E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Institutional Context
Production Company - Universal Pictures
Distributor - Universal Pictures
Director - Steven Spielberg
Cinematographer - Allen Daviau
Composer - John Williams
Editor - Carol Littleton
Stars - Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore.
Notable related films - Star Wars, Back to the Future, The Goonies.


Historical/Political Context
The film provided a new approach to the issue of the existence of aliens. Spielberg's movies have often focused on the idea on altering public opinion regarding aliens. It is with this basic background in mind that we must then approach E.T, situated as it was in the mid 80s, when alien furor was going strong from earlier hits like Close Encounters, Star Wars, and other science fiction works.  With Close Encounters and E.T. Spielberg takes a turn from the alien norm, presenting audiences with “good” aliens, instead of the stereotypical evil aliens. In the film,  E.T. arrives on the “high place,” the traditional arrival spot of the gods in the biblical historical books. Critics have focused on the parallels between E.T.'s life and Elliott, who is "alienated" by the loss of his father. Critic Henry Sheehan described the film as a retelling of Peter Pan from the perspective of a Lost Boy (Elliott): E.T. cannot survive physically on Earth, as Pan could not survive emotionally in Neverland; government scientists take the place of Neverland's pirates.