23:09 - This may be the most underrated kindest moment in the movie. To know that not only was he not a villain/antagonist, but he was grateful that Elliot met E.T. first, knowing that this could potentially be the best first contact moment that could ever have between two different worlds. _"I'm glad he met you first."_
It's one of the most inspired and unforced twists in film history. The movie doesn't end up having any villains. If there's anything that could be pointed to as a source of antagonism, it's the reality of life and death. Thankfully we have movies like E.T. to help us cope with it and give us some sense of wonder and hope about something beyond our world.
Fun Fact: The movie was filmed in sequence rather than in a more traditional way to help the child actors bond with ET. Apparently it's more difficult to film that way, but was a success to get the genuine reactions from the young actors. Great review. I should watch the movie again. It's been 40 years since I watched it!
Is actually better sometimes when kids are involved because they change so often when they're growing. Case in point: Listen how much Daniel Radcliffe's voice keeps changing back and forth during the first Harry Potter movie!
You are absolutely correct and the reason why it is FAR more difficult and expensive to film that way has all to do with the cost of erecting and maintaining sets and securing locations. During the course of a story, the characters may return to a certain location multiple times. Because it takes so much time and money to erect and light that set (or secure that location), it makes logical and fiscal sense to film all the scenes related to that particular place all in one go. To film chronologically, one has repeatedly to do all the work and/or pay the cost involved to secure the location each time that place occurs in the story. The sacrifice made to film chronologically is immense, so a dedication to making that sacrifice for the sake of artistic integrity cannot be overstated.
That's a cool fact. I hadn't heard about that one. It makes sense. So you haven't seen E.T in 40 years? What are you waiting for? I must have seen it a jillion times since I first watched in theaters. I've had the VHS, DVD (plus I took my parents to see it for the 20th anniversary special edition in theaters). I also owned the bluray and today I own it on 4K bluray.
A fun fact I just learned was whenever Drew was on set they had ET "working". They never allowed her to see him as a puppet or still animatronic because they didn't want to freak her out.
I strongly feel that E.T. is one of John Williams' best scores. The bicycle chase is particularly spectacular and the final moments with Eliot before E.T. departs for home is incredibly moving and always brings tears to my eyes.
Most of the time film scores are edited and chopped up to fit the pacing of the film. One of the reasons the bike chase and farewell theme (E.T. - Adventures on Earth) works so well is because Williams scored that whole section, at approx 10 minutes long, as one piece and Spielberg edited the movie to fit the music.
@@BaronSpamedi True, but that was only after a few attempts where Williams couldn't get the timing of the conducting to match the movie perfectly. Spielberg then said to play the music by itself and he would recut the movie as needed to fit the timing.
Well, I thought this for some times until I discovered that the first scene was taken from Richard Wagner "Walkürenritt" ("Ryde of the Valkyre") - since that discovery for me John Williams was done as a composer! Sorry to write so! 😱
John Williams is too modest to say something about the quality of his own music but he is on record saying again and again, that is his favourite movie of Spielberg. To me that basically confirms that he agrees and thinks it is one if not the best score he ever did.
I love the fact that Drew Barrymore was so young here that she thought ET was real. She was very concerned when they filmed the dying part and was really crying. Throughout the filming she truly believed ET was a real being. [she was too young to try to explain differently and it may have affected her acting] Such a cute thing to know about the filming and the young star's role.
I just realized something after seeing this film for many years is the line "Why don't you think how other people feel for a change" Michael said to Elliot. Then later on Elliot and ET are feeling each others feelings and Michael says “Elliot feels his feelings.”
@Schaden Freude Your comment makes no sense. I wasn't talking about how I felt about the film I was talking about how a line from early on in the film would come back later on.
I was a 9-year-old boy when this came out. Our family fell in love. I haven't seen it in about 7-8 years. At 49, I had tears watching certain scenes with you ladies. The nostalgia factor is incredible with this movie. It is one movie that the term movie magic is heavily applied. I feel like younger generations have been robbed of some great magical moments with modern special effects and lack of imagination in storytelling. I am so happy you both enjoyed it!
Too much time making spectacles and too little time making good stories. That’s why many older films have so much more depth to them, they were all story.
I was 12 when I saw this at the theater during the holiday season in 1982. My sisters were in the high school choir and were singing at a local mall. My mom had me go see this at the theater next to the mall to kill some time. I remember, after the movie, bawling my eyes out as I was walking through the parking lot back to the mall. I’m now a 51 year old man and this movie still brings tears to my eyes.
@@GeneralZodFDNY77 I was 10, my little sister as about 5... and I vividly remember he STANDING on her seat, tears streaming down her face, screaming NOOOOOO! at the top of her lungs.
I took my niece to see this movie. She was about 9 at the time. As we were leaving she told me, "I cried three times. Once when he died, once when he came back to life, and when he left." I told her you and everyone else in the theater, honey, including me.
I’m surprised they didn’t cry at all watching this.. I’ve been watching all her reaction videos and can’t recall her crying over any movies maybe 12 years a slave was the only one
When my mom took me to see this in the theaters (I was 9), near the end where the doctor calls the time of death, everyone was quietly trying to hold back their tears and sobs except one little boy who broke the silence with "Don't cry mommy, E.T.'s not dead"... the whole theater erupted in laughter. We needed that!
I took my 3 kids to see Monster House (an obscure animated film that advertised as being for kids, and it really was a cutesy comedy, just had some toned down horror elements) and similar thing -- during a suspenseful scene my son and eldest were scared, but then my (at the time) 7-yr old announced to the whole theater "C'mon, you know they won't die! They're the main characters!" The whole place busted out laughing and no one in the place seemed at all scared for the rest of the movie.
We went see Mary Poppins as kids... my brother yelled as Mary floats down with her umbrella 🌂, "Mommy, Look it's Superman's Mommy!" The theater erupted with adult laugher.
The deal about the Reese‘s pieces is that in the scene where Elliot puts a trail of candy on the floor to get ET to come out hiding, they were going to use M&Ms, but they would not allow the movie to use them. They refused. So Spielberg used Reese’s pieces instead.
The book that was released with the movie mentions M&Ms. I didn’t grow up with Reese’s so I’ve always been confused about why there is a connection to Reese’s Pieces. This finally explains it.
No M & M's but "blatant" product placement for Star Wars action figures? Then again Spielberg and Lucas have some unspoken agreement (or just do so for the sake of doing so), and often reference each others movies in their own. So E.T. features Elliot's toys - Star Wars action figures, and Star Wars (Phantom Menace) has E.T.'s in the Senate chamber.
This is the first movie that I ever saw in theaters. I went and saw it with my mom way back in the 1980's. My mom loved this movie! She passed away a few years ago, but each time I watch it...I feel like I get to hang out with her for a few hours. At the end when E.T says, "I'll be right here..and points to Elliott's head, " I feel like I truly get what was implied...My mom will always live inside my mind and memories." E.T has to be the greatest film of all time!
My Mom loved this movie as well and took me and my brother a second time even though it was more for her. She bawled through the second half of the movie. I didn’t then, but I sure did when I watched it for a he first time in about 20 years a few nights ago. I’m not sure if I can sit through it again anytime soon as it brought back so many memories of losing my Mom 5 years ago.
@@stever7157 Same here. It’s crazy how different you see movies as an adult. My mom was my hero and I swear when I watched E.T a couple of years ago…when E.T raises his finger and brings it to Elliotts head and says, “I’ll be right here,” that was exactly how I felt when my mom passed. She now lives in my mind. What a profound movie E.T is!
@@nebularain3338 Still alive. But he hasn't really done anything of note since probably "War Horse" back in 2011. And the last really genius work he did was "Saving Private Ryan" all the way back in 1998. He's been almost exclusively an executive producer on everything in the last thirty years. He seems to be pretty much tapped out of ideas at this point. But that's kind of to be expected. He created masterpiece after masterpiece and blew people's minds with every new film for around twenty five years.
@@goORIOLES236 That's an almost verbatim film adaptation of a broadway musical that's been being constantly performed since 1957. He did a fine job of making a movie with it, but it can hardly be considered a product of his genius.
Drew Barrymore as Gertie really elevated this movie, despite her tender age. She was so upset at seeing poor ET hooked up to those machines like that, possibly dying.💔
I was right. Dee Wallace (the mom) says "[director Spielberg] had two guys on E.T. at all times, so that any time [Drew B.] went over to talk to him, his eyes could work and his head could go up and down and he could respond to [her]".
The scene where the mom is reading Peter Pan is one of my favorites because it really highlights the brilliant writing. ET is Tinkerbell. He dies to save Elliot just as Tinkerbell drinks the poison to save Peter. Later, Elliot saves ET by saying he believes he is real, which is how Peter saves Tinkerbell. Some major themes in the film is the magic of childhood, the loss of that with age, and then reconnecting with it in adulthood. The scientist who searches for ET is the adult trying to reconnect with his inner child and Elliot's brother is the adolescent that is forgetting his childhood as he becomes an adult.
