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“He is afraid. He is totally alone. He is three million light years from home.”

“He” is E.T., in Steven Spielberg’s new film “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” in his adventure on Earth.

For Spielberg, whose films have attracted over one billion dollars to motion picture box offices throughout the world, “E.T.,” presented by Universal Pictures, marks the first film he has directed since last year’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” which joined “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Jaws” on the all-time list of motion picture successes.

E.T. is a man from outer space, stranded on Earth, left behind by his own people. In his search for refuge, E.T. wanders into a backyard where he is discovered by ten-year-old Elliott. Elliott assumes responsibility for E.T.’s safety while searching for a way to reunite the creature with his own kind.

It’s a story of friendship, discovery, and a race against time… the time in which E.T. must get home, or die, an alien on a foreign star.

Both Elliott and E.T. must contend with the unknown, the mysterious, the threats, and the dangers. Each must face their own peril but together they reach out to develop their own secret to survival.

“It’s a contemporary science-fiction fantasy,” says Spielberg. “It’s about human values. It’s about the understanding people have towards one another,” he elaborates. “It’s about compassion and love. They share so much of what they know about their own environments with each other and they come to have a great understanding for each other’s problems. Elliott understands that E.T. is lonely and has to get home to survive, and that he must save E.T.’s life.

“E.T. senses that Elliott is a victim of a separated household. His father’s in Mexico with another woman, and his mother’s trying to recover from the trauma of the separation. Within a suburban American household, Elliott’s an abandoned child.

Spielberg notes that “E.T.” represents a sharp departure in style from his other directorial efforts. “For me, I think this is the least similar to anything I’ve ever done before. I mean, it’s certainly different from ‘Close Encounters’ or “Raiders.’ It’s a ‘personal’ movie for me, and closer to my heart than any movie I’ve ever made before, with the possible exception of ‘Close Encounters’.”

“E.T.” stars Henry Thomas as Elliott; Drew Barrymore as his sister, Gertie; Robert Macnaughton as his brother, Michael; Dee Wallace as their mother, Mary; and Peter Coyote as a scientific agent. Kathleen Kennedy and Spielberg produced the screenplay by Melissa Mathison, who was also associate producer. Frank Marshall was production supervisor. Allen Daviau was director of photography and James Bissell was production designer. The music is by John Williams. Carol Littleton edited the film.

When “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” opened through the U.S. on June 11, 1982 (one week after Spielberg's production of "Poltergeist"), the film quickly became the "must see" film of the summer. Audiences were entranced and moved by the story of the little lost alien, so much so that filmgoers of all ages around the world drove the box-office to a then record-shattering $792.9 million dollars.

Besides praise from enchanted audiences and box-office spoils, "E.T." was also honored by the film industry. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated the film for nine Oscars, of which "E.T." earned four. The film also won that year's Golden Globe for "Best Dramatic Motion Picture."

A Universal Picture

A Steven Spielberg Film

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"

Released June 11, 1982
Running Time: Original Cut 1.55
Running Time: Anniversary Edition 2.01
MPAA Rating: PG
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

BUDGET
$10.5 million

BOX-OFFICE
Domestic: $435.1 million
International: $357.8 million
Worldwide: $792.9 million

AWARDS
Wins:
Academy Award, Best Original Score
Academy Award, Best Sound
Academy Award, Best Sound
  Effects Editing
Academy Award, Best Visual Effects
AFI 100 Greatest Movies List #25
AFI 100 Greatest Thrills List #44
Golden Globe, Best Motion Picture -
  Drama
Golden Globe, Best Original Score
Grammy Award, Best Album of
  Original Score
Saturn Award, Best Science Fiction Film
Saturn Award, Best Writing
Saturn Award, Best Music
Saturn Award, Best Special Effects

Nominations:
Academy Award, Best Picture
Academy Award, Best Director
Academy Award, Best Screenplay
Academy Award, Best Cinematography
Academy Award, Best Film Editing
DGA, Outstanding Directorial
  Achievement in Motion Pictures
Golden Globe, Best Director
Golden Globe, Best Screenplay
Golden Globe, New Star in a Motion
  Picture, Male - Henry Thomas
Saturn Award, Best DVD Classic Film
  Release - Ultimate Gift Set
WGA, Best Drama Written for the Screen

LINKS
www.et20.com
www.universalstudios.com
www.iloveet.com