Since this movie resonates a lot with me personally, I am going to devote two entries to it. I want to write about it for me, and for my kids. I interviewed my kids about this movie, and I will give that interview on the blog as well. At the same time, this movie affected me so much as a kid that I wanted to write on it as well.
When I was 7 years old (the same age as my son Jack is right now), my parents took me to see "ET". I say it was my parents, because I am pretty sure we saw it as a family, but for some reason, the only memories I have of that night were of my dad. We didn't see a lot of movies, so it was special to go and see this one. When we got to the 4 theater complex at Fashion Square in La Habra (the world's first free standing four theater complex, I might add), there was a long line outside the theater. I knew nothing about the movie, but dad assured me that the reason there were so many people waiting was it was a great movie.
I agreed then, and I still do. As I sat down recently with my three kids to watch this movie for their first time, I couldn't help but remember that night 30 years ago when dad took me. Watching it this time, I was very impressed by its perspective, and how much director Steven Spielberg allows the camera to tell the story. The movie follows the adventures of two beings. Elliott is a 10 year old boy whose family has recently been ripped apart by divorce. One night, an alien vessel lands in the forest outside of the suburb in which Elliott lives. Several creatures depart the ship to explore, but when cars full of inquisitive humans pull up in the forest, the aliens are forced to run back to their ship. Alas, one little guy is left behind, as he doesn't make it back to the ship fast enough. He finds his way into Elliot's care, and the two of them develop an intense bond of friendship. The rest of the movie shows us ET's attempt to return home. The only two adults of note in the movie are Mary (Dee Wallace), the broken hearted mother who is the lone caretaker of her three children, and a sympathetic man (played by Peter Coyote) for his own reasons, but who is not named in the film. Elliot and his brother and sister (played by Drew Barrymore at the age of 6) have been thrown into a magical world...one that cannot last.
The story entranced me as a child. It was simple to follow, and it was clear who the bad guys and good guys were. Watching it now, I am very impressed by the world created by those who made this film. I noticed how much this movie is about the innocence of childhood. It gives us a world of childhood, a world where grown ups seem strange and dangerous. For most of the movie, the only face of a grown up that we see is that of Elliot's mother. Upon this viewing, there was one brief scene that made an impression on me that I did not remember. As ET is thought to have deceased, Elliot's older brother Michael retreats to his brother's room. He huddles up in the fetal position in a closet full of toys. As Michael grows toward adulthood, he is stuck in that weird time of life when one is not sure whether they are an adult or a child. Michael feels like a child right now, even though he has had to be the protector of his siblings and mother for the whole movie. In this one moment of sadness for him, he finds solitude for a moment and retreats back into the comfortable and safe world of his childhood.
As an adult watching this movie, I can relate to the children since I was a child once. But, I also found myself relating to the adults. The adults in the suits weren't simply bad anymore, just out of touch with the kids. As a parent, I know about that as well. Sometimes the business of my world eclipses the world of my kids. As I watched it with my kids, I was transported back to the first time I saw it with my dad. I can remember his laugh echoing in the theater during certain scenes, and I can remember how much it meant to me to see it with him. As I watched it with my kids, I saw this movie in a whole new way, and I enjoyed the view.
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