One of Spielberg’s most heartwarming films, and one of the finest scores John Williams has ever composed. Just listening to John’s score for this alone will make me cry. The climactic portion of the score, often entitled Adventures on Earth, John was given creative freedom to compose however he saw fit and was such a big hit with Spielberg that he edited the film to match the music rather than the other way around as is traditionally the case.
YES! John Williams is the GOAT. And seriously, try watching this movie (or Jaws, or Close Encounters, or a bunch of others) on mute. See how much LESS impact it has.
Yes, yes, YES ! IMHO it’s John’s best work - and that’s some body to choose from. Yes the effects are somewhat clunky compared to other films that came after, even with the reworking Steven did. But the score, oh the score is perfect. I’m a 50+ year old man but the whole suite from when the kids set off on the bikes NEVER fails to reduce me to tears at the final stanza. Bravo Mr Williams.
The Bike Chase scene is one of the most dramatic and exciting sequences in cinema history, but it doesn't get made without the magnificent genius of John Williams and the delightful directing of Steven Spielberg.
Growing up my Mom & I had a tradition of going to the movies the week before Christmas. Mom chose this one in '82 and I thought I was way too old (almost 17 🤣) for it. Needless to say I bawled my eyes when they said goodbye. Thank you for reviewing the Spielberg masterpiece and bringing back a very happy childhood memory. (RIP Mom 💔)
I was 12 and the movie my twin wanted to see was some Ricky Shrouder movie ( maybe with Benji the dog??). I campaigned hard and thank goodness got everyone onboard the ET train 🙂
Spielberg was having the E.T. puppet being puppeteered during breaks as well, so that the kids grew a closer bond to it. Drew Barrymore even thought the puppet was real, so she was actually crying for real during the death scene and lot of the emotional scenes.
During the 1950's there were vans that cruised residential areas, monitoring what the people were watchjng on TV. Or at least there were rumors of such. Keys ( the government guy ) is a call out to that....
@@larrystuder8543 While I can' t speak for what the government was doing: Pirate cable boxes - and non-cable boxes like the ones for ONTV (which descrambled broadcast signals) - emitted spurious television signals which could be picked up in the immediate area by specialized equipment. The cable companies sent out vans that had that equipment in their van, along with directional antennas, to locate people who were pirating cable. I know... just a random fact.
Fun fact: ET is in the star wars universe. In one of the prequel star wars movies you can see ETs species represented in the senate. The reason ET walked towards the kid dressed as Yoda is probably because he knew who Yoda was and thought he could help. ET being able to fly the kids is probably because he's force sensitive if not a full blown Jedi.
@@Eagles4life221 Basically, since George Lucas and Spielberg are friends, they have characters from movies made by both of them make cameos in each other's movies. One example is the Star Wars figures appearing at the start of the film (imagine the cost of buying rights to use Star Wars IP if that wasn't the case). ET following Yoda is a comedic scene that can be interpreted as such. You actually _can_ see like 3 ETs in one of the SW senate seats. I don't remember the episode, but they're definitely there.
@@johnlime1469 Very true. There's actually an R2-D2 glued on the mothership (model) in Spielberg's Close Encounters movie as an easter egg that you can see in silhouette.
This came out when I was ten and to call this movie a global phenomenon would still be understating it. I think it stayed in theaters for almost a year.
That's one of the things the modern world has robbed from us. With the endless, and mostly subpar material available all the time, nobody shares these awesome experiences anymore. I really think that plays a large role in how people have become so unattached to each other.
In case you didn't know, you've seen the actor who plays Elliott (Henry Thomas) as an adult. Two months ago, you reacted to Legends of the Fall. He played Samuel Ludlow, Tristan (Brad Pitt) and Alfred's (Aidan Quinn) younger brother.
Both me and my baby brother had our first movie theater experience watching this when it came out. I was 7, and he wasn't even a year old. I dont remember him crying once. I do remember the look on his little face though. He was absolutely enthralled. Priceless memory. This movie holds a special place in my heart.
Saw it in theatre with my mom and my brother. At the scene where ET dies, my brother was bawling so hard in the theatre that my mom was actually embarrassed.
I was 12 when I saw this and my parents were going through a divorce at the time. I really felt alone but upon seeing Elliot going through this helped me cope. What an awesome movie and so glad you and your sister enjoyed it!!
@@dlweiss And she wasn't acting, she really did break character and start laughing when he said it, because that one wasn't scripted, so she wasn't sure what to expect.
Melissa Mathison never gets enough credit for having wrote this. Yes Spielberg brought the movie magic but the reason it leaves you with tears in your eyes is down to Mel.
I’m 39 years old and this is my all-time favorite movie. As a kid, it was a dream it wish come true. As a teen, it helped me deal with my parents divorce. As an adult, it’s kept me grounded and taught me to cherish my relationships. Now as a new father, it has me longing for the day I can show it to my baby girl.
The guys in the space suits that came to get E.T. Always scared me as a kid…I would run into the kitchen with my Nana and Mom there and they always knew what part in the movie it was at! Throwback!
This movie is so very special to me, I watched it so many times as a kid and hearing that beautiful score and seeing that ending will never not make me cry.
I guess I was about 8 when this came out. Was at the theater with my friend and her family. I bawled like a baby. My friend’s aunt had to pull me into a hug for comfort after it was over. I think it was the first movie to really bring me to tears like that. Of course, it still does.
Yeah, same here. I think I was 6 or 7 when I saw this in the cinema, my first time ever being in a cinema, and I'm pretty sure I nearly drowned everyone I cried so much 😭😭😭
Was flying high over our local cliffs over the Pacific ocean when William's "Flying Theme" from ET hit, in my headphones on random play. It was a powerful moment, because you know how those kids felt when their bikes took off. Truly a modern classic!
Always loved this movie because it was my mother's favorite movie before she passed away in 1985,, I remember ET was either still in theaters or just came out of theaters but I was only six years old when my mom passed and I remember she had all the stuffed animals of e.t. that she can find,!!
Fun fact. E.T recognises the Yoda costume and his species are members of the senate in the Star Wars prequels. And since he has powers in this movie it has given rise to the theory that E.T. was a Jedi, or at least was gifted in the force.
The fact that a kid is wearing a yoda costume on Halloween means the star wars movies exist in the ET universe, how do humans in the 80s know what an Alien from a galaxy far far away a long time ago looked like? It was just intended as fun little nod and geeks run away with it despite it not making any sense
“This is reality, Greig” is my favourite line from all the films I have ever seen. It never fails to make me laugh. Thank you for including it. Also, best ending to a movie, ever. My childhood ❤.
Saw it in the theater when it came out. I was 4 years old. At the end of the movie the entire sold out crowd stood up and gave a standing ovation. One of my earliest memories, and it'll always be with me.
Omg ... the ultimate bawl your eyes out ending ... lol = the moment, the music, the words, you feel like ET, with your heart literally leaping out of your chest. Timeless story. Works every time 😭💔
Same! I cried the entire way to the car after this movie (age 7) even though ET had been saved. I was totally emotionally devastated by his near death and still tense up when they find him all pale in the ditch :(
I was 20 when this came out and remember waiting in line 4 hours to see this movie. No multiplexes then. So you waited for one group to go in and then come out until it was your turn. All ages were touched by this movie.
Very few directors have ever been able to do the dynamic between family and friends quite as realistically as Spielberg. The banter, the joking and teasing instantly switching to being there for one another in a crisis. No one ever expects to end the movie sobbing over ET leaving, but we all do. A lot of that is the very real chemistry the kids have together and with the puppet. Drew Barrymore was insanely adorable as a kid. A good one to check out that is sort of an homage to the Spielberg kid family/friends style films like Goonies and ET is Super 8.
Such a moving film about childhood innocence, friendship and life overcoming death. I will never forget the first time that I saw it in the theater in the summer of 1982. As a 16 year old, I didn’t want my mom and 10 year old sister to see me cry. It didn’t matter. Everyone in the theater was sobbing. Few movies have affected me like ET. This is one of Spielberg’s finest.
I commented on another reaction vid to this movie that it was such a phenomenon when it was released, and the entire theater - adults, kids, didn't matter - were sobbing when it looks like ET's dead.
this was only supposed to be a side light between important films, but the script was so good, and the kids' acting was so good that it became a classic.
Yes, 'Gertie' is Drew Barrymore. She was about 6 or 7 at the time. The child actor who plays Elliott - Henry Thomas, was Samuel in Legends of the Fall.
Fun Fact: ET’s species can be seen in the Galactic Senate in Star Wars episode 1, put there by George Lucas in honor of Spielberg, and the name of the species is Spielberg written backwards 😂
I just turned 30 a couple weeks ago but haven't seen this film since I was 20 or so, and watching this reaction ALONE managed to make me weep like a damn baby. Spielberg crafted one of the most heartwarming and beautiful films on American cinema with this.
