Melissa Mathison (1950–2015)

The visuals are stunning, Rylance's performance is very moving, and the animation of the giant is astonishingly lithe, fluid and tender to great effect. The humour is sweet and lovely, and the action is exciting. Alas, the plot has virtually no forward momentum until the last half hour or so of the running time, making the actual watching it all a bit of a slog despite these many qualities.

A lost alien befriends a boy.

My wife and I hadn't seen this since we were kids, and we were both very surprised by how much of the movie had been over our heads. I didn't really like it back then, and it's no wonder; I didn't know what was really going on half the time. In a way it's good that Spielberg messed it up in 2002 by turning it into a cartoon; not being able to see it for ten years meant that I was able to come to it fresh now. It's a wonderful movie. Too heavy-handedly Spielberg-y show more in places, but still wonderful.

Concept: D
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: A
Pacing: C
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: A
Acting: B
Music: C

Enjoyment: A

GPA: 2.9/4

(Oct. 2012) show less

Truly enriches the movie story. Wonderful insight into the thoughts and feelings of all the characters, but especially E.T., Elliot and Mary. Her internal dialogue relates experiences as a mother that are both amusing and touching. Have turned to this story many times over the years, not only for the humor but also for the comforting humanity of the characters, including E.T!

Being one child from the 80's who actually read the book but missed the film, (eventually seeing the movie as an show more adult) I can highly recommend it to all fans of all ages. show less

Unbeatable story of a boy and his alien, funny, touching, nearly perfect.