Back to the 1980s - Xtra Terrestrial

X is for  E.T. , the Xtra Terrestrial and the magic of 80s movies

For me, apart from the dance movies we already talked about, the 80s stand for films like Back to the Future, Die Hard, Indiana Jones, Fatal Attraction, Ghostbusters, Crocodile Dundee, Rain Man, or Top Gun.

Others were into Star Wars, Rocky, or Rambo.

And then there was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

In case you’ve never seen it, or don’t quite remember, here’s a quick recap:

One day, ten-year-old Elliott finds an alien in his shed. He befriends the small, wrinkled creature, names him “E.T.”, and hides him in his room. E.T. is terribly homesick, and Elliott wants to help his new friend contact his family. At the same time, he tries to keep the alien’s presence a secret from his mother, his little sister, and especially the government. In the end, E.T. is able to return home with his kind.

I didn’t know much about aliens back then, but it was comforting to “know” that if they did exist, they might be kind and gentle, just like E.T.

What stood out to me?

Elliott lures E.T. with a trail of Reese’s Pieces. Interestingly, the script originally called for M&Ms, but Mars Inc.declined. The Hershey Company stepped in instead and created one of the most iconic product placements in movie history.

When the children ask about his origins, E.T. demonstrates telekinetic abilities, levitating objects to represent his planetary system. He can also heal, reviving a dying flower and closing a cut on Elliott’s finger with a glowing touch.

As Elliott and E.T. bond, they begin to share thoughts and emotions. At one point, Elliott becomes unintentionally intoxicated at school because E.T. is at home… drinking beer and watching television.

E.T. eventually builds a makeshift device to “phone home,” using everyday household items, and even learns to speak English.

On Halloween, the children disguise E.T. as a ghost and sneak him out into the forest, where they set up the communication device.

A detail I only learned later: director Steven Spielberg drew from his own childhood. After his parents’ divorce, he imagined an alien companion, “a friend who could be the brother I never had and a father that I didn’t feel I had anymore.”

I was very young when I first saw this movie, and it made me incredibly sad that Elliott had to let his friend go.

Of course, now I understand, that’s life. Learning to let go is part of it.

Still. Sniffels.

How about you, did you enjoy E.T.?