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 American cinema, celebrated for its emotional sincerity and its portrait of childhood wonder set against suburban life. Shot by Allen Daviau, its warm, intimate photography helped establish a visual language that influenced family filmmaking for decades.

This cell, titled E.T. and Elliott, captures the two central figures together in a domestic interior, warm light falling across wooden shelving behind them. The three frames document the same quiet moment in close succession, offering a sustained look at the bond between Elliott and E.T. that anchors the entire film.