My wife and I went to see this in 82 and there was an old lady sitting next to us, who bawled her eyes out in the sad parts. There were a lot of adults there with their kids and I saw more than a few tears on grown up faces. Including ours.
At the end of the movie when spaceship door closes, the music swells and then there's an abrupt silence... and in that moment, in the theater, you could hear all the people around you sobbing.
Some interesting facts about the production of ET. Spielberg filmed it in chronological order. This allowed for the cast to build a greater emotional attachment to ET. Notice how nearly all the adults are seen from the waist down? This is to give it a child’s perspective. ET was a combination of a person who was born with no legs, who walked on their hands & an animatronic puppet. ET was designed by Carlos Rambaldi; the man behind the aliens in Close Encounters of the Third Kind & who helped with the animatronics of the Alien in Ridley Scotts film of the same name. The girl Elliot kisses went on to star in Baywatch during the 1990s. Spielberg was actually directing ET & Poltergeist at the same time. However, due to rules in Hollywood at the time, directors couldn’t have two films in production simultaneously; hence why Tobe Hooper is credited as the director on Poltergeist. The cast of Poltergeist have since confirmed that Hooper directed very little of Poltergeist & as was rumoured for a very long time, but not confirmed, it was in fact Spielberg behind the camera. After the London premier, Princess Diana had to go fix her make up as she’d been crying so much. You have to watch the Xinfity Christmas commercial from a few years ago!!! It hit anyone who’s a fan of ET so hard!!! Oh & the Caterpillar climbing frame, is still in the playground….albeit a different colour.
@@shauntrek hopping in 😂 I see what you did there!! If I’m not mistaken he’s not the class teacher, but the head teacher drunk Elliot is taken to see in a deleted scene?
Erika Eleniak did indeed go on to star in "Baywatch" as well as playing Ellie Mae Clampett in theatrical movie "The Beverly Hillbillies", as well as "Under Siege". But before any of that she was Playboy's Playmate of the month for July, 1989. Also the science teacher was played by Richard Swingler, watch again Shaun Andrews, that was NOT Harrison Ford's voice. Ford played the principal on the other end of the phone conversation with Elliot's mom. Ford's scenes were cut from the original version but if I remember right they were edited in for the crappy re-issue with all the awful CGI. As far as I am concerned, there is only ONE watchable cut of this movie, and it's the original theatrical cut which the sisters watched here.
E.T is such a special film you've really got to experience it as a kid to feel how emotionally powerful it can be. Watching it again as an adult you see it through different eyes, the experience is different but no less powerful. I first watched E.T when i was a kid maybe 5 or 6 years old back in the 80's, i never cried so much when E.T died, and so joyous when i knew he was alive. A beautiful timeless tale for the ages.
As a 5 year old, a terrifying yet irresistible concoction. As a 44 year old, a terrifying yet beautiful movie about childhood's end. A truly special piece of work, combined with one of the greatest scores of all time. What more could you want?
No matter how many times I have seen this film over the years it always gets me choked up at the end. A wonderful film that never fails to deliver. I was just a little kid, but I will never forget seeing it in the Theater with my Dad back in 82 when it was first released. We were both amazed. Even though he has since passed on for a good while now, those are Magical memories I will never EVER forget. So vivid they are to me still. One of the last great decades for films. They just don't make em like this anymore.
Seen this at the drive in theater. What a memory. My aunt and uncle took me and my cousin to see it. I was 9 yrs old and we had popcorn and ordered a frozen pizza from the concession stand. It was all a big treat for us back then.
When I saw this at the theater in ‘82, I was a wreck at the end of this awesomely lovely movie….even at 48 years old, I’m still a man that weeps like a child when ET says “I’ll be right here…” still the sweetest movie moment EVER 😰💔😰💔😰
Back when everything Spielberg touched turned to gold. Can’t deny the magic of John Williams either, his score does a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of the emotional impact
Saw it in IMAX this past weekend. The things you notice on the big screen you take for granted so many years before - it was like seeing it for the first time. Let’s get this out the way - Henry Thomas’ performance was the best of his generation - probably one of the best ever. How he never got an Oscar for it will remain one of life’s greatest mysteries. But let’s don’t sleep on MacNaughton - that age where you’re holding on to childhood, while stepping up in the face of his parents’ divorce. [I don’t think I’ve felt more seen than when he was on the bus, stoic while everyone else goes wild]. I never realized until when I saw it in the theater just how transformative his performance was, especially after they call TOD on ET how Michael was just as shattered as Elliot was. Also, Drew Barrymore. Period. End of sentence.
First movie I ever cried at. My parents took me when I was 7 years old. When ET "died" I bawled in the theatre and yelled "Don't die ET!", my mom had to console me in the seat next to her. One of my fondest memories was seeing this picture.
I saw this incredible movie twice at the age of 10 in the cinemas in 1982, first together with my dad, 2nd time with my mom. It was probably the greatest movie experience of my life. Greetings from the Netherlands
I was obsessed with this movie as a kid. Obsessed. Posters. Clothing. My glasses even had ET etched on the side. The end of this still gets me every time.
I love how lucas added E.T.s race into Star Wars (they can be seen in episode I: the phantom menace as one of the alien races that's part of the senate) which makes it seem that E.T. was reaching for the kid in the yoda costume because he recognized Yoda/Yodas people
Well, there *is* an EU story that is supposed to explain "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away"... long story short; Earth is an accidental lost colony established by a pathfinder ship in the early Republic era that got dropped through an anomaly (Farscape style). This goes together to mean that, not only are the E.T.s a member species of the Republic, but they're also *intergalactic* and quite possibly time travellers as well.
Your film viewing experience would not be complete without E.T. in the history somewhere...I'm glad you got to watch this one. When I saw it in 82 at the age of 12, it was my first real emotional response to a film (besides Charlotte's Web), and I left the theater at West Edmonton Mall, completely wrung out lol.
There was a special edition of this movie, with updated effects, added scenes (E.T. takes a bath), and the authorities guns were digitally replaced with… walkie-talkies. Spielberg has since regretted making the special edition and shelved it for the original version.
Mildly related story: So one of my first jobs was at a Blockbuster, and I was working there when they started releasing "Special Editions" of any relatively 'classic' movie older than ten years with some kind of fan or cult following. One of the ones we got at my store was called "Gator Bait: Special Edition", which is some sleazy 70s exploitation / revenge flick that apparently had some kind of cult following or fanbase. The back of the box had a blurb that read something like "... This newly re-edited Special Edition of the film contains newly restored footage never before seen, including the fully restored prison rape scene!" When we got it, I fucking died laughing about how that was a big enough feature to put on the back as some kind of especially great addition to the movie. After that point, any time someone brought up a Special Edition version of ANY movie, I would always say something like "Oh man! Have you seen the special edition before!? NO? You're gonna love it! It's got the fully restored prison rape scene!" I got yelled at so much, but it just never got old. I miss working at a video store. I had my own shelf of recommendations that was always full of weird-o shit, and I would keep making my own unsanctioned "special" shelves with my own little hand-drawn sign that I'd hide off in a corner people didn't walk through much that was for movies that would have a specific theme, like "Best Bar Fights" or "Good movies with bad titles" and stuff like that. For some reason I liked to come up with themes that let me put Gleaming The Cube on there...
I saw it in the theater when I was 10! There, I just gave my age away. My friends made fun of me for crying. Little did they know that 40 years later, I'm watching this reaction and *still* crying! Thanks so much to both of you. So nostalgic for me.
Thank you for watching and reacting. Not sure if anyone commented on the goodbye "ouch" moment: to me that was the emotional pinnacle when ET does this gesture/salute for their relationship, and Eliot immediately understands its meaning and mirrors/salutes back to ET. There's a brief moment of consideration, which I interpret that ET decides to take the final step to establish a permanent telepathic bond to partially allay Elliot's grief of their separation. Still chokes me up (age 59)
So lovely!!! I'm 47 years old now (same age of Drew Barrymore). This was my first movie on cinema... I was only 7!!! The first time we never forget!!! Hugs from Brazil!
This movie will always have a special place in my heart is was a movie I seen with my aunt who raised me in the theater. In fact only certain movies I've seen in the theaters more than once this was one. My aunt passed a few years ago, so the movie means more to me now. RIP aunt, I miss you.
15:30 . . . Totally different world. My brother and I were latchkey kids. I was two years younger but was the one trusted with the house key, on a shoelace around my neck. We were only home alone for an hour and a half, maybe two hours before my mom got home from work, but I cherished that freedom. It was awesome.
That musical buildup as the mom and feds are running to the ambulance in the park, cutting to the five of them pedaling is just so frickin goosebumps every time.
