movie's rating as it has, likely, been employed by children around the world: When Mom's not looking, hold the thermometer to a hot light and put a heating pad on your face.) So much normalcy is preserved by these scenes around the house, that when the house is invaded by scientists and covered in plastic, it's as if a character dies.



    Director Steven Spielberg chooses relatively unknown actors for his cast to go one step further to create a sense of familiarity in the audience. Only one actor, Drew -Barrymore, who plays 6-year-old Gertie, goes on to become a big star.



    The symbiotic relationship between Elliot and E.T. becomes evident near the beginning of the movie when E.T. is frightened by something in Elliot's bedroom, and Elliot, downstairs, simultaneously drops the milk. When speaking of E.T., Elliot begins to say, "We," inferring that he and the alien are becoming mutually affected by life's events.

    This article provided courtesy of our sister site: Beaufort County Now

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