Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Steven Spielberg sci-fi- classic E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial. The classic 80s film was released in theaters on this day 40 years ago on June 11th, 1982. Movie lovers everywhere and even a few members of the original cast are rejoicing to remember the heartfelt adventure movie that is E.T. and share their love for the film all across the internet.
At the time, Steven Spielberg was 34 years old when he directed E.T. He reportedly drew on his childhood experiences as a usually lonely and imaginative child with divorced parents. The bittersweet story of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial follows a gentle alien who becomes stranded on earth and befriends a young boy named Elliot. As Elliot brings E.T. back to his house, he introduces him to his brother Michael and little sister Gertie who all decide to help keep E.T. a secret. The two form a unique link throughout the movie as they both need each other during this time. After a while, E.T. becomes ill, and the government begins to intervene, creating a grim situation for Elliot and E.T.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Cast Shares The Love
As you may know, Elliot is played by Henry Thomas, who recently starred in a few of Mike Flanagan’s Netflix horror series over the past years, including The Haunting of Hill House, and The Haunting of Bly Manor, along with Midnight Mass. The most recognizable face in this film is Elliot’s younger sister Gertie. Gertie is played by none other than seven-year-old Drew Barrymore. Drew Barrymore went on Instagram to post a picture of herself from the film kissing E.T. on the head with the caption “Happy 40th Anniversary E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.❤️” Another cast member posted about the E.T. 40th anniversary was Dee Wallace, who starred as Elliot’s mother in the film.
40 years later & still touching peoples lives. #ETtheExtraTerrestrial pic.twitter.com/0zf2RJFSIq
— Dee Wallace OFFICIAL (@Dee_Wallace) June 11, 2022
As the highest-grossing movie of 1982, E.T. did incredible at the box office and eventually raked in about $435 million. A huge success and a cult classic, E.T. was re-released in 1985 and a special 20th-anniversary edition in 2002. In 1983, E.T. was nominated in nine categories at the Academy Awards and won four Oscars for Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, and Best Sound. Besides the technological and cinematic aspects the film excelled in, it also did such a fantastic job in its storytelling. Richard Corliss, a movie critic for TIME magazine since 1980, wrote the following about film.
“[E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial] is a perfectly poised mixture of sweet comedy and ten-speed melodrama, of death and resurrection, of a friendship so pure and powerful it seems like an idealized love.”
The one-hour 55-minute film has a score of 99% on Rotten Tomato. Overall, E.T. is a story of a strange friendship that lasts a lifetime and a tale of friendship still relevant today and probably always. As E.T. says to Elliot in a tear-jerking moment before he leaves earth to go home on his spaceship forever, “I’ll be right here.”
Can you believe it’s been 40 years since E.T.’s release? This decade will mark the 40th anniversary of many 80s movies; crazy to think, huh? IMAX recently announced that Steven Speilberg’s blockbusters Jaws and E.T. are coming back exclusively to IMAX theaters this summer. E.T. especially will be released beginning August 12th to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film. If you’re a fan of E.T., let us know if you’ll be going to watch it in theaters and what your favorite part of the film was down below. Be sure to share your opinion on The Nerd Stash Facebook page and @TheNerdStash on Twitter. We love to hear from you!