I just counted and this is the 21st film (so far) that Popcorn In Bed has reacted to that the music was done by the great John Williams! And the score to E.T. is one of his very best. The last 15 minutes of this film are so amazing! The music is a BIG reason why. The ending to E.T. and the music Williams did for it is a very strong highlight in both of the careers of Williams and Steven Spielberg. The ending of E.T. may just be the best and strongest example of their over 50 year collaboration. They truly created movie magic with this film and the ending especially. It's also extremely impactful, heartwarming, incredible, and moving. It gets me every time. It's is the kind of stuff that cements my almost lifelong belief that movies can truly be a magical thing. And John Williams is a big reason why I believe that.
Oh my God I love this movie! Drew Barrymore is my age and I loved watching this movie cause it takes me back to my child hood. You guys make me want to watch it again
When ET is walking around, it's someone in a suit. When he moves his head and extends his neck etc, it's an animatronic. And most of his hand movements were done by a mime in gloves.
I've been watching Steven Spielberg's movies since I was little, for the longest time he was my favorite director. But I hadn't seen E.T. in probably 10+ years, and about 6 months ago i got a bluray copy and watched it again and couldn't believe how perfect of a movie it really is. It's so touching and funny, sad but heartwarming. And say what you want but I'll take practical and prosthetic special effects over modern cgi any day of the week. I'm glad you both enjoyed it. This was a magical era of filmmaking.
There was a holiday commercial a few years back, where they got Henry Thomas to reprise his role as Elliot. Of course, grown up with a wife and children. ET comes back to visit him for the holidays. There is also video of Henry Thomas' audition for this film. I believe both the commercial and the audition can be found on TH-cam. I highly recommend watching both.
If you look closely during the Xfinity commercial, you’ll actually see the photo Elliot’s mum took on Halloween on the refrigerator door!! Also, there’s a shooting star; a nod to virtually all Spielberg’s films, as a shooting star appears in everything from Jaws, to Temple of Doom. Another cool little Easter Egg is the toys working by themselves, which is a call back to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, when the little boys toys go crazy. They also included the original bike, along with Gertie’s cup. Spielberg was so enthusiastic about the project, that he actually signed off on the commercial, as it honoured the original film.
This was the first movie I went to without any parent. It was just myself and my friends and we were 12. My growing interest for space and sci-fi was really getting a boost by this movie and that hasn't stopped since. Thanks for this happy little moment. 😊
I will never not love this movie. Was watching it once and when the ending scene happened I mentioned to my son that "this movie xx years old and I still get chills." My son said, "Why, because it makes you feel old?" I said, "No, because it makes me feel young." E.T. is a timeless classic and deserves all the praise.
You said it my dear...and I WAS that 12 year old watching this in the theaters. :) It was a wonderful memory for us of that generation and a massive cultural phenomena.
It's funny that Carly said "may the force be with you". E.T. makes a cameo in Star Wars episode 2 during the Senate scene. You can see three E.T.s in the lower right hand corner of the shot. Also since E.T. can move things with his mind and he recognizes the kid dressed as Yoda, he might be a Jedi.
Just my theory, not trying to argue or be confrontational or whatever, but I feel like E.T.'s race is definitely very connected to The Force, but not Jedi, because he never fought or showed Jedi/combative tendencies. The dog scared him awfully badly when he could have used a "force push" to push it back into the hall and shut the door. He instead fell backwards. Again, just my thought about whether he was a Jedi or not.
So in the full movie of E.T., when they are trick or treating, E.T. runs up to a kid dressed as Yoda and tries to communicate. Then when the senate scene happened it made a full circle, like E.T. knew Yoda or some of his species. I thought that was a cool 20 year old reference. As most know, Spielberg and Lucas have been friends for a very long time, so this movie and Star Wars take place in the same universe. Just a fun comment.
Sorry but it's impossible for them to be in the same universe. In the E.T. universe, Star Wars is just a movie. It's just a wink-wink reference for US, it's NOT lore. How the hell does the fictional Lucas here know that there are Yodas and Jedis eons ago? It's literally impossible. I'm sick to death of this stupid theory.
Because it's all made-up stories? Documentaries exist, you know. You might like watching those, a lot of them are really interesting and in plenty of cases they're not fictional. Just a thought.
“Drew Barrymore was a child actor?” Oh yes, people of a certain age remember that very well. She was the youngest person ever to host Saturday Night Live and had around 25 credits by the time she turned 18. It was kind of a shock when she showed us she could be sexy. Look up her close connection to Hollywood royalty. There’s a reason she could act in movies at 7.
"I'll be right here." Even in the throes of adulthood, that ending never fails to make me bawl like a baby! 😭💔
I know right, 52 and it still gets me
Same here.
54 - agree wholeheartedly
52 and me too!
48 but it was allergies!
23:09 - This may be the most underrated kindest moment in the movie. To know that not only was he not a villain/antagonist, but he was grateful that Elliot met E.T. first, knowing that this could potentially be the best first contact moment that could ever have between two different worlds.
_"I'm glad he met you first."_
It's one of the most inspired and unforced twists in film history. The movie doesn't end up having any villains. If there's anything that could be pointed to as a source of antagonism, it's the reality of life and death. Thankfully we have movies like E.T. to help us cope with it and give us some sense of wonder and hope about something beyond our world.
@@ThePoorBoyFear of the unknown or different?
Fun Fact: The movie was filmed in sequence rather than in a more traditional way to help the child actors bond with ET. Apparently it's more difficult to film that way, but was a success to get the genuine reactions from the young actors. Great review. I should watch the movie again. It's been 40 years since I watched it!
Is actually better sometimes when kids are involved because they change so often when they're growing. Case in point: Listen how much Daniel Radcliffe's voice keeps changing back and forth during the first Harry Potter movie!
You are absolutely correct and the reason why it is FAR more difficult and expensive to film that way has all to do with the cost of erecting and maintaining sets and securing locations.
During the course of a story, the characters may return to a certain location multiple times. Because it takes so much time and money to erect and light that set (or secure that location), it makes logical and fiscal sense to film all the scenes related to that particular place all in one go. To film chronologically, one has repeatedly to do all the work and/or pay the cost involved to secure the location each time that place occurs in the story. The sacrifice made to film chronologically is immense, so a dedication to making that sacrifice for the sake of artistic integrity cannot be overstated.
That's a cool fact. I hadn't heard about that one. It makes sense. So you haven't seen E.T in 40 years? What are you waiting for? I must have seen it a jillion times since I first watched in theaters. I've had the VHS, DVD (plus I took my parents to see it for the 20th anniversary special edition in theaters). I also owned the bluray and today I own it on 4K bluray.
A fun fact I just learned was whenever Drew was on set they had ET "working". They never allowed her to see him as a puppet or still animatronic because they didn't want to freak her out.
@@PlumbPitiful never noticed that, gonna have to rewatch it now
I strongly feel that E.T. is one of John Williams' best scores. The bicycle chase is particularly spectacular and the final moments with Eliot before E.T. departs for home is incredibly moving and always brings tears to my eyes.
Most of the time film scores are edited and chopped up to fit the pacing of the film.
One of the reasons the bike chase and farewell theme (E.T. - Adventures on Earth) works so well is because Williams scored that whole section, at approx 10 minutes long, as one piece and Spielberg edited the movie to fit the music.
@@BaronSpamedi True, but that was only after a few attempts where Williams couldn't get the timing of the conducting to match the movie perfectly. Spielberg then said to play the music by itself and he would recut the movie as needed to fit the timing.
Between this and Superman for me, but the finale of this movie is the greatest piece of score that he ever created.
Well, I thought this for some times until I discovered that the first scene was taken from Richard Wagner "Walkürenritt" ("Ryde of the Valkyre") - since that discovery for me John Williams was done as a composer! Sorry to write so! 😱
John Williams is too modest to say something about the quality of his own music but he is on record saying again and again, that is his favourite movie of Spielberg.
To me that basically confirms that he agrees and thinks it is one if not the best score he ever did.
I love the fact that Drew Barrymore was so young here that she thought ET was real. She was very concerned when they filmed the dying part and was really crying. Throughout the filming she truly believed ET was a real being. [she was too young to try to explain differently and it may have affected her acting] Such a cute thing to know about the filming and the young star's role.
Yeah, no.
@@BenjWarrant No, yeah.
And 6 years later she was an alcoholic.
And she's done so many drugs she believes he's real again.
I just realized something after seeing this film for many years is the line "Why don't you think how other people feel for a change" Michael said to Elliot. Then later on Elliot and ET are feeling each others feelings and Michael says “Elliot feels his feelings.”
@Schaden Freude Your comment makes no sense.
I wasn't talking about how I felt about the film I was talking about how a line from early on in the film would come back later on.
@Schaden Freude Well thank you for the apology and explanation.
It could be a foreshadow. Some movies do that and many viewers pick up on it, others dont. I am the latter
@@johnkennethwiseman5460 I know what foreshadowing is.
