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 New Hollywood era, blending science fiction with intimate family drama. Its cultural footprint has only grown in the decades since, cementing its place as one of the most recognized American films ever made.

This cell, titled Gertie, captures three consecutive 35mm frames of the youngest Elliott sibling in what appears to be the family kitchen, holding a piece of paper or book. The frames run in sequence, offering a rare sense of motion frozen across the strip, preserving a quiet domestic moment featuring the character portrayed by Drew Barrymore.