In 1982, Steven Spielberg brought to the screen one of the greatest family movies ever made. ET: the Extra-Terrestrial, the coming of age story about a boy and his alien pal, is one of the few 80s movies that holds up to repeat viewings, and is as treasured as much now as it was at the time of its release.
Magical, enchanting, funny, and warm-hearted are just few of the adjectives that describe Spielberg's classic movie, and chances are, you are nodding your head in agreement while reading this. But despite standing head and shoulders above other sci-fi movies of the 80s, there is one other word that has to be used when describing ET: the Extra-Terrestrial, and that word is 'traumatic.'
Here are our reasons why.
The Traumatic Moment When Elliott First Meets ET
Okay, so we know that in the film's reality, ET is actually a very lovable alien. But when Elliott first meets this strange being in the mist-enshrouded confines of his backyard, there is the potential for terror. Children of the 80s must have been more than a little frightened at the brown, leathery hand that emerged from the shed, as the scene plays out like it would in a horror movie. Of course, ET was far removed from a horror movie monster, but for young audiences, and for Elliott himself, there was a moment when it was suggested that ET could have been something far more terrifying than the alien creature that we now know and love.
The Traumatic Moment When Frogs Are Almost Dissected
Biology lessons are the worst. That's a fact, and unless you're a science nerd, you probably agree with us! And when it comes to the now-famous scene set in Elliott's biology classroom, this is evidenced to the full. Those poor innocent frogs are trapped in lab jars, with the teacher instructing his class to tear these amphibians apart. Okay, so the teacher doesn't exactly use those words, but for Elliott and his classmates, and for the children watching the film, that is exactly what is implied.
We watch the junior Kermits (the frogs not the kids) stare out from their glass prisons as the lesson is being prepared, and the expectation is that parts of their body will soon become the next course at a nearby French restaurant. Thankfully, Elliott comes to the rescue and releases the poor beasties before they are torn asunder, and they hop off into the neighborhood towards hopeful freedom. Still, it is a chilling reminder that, as we said at the start of this paragraph, biology lessons really are the worst!
The Traumatic Moment When We Fear ET's End Is Near
The trauma begins when ET is found lying face down in a stream by Elliott's brother Michael. He is then rescued and returned to the house, but all is clearly not well. It is clear that ET's body hasn't adapted well to the planet he has been stranded on, and we, like the family at the heart of the film, fear the worst for the poor creature.
A million sobs were probably heard in cinemas across the world in 1982, from both children and adults alike, as ET's lifeless body was taken to a nearby medical facility. Not only did audiences fear ET might be on his last legs (a little like those frogs we mentioned), but because the adults who had taken him away seemed untrustworthy, there was also the traumatic fear that ET might be the next in line for a clinical dissection! Thankfully, the doctors and scientists were far more kindly than our nation's biology teachers, but their efforts to save ET seemed destined to fail. "I'll be right here" cries Elliott to his rubbery friend as he watches the alien fade into unconsciousness.
The Traumatic Moment When ET dies
Despite the attempts to resuscitate ET, he seemingly breathes his last. "Let's pack him in ice and leave," says one doctor in a rather cold manner (probably an ex-Biology teacher), and Elliott watches in horror as his alien friend is covered over.
"Is he dead mommy?" asks Drew Barrymore's Gertie, Elliott's younger sister, who apparently cried for real on set after seeing the apparently deceased body of ET. "I think so sweetheart," says her mom, and for Gertie, like the children who saw the film at the time, the moment becomes a traumatic one. Instantly joining the ranks of Bambi and Up as one of the saddest kids movies of all time with its themes of death and grief, what had seemed like a light and funny film suddenly became something far darker. Not only were kids confronted with the death of somebody they had grown to love throughout the movie, but for many, they were probably also confronted with the fact that one day, their real-life loved ones were also going to die.
Of course, ET doesn't stay dead. As John Williams' music score begins to soar, we see the dead flowers near ET's bedsite bloom back into life, and we, like Elliott, come to the realization that ET is alive. Still, despite a few moments of jubilation, there is still more trauma to come.
The Traumatic Moment When ET Goes Home
Goodbyes are always difficult, especially when we know they are final. Many of us have experienced this fact, and while it becomes part of the journey we go on in life, there is still a horrible sense of grief after the people we have loved have left us forever. And so it is with ET. The goodbye scene is one of the saddest moments in movie history, and Spielberg milks the sentiment for all its worth.
"I just want to say goodbye," says a tear-drenched Gertie as she hands ET her flowery gift. Michael approaches next with a tender goodbye of his own, but it's when Elliott says his farewells that the real emotional crescendo begins.
"Come," says ET, inviting his friend to climb onboard the ship that is waiting for him. "Stay," says Elliott in vain, with tears flowing down his face. "Ouch," says ET with a finger pointing to his own heart, which indicates that he is as sad to say goodbye as Elliott is. Elliott repeats the word, and they hug for all its worth, each knowing that this is the final time they will be together. Elliott's family watches with tears flowing down their faces, and audiences then as they must still do now, watch on with their own sobs and tears. It's the end of the bromance between boy and alien, and it's the end of our journey with the creature that stole our hearts and beat them into submission.
The farewell scene is traumatic, but not without hope. As the spaceship lifts into the air in time with the classic movie score that sends our hearts soaring, a rainbow is left behind, and we are reminded that we should be happy and not sad that ET has found his way home. Still, as was the experience with this writer when he was ten years of age, this was of little consolation on the way home from the cinema.
And So...
ET is one of the most traumatic movies ever made, but thankfully, it's also one that can bring us untold amounts of joy. Still, if you're up there ET, and you if you have made good use of the Speak and Spell that you so cleverly reassembled, give us a call. Phone home (your Earthbound one) and let us all know how you're getting on. We miss you.
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