I was a 9-year-old boy when this came out. Our family fell in love. I haven't seen it in about 7-8 years. At 49, I had tears watching certain scenes with you ladies. The nostalgia factor is incredible with this movie. It is one movie that the term movie magic is heavily applied. I feel like younger generations have been robbed of some great magical moments with modern special effects and lack of imagination in storytelling. I am so happy you both enjoyed it!
Absolutely, the lack of imagination is missing. 38 myself. Rock The F ON! LOL!
Too true.
Too much time making spectacles and too little time making good stories. That’s why many older films have so much more depth to them, they were all story.
I was 12 when I saw this at the theater during the holiday season in 1982. My sisters were in the high school choir and were singing at a local mall. My mom had me go see this at the theater next to the mall to kill some time. I remember, after the movie, bawling my eyes out as I was walking through the parking lot back to the mall. I’m now a 51 year old man and this movie still brings tears to my eyes.
I saw this in the theater on opening night with a packed house. The audible sounds of crying were deafening. A true Spielberg classic.
Same.
@@GeneralZodFDNY77 I was 10, my little sister as about 5... and I vividly remember he STANDING on her seat, tears streaming down her face, screaming NOOOOOO! at the top of her lungs.
I remember having to wait in a drive-in line up for over two hours to see this movie.
It was SO worth it!
I took my niece to see this movie. She was about 9 at the time. As we were leaving she told me, "I cried three times. Once when he died, once when he came back to life, and when he left." I told her you and everyone else in the theater, honey, including me.
I’m surprised they didn’t cry at all watching this.. I’ve been watching all her reaction videos and can’t recall her crying over any movies maybe 12 years a slave was the only one
When my mom took me to see this in the theaters (I was 9), near the end where the doctor calls the time of death, everyone was quietly trying to hold back their tears and sobs except one little boy who broke the silence with "Don't cry mommy, E.T.'s not dead"... the whole theater erupted in laughter. We needed that!
I took my 3 kids to see Monster House (an obscure animated film that advertised as being for kids, and it really was a cutesy comedy, just had some toned down horror elements) and similar thing -- during a suspenseful scene my son and eldest were scared, but then my (at the time) 7-yr old announced to the whole theater "C'mon, you know they won't die! They're the main characters!" The whole place busted out laughing and no one in the place seemed at all scared for the rest of the movie.
We went see Mary Poppins as kids... my brother yelled as Mary floats down with her umbrella 🌂, "Mommy, Look it's Superman's Mommy!" The theater erupted with adult laugher.
Children have a way with words!
@Schaden Freude what is your problem?
The deal about the Reese‘s pieces is that in the scene where Elliot puts a trail of candy on the floor to get ET to come out hiding, they were going to use M&Ms, but they would not allow the movie to use them. They refused. So Spielberg used Reese’s pieces instead.
The book that was released with the movie mentions M&Ms. I didn’t grow up with Reese’s so I’ve always been confused about why there is a connection to Reese’s Pieces. This finally explains it.
I heard the Mars Bars executive who turned down the offer was fired because he basically gave rise to the competition.
No M & M's but "blatant" product placement for Star Wars action figures? Then again Spielberg and Lucas have some unspoken agreement (or just do so for the sake of doing so), and often reference each others movies in their own. So E.T. features Elliot's toys - Star Wars action figures, and Star Wars (Phantom Menace) has E.T.'s in the Senate chamber.
..and Reese's (Hershey) made millions because of it!! One of the finest examples of movie product placement ever done.
@@mrichmon this movie made Reese's Pieces super huge too
they weren't popular before
This is the first movie that I ever saw in theaters. I went and saw it with my mom way back in the 1980's. My mom loved this movie! She passed away a few years ago, but each time I watch it...I feel like I get to hang out with her for a few hours. At the end when E.T says, "I'll be right here..and points to Elliott's head, " I feel like I truly get what was implied...My mom will always live inside my mind and memories." E.T has to be the greatest film of all time!
My Mom loved this movie as well and took me and my brother a second time even though it was more for her. She bawled through the second half of the movie. I didn’t then, but I sure did when I watched it for a he first time in about 20 years a few nights ago. I’m not sure if I can sit through it again anytime soon as it brought back so many memories of losing my Mom 5 years ago.
@@stever7157 Same here. It’s crazy how different you see movies as an adult. My mom was my hero and I swear when I watched E.T a couple of years ago…when E.T raises his finger and brings it to Elliotts head and says, “I’ll be right here,” that was exactly how I felt when my mom passed. She now lives in my mind.
What a profound movie E.T is!
Steven Spielberg was a one-of-a-kind genius. You need to see Close Encounters of the Third Kind that he did in 1977. You won’t be disappointed!
"is" not "was". He's still alive.
@@nebularain3338
Still alive. But he hasn't really done anything of note since probably "War Horse" back in 2011. And the last really genius work he did was "Saving Private Ryan" all the way back in 1998. He's been almost exclusively an executive producer on everything in the last thirty years.
He seems to be pretty much tapped out of ideas at this point. But that's kind of to be expected. He created masterpiece after masterpiece and blew people's minds with every new film for around twenty five years.
@@nebularain3338 yes I know he is. I was just referring to that time period. thanks😊
@@Rowgue51 So we’re just going to pretend West Side Story didn’t happen, then?
@@goORIOLES236
That's an almost verbatim film adaptation of a broadway musical that's been being constantly performed since 1957. He did a fine job of making a movie with it, but it can hardly be considered a product of his genius.
Drew Barrymore as Gertie really elevated this movie, despite her tender age. She was so upset at seeing poor ET hooked up to those machines like that, possibly dying.💔
I honestly don't know if Drew has ever been better than she is here.
Was on the news back then, she really became very attached to E.T.
I think I heard that at that time Drew Barrymore believed that ET was a real alien. They made/let her think that. That's why she 'acts' so good.
Alligators in the sewers.
I was right. Dee Wallace (the mom) says "[director Spielberg] had two guys on E.T. at all times, so that any time [Drew B.] went over to talk to him, his eyes could work and his head could go up and down and he could respond to [her]".
The scene where the mom is reading Peter Pan is one of my favorites because it really highlights the brilliant writing.
ET is Tinkerbell. He dies to save Elliot just as Tinkerbell drinks the poison to save Peter. Later, Elliot saves ET by saying he believes he is real, which is how Peter saves Tinkerbell.
Some major themes in the film is the magic of childhood, the loss of that with age, and then reconnecting with it in adulthood. The scientist who searches for ET is the adult trying to reconnect with his inner child and Elliot's brother is the adolescent that is forgetting his childhood as he becomes an adult.
Spielberg does that with the Blue Fairy in AI. He can still connect with his childhood self...think that's a big part of why he's been so successful.
Spielberg also revisited Peter Pan in Hook (1991).
45 year old man here, not afraid to admit that this film still gets me to this day no matter how many times I watch it 😭😭
One of Spielberg’s most heartwarming films, and one of the finest scores John Williams has ever composed. Just listening to John’s score for this alone will make me cry. The climactic portion of the score, often entitled Adventures on Earth, John was given creative freedom to compose however he saw fit and was such a big hit with Spielberg that he edited the film to match the music rather than the other way around as is traditionally the case.
Totally agree
Well said! Loved this movie as a kid and as an adult I find even more to love about it.
John Williams never misses. Even if the movie is crap, the score is still perfect.
YES! John Williams is the GOAT. And seriously, try watching this movie (or Jaws, or Close Encounters, or a bunch of others) on mute. See how much LESS impact it has.
Yes, yes, YES ! IMHO it’s John’s best work - and that’s some body to choose from. Yes the effects are somewhat clunky compared to other films that came after, even with the reworking Steven did. But the score, oh the score is perfect. I’m a 50+ year old man but the whole suite from when the kids set off on the bikes NEVER fails to reduce me to tears at the final stanza. Bravo Mr Williams.
"Everything terrible happens in a cornfield at night"
Wise words Cassie!
Children of the corn, Stephen King.
But wait, she just watched Field of Dreams a few months ago
I had almost forgotten how much this movie affected me when I first saw it. Old man here, 63... I cried, too.
The Bike Chase scene is one of the most dramatic and exciting sequences in cinema history, but it doesn't get made without the magnificent genius of John Williams and the delightful directing of Steven Spielberg.
Growing up my Mom & I had a tradition of going to the movies the week before Christmas. Mom chose this one in '82 and I thought I was way too old (almost 17 🤣) for it. Needless to say I bawled my eyes when they said goodbye. Thank you for reviewing the Spielberg masterpiece and bringing back a very happy childhood memory. (RIP Mom 💔)
I was 12 and the movie my twin wanted to see was some Ricky Shrouder movie ( maybe with Benji the dog??). I campaigned hard and thank goodness got everyone onboard the ET train 🙂
Spielberg was having the E.T. puppet being puppeteered during breaks as well, so that the kids grew a closer bond to it. Drew Barrymore even thought the puppet was real, so she was actually crying for real during the death scene and lot of the emotional scenes.
