National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time and remains a defining work of the era, blending science fiction with intimate family drama. Its emotional restraint and practical effects set a benchmark for mainstream American cinema that influenced the decade that followed.

This cell, titled Mary, captures three near-identical frames of Mary smiling against a dark interior background. The strip is oriented sideways on the 35mm stock, a common artifact of how certain scenes were printed. Keys appears within the sequence as well, placing this moment in the quieter, more grounded register that Mary's scenes tend to occupy throughout the film.