National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, directed by Steven Spielberg at the height of his commercial and artistic powers. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time, displacing Star Wars, and remains a defining work of the New Hollywood era — a science-fiction story told entirely through the emotional logic of childhood. Its score by John Williams and its practical creature effects set benchmarks that shaped the decade.

This cell captures Elliott in close-up during what appears to be the memorable classroom kiss sequence, one of the film's most purely comedic moments. The three frames hold Elliott in tight focus across a continuous shot, preserving the spontaneity of Henry Thomas's performance in a scene that belongs entirely to him.