During the 1950's there were vans that cruised residential areas, monitoring what the people were watchjng on TV. Or at least there were rumors of such. Keys ( the government guy ) is a call out to that....
That makes a lot of sense. I was just commenting on how authentic she was here and steals every scene. Now I know why.
@@larrystuder8543
While I can' t speak for what the government was doing:
Pirate cable boxes - and non-cable boxes like the ones for ONTV (which descrambled broadcast signals) - emitted spurious television signals which could be picked up in the immediate area by specialized equipment. The cable companies sent out vans that had that equipment in their van, along with directional antennas, to locate people who were pirating cable.
I know... just a random fact.
They actually had real doctors on set and then were trying to revive him as they would a human. It made the scene more authentic.
Fun fact: ET is in the star wars universe. In one of the prequel star wars movies you can see ETs species represented in the senate. The reason ET walked towards the kid dressed as Yoda is probably because he knew who Yoda was and thought he could help. ET being able to fly the kids is probably because he's force sensitive if not a full blown Jedi.
You thought about this all by yourself didn't you 😂😂😂. None of that was thought about when this movie was made. Jesus Christ 🤦🏾♂️😂
That literally makes no sense lol. Elliot was playing with Star Wars figures
@@Eagles4life221 Basically, since George Lucas and Spielberg are friends, they have characters from movies made by both of them make cameos in each other's movies. One example is the Star Wars figures appearing at the start of the film (imagine the cost of buying rights to use Star Wars IP if that wasn't the case). ET following Yoda is a comedic scene that can be interpreted as such.
You actually _can_ see like 3 ETs in one of the SW senate seats. I don't remember the episode, but they're definitely there.
@@johnlime1469 They're in the Senate scene in "The Phantom Menace". They're called "Grebleips" ("Spielberg" spelled backwards!)
@@johnlime1469 Very true. There's actually an R2-D2 glued on the mothership (model) in Spielberg's Close Encounters movie as an easter egg that you can see in silhouette.
This came out when I was ten and to call this movie a global phenomenon would still be understating it. I think it stayed in theaters for almost a year.
That's one of the things the modern world has robbed from us. With the endless, and mostly subpar material available all the time, nobody shares these awesome experiences anymore. I really think that plays a large role in how people have become so unattached to each other.
In case you didn't know, you've seen the actor who plays Elliott (Henry Thomas) as an adult. Two months ago, you reacted to Legends of the Fall. He played Samuel Ludlow, Tristan (Brad Pitt) and Alfred's (Aidan Quinn) younger brother.
Aidan Quinn.
@@JediPeaceFrog Jeremy Davies is not Henry Thomas.
@@JediPeaceFrog No. Jeremy Davies played Upham. Henry Thomas is not in SPR
@@terrycoolidge9511 Thank you!
@@calliestephen Thank you, I knew that. I had a brain fart. lol
This is pure Spielberg movie magic at work. One of the greatest cinematic experiences I’ve ever had! 👍🏻
Spielberg and John Williams music always makes for an Instant classic.
Both me and my baby brother had our first movie theater experience watching this when it came out. I was 7, and he wasn't even a year old. I dont remember him crying once. I do remember the look on his little face though. He was absolutely enthralled. Priceless memory. This movie holds a special place in my heart.
Saw it in theatre with my mom and my brother.
At the scene where ET dies, my brother was bawling so hard in the theatre that my mom was actually embarrassed.
I was 12 when I saw this and my parents were going through a divorce at the time. I really felt alone but upon seeing Elliot going through this helped me cope. What an awesome movie and so glad you and your sister enjoyed it!!
“IT WAS NOTHING LIKE THAT, PENlS BREATH!”
I love how they found a roundabout way to have a kid call someone a “🐓 sucker” in a family movie. 🤣
Agreed, I didn't understand that line until I was much older! 😂
And I love how the Mom has to stop herself from laughing after he says it.
That’s rude
@@dlweiss And she wasn't acting, she really did break character and start laughing when he said it, because that one wasn't scripted, so she wasn't sure what to expect.
A lot of stuff got "snuck" into PG movies in the 70's and early 80's.
Im a 255lb bodybuilder & my two young boys find it funny that this still makes me cry 40yrs later. Such a magical time to grow up ❤
Well done Cassie for identifying that scene from the quiet man.
Hmm yeah I’ve watched this all the way through , but I’ll need you to be more specific…..what quiet man⁉️and when⁉️🤔😳11 thumbs up know more than me……
@@trainfire2008 it's a title of a John Wayne movie
@@trainfire2008- That was the movie playing on the tv when Elliot kissed the girl in his Science class.
Melissa Mathison never gets enough credit for having wrote this. Yes Spielberg brought the movie magic but the reason it leaves you with tears in your eyes is down to Mel.
She was also the one Harrison Ford cheated on with Carrie Fisher.
@@thereturningshadow no that was his first wife.
I’m 39 years old and this is my all-time favorite movie. As a kid, it was a dream it wish come true. As a teen, it helped me deal with my parents divorce. As an adult, it’s kept me grounded and taught me to cherish my relationships. Now as a new father, it has me longing for the day I can show it to my baby girl.
I'm 38 and it's my all time favorite movie. My parents divorced when I was 3 and my mom brought home this video for 5 year old me and I was HOOKED.
The guys in the space suits that came to get E.T. Always scared me as a kid…I would run into the kitchen with my Nana and Mom there and they always knew what part in the movie it was at! Throwback!
The tears at the end from the kids were real. Drew and the others grew to love ET on set and thought of him as real.
This movie is so very special to me, I watched it so many times as a kid and hearing that beautiful score and seeing that ending will never not make me cry.
I believe it is the greatest musical score of all time. It is John Williams' greatest masterpiece.
I guess I was about 8 when this came out. Was at the theater with my friend and her family. I bawled like a baby. My friend’s aunt had to pull me into a hug for comfort after it was over. I think it was the first movie to really bring me to tears like that. Of course, it still does.
Stop, your choking me up.
I was a wreck for a full day after I saw this in ‘82….
Yeah, same here. I think I was 6 or 7 when I saw this in the cinema, my first time ever being in a cinema, and I'm pretty sure I nearly drowned everyone I cried so much 😭😭😭
Was flying high over our local cliffs over the Pacific ocean when William's "Flying Theme" from ET hit, in my headphones on random play. It was a powerful moment, because you know how those kids felt when their bikes took off. Truly a modern classic!
Always loved this movie because it was my mother's favorite movie before she passed away in 1985,, I remember ET was either still in theaters or just came out of theaters but I was only six years old when my mom passed and I remember she had all the stuffed animals of e.t. that she can find,!!
I saw this film as a kid in the theater and was crying so bad at the end. Still a favorite to this day.
same here...and, still today, EVERY SINGLE TIME, the bikes are flying, there comes the tears...pure joy and memories from my childhood
Me too, and I steal feel that teary sting whenever I see this movie.
I cried as a young adult.
Fun fact. E.T recognises the Yoda costume and his species are members of the senate in the Star Wars prequels. And since he has powers in this movie it has given rise to the theory that E.T. was a Jedi, or at least was gifted in the force.
The fact that a kid is wearing a yoda costume on Halloween means the star wars movies exist in the ET universe, how do humans in the 80s know what an Alien from a galaxy far far away a long time ago looked like? It was just intended as fun little nod and geeks run away with it despite it not making any sense
MrIncognito, I find you lack of faith disturbing... 👽👽👽
Wrong galaxy...
Interesting.
ET's species was also in Return of The Jedi.
During the Death Star II briefing on the Mon Calamari ship and during the Ewok celebration.
“This is reality, Greig” is my favourite line from all the films I have ever seen. It never fails to make me laugh. Thank you for including it.
Also, best ending to a movie, ever. My childhood ❤.
Saw it in the theater when it came out. I was 4 years old. At the end of the movie the entire sold out crowd stood up and gave a standing ovation. One of my earliest memories, and it'll always be with me.
Omg ... the ultimate bawl your eyes out ending ... lol = the moment, the music, the words, you feel like ET, with your heart literally leaping out of your chest. Timeless story. Works every time 😭💔
Saw this in theaters as a kid. To this day I can't here Elliott scream "YOU'RE KILLING HIM!" without getting choked up.
Same! I cried the entire way to the car after this movie (age 7) even though ET had been saved. I was totally emotionally devastated by his near death and still tense up when they find him all pale in the ditch :(
I was 20 when this came out and remember waiting in line 4 hours to see this movie. No multiplexes then. So you waited for one group to go in and then come out until it was your turn. All ages were touched by this movie.
Very few directors have ever been able to do the dynamic between family and friends quite as realistically as Spielberg. The banter, the joking and teasing instantly switching to being there for one another in a crisis. No one ever expects to end the movie sobbing over ET leaving, but we all do. A lot of that is the very real chemistry the kids have together and with the puppet. Drew Barrymore was insanely adorable as a kid.
A good one to check out that is sort of an homage to the Spielberg kid family/friends style films like Goonies and ET is Super 8.
14:50 - "I think you've killed him already", is the most underrated line in the film. So funny.
As if Jaws, Close Encounters and Raiders didn't do it already, Steven Spielberg literally became a god in Hollywood after this movie.
Such a moving film about childhood innocence, friendship and life overcoming death. I will never forget the first time that I saw it in the theater in the summer of 1982. As a 16 year old, I didn’t want my mom and 10 year old sister to see me cry. It didn’t matter. Everyone in the theater was sobbing. Few movies have affected me like ET. This is one of Spielberg’s finest.
I commented on another reaction vid to this movie that it was such a phenomenon when it was released, and the entire theater - adults, kids, didn't matter - were sobbing when it looks like ET's dead.
this was only supposed to be a side light between important films, but the script was so good, and the kids' acting was so good that it became a classic.
Yes, 'Gertie' is Drew Barrymore. She was about 6 or 7 at the time. The child actor who plays Elliott - Henry Thomas, was Samuel in Legends of the Fall.
Fun Fact: ET’s species can be seen in the Galactic Senate in Star Wars episode 1, put there by George Lucas in honor of Spielberg, and the name of the species is Spielberg written backwards 😂
I just turned 30 a couple weeks ago but haven't seen this film since I was 20 or so, and watching this reaction ALONE managed to make me weep like a damn baby. Spielberg crafted one of the most heartwarming and beautiful films on American cinema with this.
It's actually 40 years old.
Imagine if you were a kid in the 80s!
I'm 46. This was the first movie I remember seeing in the theatre. I literally cried just watching this reaction. My eyes just water.
My wife and I went to see this in 82 and there was an old lady sitting next to us, who bawled her eyes out in the sad parts. There were a lot of adults there with their kids and I saw more than a few tears on grown up faces. Including ours.
I'm nearly 50 and i still end up in tears when i watch ET
Fun fact. The teacher in Elliott's class with the frogs is actually Harrison Ford in an uncredited role.
At the end of the movie when spaceship door closes, the music swells and then there's an abrupt silence... and in that moment, in the theater, you could hear all the people around you sobbing.
Some interesting facts about the production of ET.
Spielberg filmed it in chronological order. This allowed for the cast to build a greater emotional attachment to ET.
Notice how nearly all the adults are seen from the waist down? This is to give it a child’s perspective.
ET was a combination of a person who was born with no legs, who walked on their hands & an animatronic puppet. ET was designed by Carlos Rambaldi; the man behind the aliens in Close Encounters of the Third Kind & who helped with the animatronics of the Alien in Ridley Scotts film of the same name.
The girl Elliot kisses went on to star in Baywatch during the 1990s.
Spielberg was actually directing ET & Poltergeist at the same time. However, due to rules in Hollywood at the time, directors couldn’t have two films in production simultaneously; hence why Tobe Hooper is credited as the director on Poltergeist. The cast of Poltergeist have since confirmed that Hooper directed very little of Poltergeist & as was rumoured for a very long time, but not confirmed, it was in fact Spielberg behind the camera.
After the London premier, Princess Diana had to go fix her make up as she’d been crying so much.
You have to watch the Xinfity Christmas commercial from a few years ago!!! It hit anyone who’s a fan of ET so hard!!!
Oh & the Caterpillar climbing frame, is still in the playground….albeit a different colour.
Hopping in to add - the teacher is Harrison Ford.
@@shauntrek hopping in 😂 I see what you did there!! If I’m not mistaken he’s not the class teacher, but the head teacher drunk Elliot is taken to see in a deleted scene?
@@davidanderson1639 He's the class teacher. You can tell if you listen to his voice.
Erika Eleniak did indeed go on to star in "Baywatch" as well as playing Ellie Mae Clampett in theatrical movie "The Beverly Hillbillies", as well as "Under Siege". But before any of that she was Playboy's Playmate of the month for July, 1989. Also the science teacher was played by Richard Swingler, watch again Shaun Andrews, that was NOT Harrison Ford's voice. Ford played the principal on the other end of the phone conversation with Elliot's mom. Ford's scenes were cut from the original version but if I remember right they were edited in for the crappy re-issue with all the awful CGI. As far as I am concerned, there is only ONE watchable cut of this movie, and it's the original theatrical cut which the sisters watched here.
Erica Eleniak, and she was Ellie May in the Beverly Hillbillies movies
E.T is such a special film you've really got to experience it as a kid to feel how emotionally powerful it can be.
Watching it again as an adult you see it through different eyes, the experience is different but no less powerful.
I first watched E.T when i was a kid maybe 5 or 6 years old back in the 80's, i never cried so much when E.T died, and so joyous when i knew he was alive.
A beautiful timeless tale for the ages.
I'm old enough to remember the vhs launch. It was quite the cultural phenomenon.
As a 5 year old, a terrifying yet irresistible concoction. As a 44 year old, a terrifying yet beautiful movie about childhood's end. A truly special piece of work, combined with one of the greatest scores of all time. What more could you want?
No matter how many times I have seen this film over the years it always gets me choked up at the end. A wonderful film that never fails to deliver. I was just a little kid, but I will never forget seeing it in the Theater with my Dad back in 82 when it was first released. We were both amazed. Even though he has since passed on for a good while now, those are Magical memories I will never EVER forget. So vivid they are to me still. One of the last great decades for films. They just don't make em like this anymore.
Seen this at the drive in theater. What a memory. My aunt and uncle took me and my cousin to see it. I was 9 yrs old and we had popcorn and ordered a frozen pizza from the concession stand. It was all a big treat for us back then.
I don't know why this movie makes me cry SO much, but I end up weeping every single time, it's just so sweet
When I saw this at the theater in ‘82, I was a wreck at the end of this awesomely lovely movie….even at 48 years old, I’m still a man that weeps like a child when ET says “I’ll be right here…” still the sweetest movie moment EVER 😰💔😰💔😰
Back when everything Spielberg touched turned to gold. Can’t deny the magic of John Williams either, his score does a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of the emotional impact
There's a version of the end without any music that really shows how important the music really is
John Williams had been killing it for about a decade by 1982, just to let everyone know. Amazing stuff from that man.
This was the first movie I ever saw in the theatre growing up. I think I was around 7yrs old. A classic!
ok so I was 10.
Saw it in IMAX this past weekend. The things you notice on the big screen you take for granted so many years before - it was like seeing it for the first time. Let’s get this out the way - Henry Thomas’ performance was the best of his generation - probably one of the best ever. How he never got an Oscar for it will remain one of life’s greatest mysteries.
But let’s don’t sleep on MacNaughton - that age where you’re holding on to childhood, while stepping up in the face of his parents’ divorce. [I don’t think I’ve felt more seen than when he was on the bus, stoic while everyone else goes wild]. I never realized until when I saw it in the theater just how transformative his performance was, especially after they call TOD on ET how Michael was just as shattered as Elliot was.
Also, Drew Barrymore. Period. End of sentence.
First movie I ever cried at. My parents took me when I was 7 years old. When ET "died" I bawled in the theatre and yelled "Don't die ET!", my mom had to console me in the seat next to her. One of my fondest memories was seeing this picture.
😲 How is it possible the two of them have never seen E.T.?
Watched this when I was 7 or 8 in the theater and I remember crying all the way home.
I saw this incredible movie twice at the age of 10 in the cinemas in 1982, first together with my dad, 2nd time with my mom. It was probably the greatest movie experience of my life. Greetings from the Netherlands
I was obsessed with this movie as a kid. Obsessed. Posters. Clothing. My glasses even had ET etched on the side. The end of this still gets me every time.
I love how lucas added E.T.s race into Star Wars (they can be seen in episode I: the phantom menace as one of the alien races that's part of the senate) which makes it seem that E.T. was reaching for the kid in the yoda costume because he recognized Yoda/Yodas people
E.T.'s race TOTALLY had force powers. The flight of the bicycles, telepathy, the flowers. There's more.
This of course means that SW in the ET universe is not just a movie, but a dramatization of historical events.
Well, there *is* an EU story that is supposed to explain "a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away"... long story short; Earth is an accidental lost colony established by a pathfinder ship in the early Republic era that got dropped through an anomaly (Farscape style).
This goes together to mean that, not only are the E.T.s a member species of the Republic, but they're also *intergalactic* and quite possibly time travellers as well.
Loved this movie as a kid. Fun fact - the E.T species actually feature in Star Wars episode 1, as one of the aliens in the senate.
This makes it basically cannon that our ET is a powerful force user.
He also recognized and approached Yoda. (18:16) E.T. is definitely a Jedi.
The species is called Grebleips.
(Spielberg backwards)
How did Cassie become such a sweet innocent young woman? Growing up in a household where even E.T. was considered too intense. That's how. 🙂
Your film viewing experience would not be complete without E.T. in the history somewhere...I'm glad you got to watch this one. When I saw it in 82 at the age of 12, it was my first real emotional response to a film (besides Charlotte's Web), and I left the theater at West Edmonton Mall, completely wrung out lol.
There was a special edition of this movie, with updated effects, added scenes (E.T. takes a bath), and the authorities guns were digitally replaced with… walkie-talkies.
Spielberg has since regretted making the special edition and shelved it for the original version.
Mildly related story:
So one of my first jobs was at a Blockbuster, and I was working there when they started releasing "Special Editions" of any relatively 'classic' movie older than ten years with some kind of fan or cult following. One of the ones we got at my store was called "Gator Bait: Special Edition", which is some sleazy 70s exploitation / revenge flick that apparently had some kind of cult following or fanbase. The back of the box had a blurb that read something like "... This newly re-edited Special Edition of the film contains newly restored footage never before seen, including the fully restored prison rape scene!"
When we got it, I fucking died laughing about how that was a big enough feature to put on the back as some kind of especially great addition to the movie. After that point, any time someone brought up a Special Edition version of ANY movie, I would always say something like "Oh man! Have you seen the special edition before!? NO? You're gonna love it! It's got the fully restored prison rape scene!"
I got yelled at so much, but it just never got old. I miss working at a video store. I had my own shelf of recommendations that was always full of weird-o shit, and I would keep making my own unsanctioned "special" shelves with my own little hand-drawn sign that I'd hide off in a corner people didn't walk through much that was for movies that would have a specific theme, like "Best Bar Fights" or "Good movies with bad titles" and stuff like that. For some reason I liked to come up with themes that let me put Gleaming The Cube on there...
I saw it in the theater when I was 10! There, I just gave my age away. My friends made fun of me for crying. Little did they know that 40 years later, I'm watching this reaction and *still* crying! Thanks so much to both of you. So nostalgic for me.
Thank you for watching and reacting. Not sure if anyone commented on the goodbye "ouch" moment: to me that was the emotional pinnacle when ET does this gesture/salute for their relationship, and Eliot immediately understands its meaning and mirrors/salutes back to ET. There's a brief moment of consideration, which I interpret that ET decides to take the final step to establish a permanent telepathic bond to partially allay Elliot's grief of their separation. Still chokes me up (age 59)
When you said "I think I know why you have strong memories of a finger" while doing that motion I nearly died 😂
So lovely!!! I'm 47 years old now (same age of Drew Barrymore). This was my first movie on cinema... I was only 7!!!
The first time we never forget!!! Hugs from Brazil!
I absolutely love how you make up happy endings for various characters in the movies you watch, like mom and the nice alien guy.
This movie will always have a special place in my heart is was a movie I seen with my aunt who raised me in the theater. In fact only certain movies I've seen in the theaters more than once this was one. My aunt passed a few years ago, so the movie means more to me now. RIP aunt, I miss you.
15:30 . . . Totally different world. My brother and I were latchkey kids. I was two years younger but was the one trusted with the house key, on a shoelace around my neck. We were only home alone for an hour and a half, maybe two hours before my mom got home from work, but I cherished that freedom. It was awesome.
That musical buildup as the mom and feds are running to the ambulance in the park, cutting to the five of them pedaling is just so frickin goosebumps every time.
I just counted and this is the 21st film (so far) that Popcorn In Bed has reacted to that the music was done by the great John Williams! And the score to E.T. is one of his very best. The last 15 minutes of this film are so amazing! The music is a BIG reason why. The ending to E.T. and the music Williams did for it is a very strong highlight in both of the careers of Williams and Steven Spielberg. The ending of E.T. may just be the best and strongest example of their over 50 year collaboration. They truly created movie magic with this film and the ending especially. It's also extremely impactful, heartwarming, incredible, and moving. It gets me every time. It's is the kind of stuff that cements my almost lifelong belief that movies can truly be a magical thing. And John Williams is a big reason why I believe that.
This score is so so great. Spielberg and Williams are freakishly magical together. An underrated one is 'The Mecha World' from AI.
Oh my God I love this movie! Drew Barrymore is my age and I loved watching this movie cause it takes me back to my child hood. You guys make me want to watch it again
When ET is walking around, it's someone in a suit. When he moves his head and extends his neck etc, it's an animatronic. And most of his hand movements were done by a mime in gloves.
I've been watching Steven Spielberg's movies since I was little, for the longest time he was my favorite director. But I hadn't seen E.T. in probably 10+ years, and about 6 months ago i got a bluray copy and watched it again and couldn't believe how perfect of a movie it really is. It's so touching and funny, sad but heartwarming. And say what you want but I'll take practical and prosthetic special effects over modern cgi any day of the week. I'm glad you both enjoyed it. This was a magical era of filmmaking.
There was a holiday commercial a few years back, where they got Henry Thomas to reprise his role as Elliot. Of course, grown up with a wife and children. ET comes back to visit him for the holidays.
There is also video of Henry Thomas' audition for this film. I believe both the commercial and the audition can be found on TH-cam. I highly recommend watching both.
It's here: th-cam.com/video/52roM4-5GWs/w-d-xo.html
I've never cried at a commercial before.
If you look closely during the Xfinity commercial, you’ll actually see the photo Elliot’s mum took on Halloween on the refrigerator door!! Also, there’s a shooting star; a nod to virtually all Spielberg’s films, as a shooting star appears in everything from Jaws, to Temple of Doom.
Another cool little Easter Egg is the toys working by themselves, which is a call back to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, when the little boys toys go crazy. They also included the original bike, along with Gertie’s cup.
Spielberg was so enthusiastic about the project, that he actually signed off on the commercial, as it honoured the original film.
This was the first movie I went to without any parent. It was just myself and my friends and we were 12. My growing interest for space and sci-fi was really getting a boost by this movie and that hasn't stopped since. Thanks for this happy little moment. 😊
I watched this at the movie when I was a kid and cried. Now I'm 44yo and it still brings a tear to my eye. Absolut classic
I'm 56 and STILL tears me up. That's how good this movie is
I will never not love this movie. Was watching it once and when the ending scene happened I mentioned to my son that "this movie xx years old and I still get chills." My son said, "Why, because it makes you feel old?"
I said, "No, because it makes me feel young."
E.T. is a timeless classic and deserves all the praise.
Perfectly said, Howard.
FYI: Neil Diamond wrote a song about E.T. called, "Turn On Your Heartlight."
You said it my dear...and I WAS that 12 year old watching this in the theaters. :) It was a wonderful memory for us of that generation and a massive cultural phenomena.
Cassie’s face when Carly is doing the “finger touch” before the movie starts is great.
It's funny that Carly said "may the force be with you". E.T. makes a cameo in Star Wars episode 2 during the Senate scene. You can see three E.T.s in the lower right hand corner of the shot. Also since E.T. can move things with his mind and he recognizes the kid dressed as Yoda, he might be a Jedi.
Just my theory, not trying to argue or be confrontational or whatever, but I feel like E.T.'s race is definitely very connected to The Force, but not Jedi, because he never fought or showed Jedi/combative tendencies. The dog scared him awfully badly when he could have used a "force push" to push it back into the hall and shut the door. He instead fell backwards. Again, just my thought about whether he was a Jedi or not.
So in the full movie of E.T., when they are trick or treating, E.T. runs up to a kid dressed as Yoda and tries to communicate. Then when the senate scene happened it made a full circle, like E.T. knew Yoda or some of his species. I thought that was a cool 20 year old reference. As most know, Spielberg and Lucas have been friends for a very long time, so this movie and Star Wars take place in the same universe. Just a fun comment.
Sorry but it's impossible for them to be in the same universe. In the E.T. universe, Star Wars is just a movie. It's just a wink-wink reference for US, it's NOT lore. How the hell does the fictional Lucas here know that there are Yodas and Jedis eons ago? It's literally impossible. I'm sick to death of this stupid theory.
Because it's all made-up stories? Documentaries exist, you know. You might like watching those, a lot of them are really interesting and in plenty of cases they're not fictional. Just a thought.
@@edwardnonymous6804 ok but the connected universe theory for these two is still stupid and makes no sense, can you shut up now
The kid that played Elliot was the youngest brother in “Legends of the Fall.”
Saw this at the movies as an 11 year old and cried. Watching your reaction now, as a 51 year old man. I cried again! Ah, such a good movie!!!
“Drew Barrymore was a child actor?” Oh yes, people of a certain age remember that very well. She was the youngest person ever to host Saturday Night Live and had around 25 credits by the time she turned 18. It was kind of a shock when she showed us she could be sexy. Look up her close connection to Hollywood royalty. There’s a reason she could act in movies at 7.
Isnt Spielberg her godfather??
It makes me feel so old to think they only know Drew as an adult. To anyone growing up in the 80s, she'll always be the little girl from E.T.