National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, with Steven Spielberg directing at the height of his creative powers. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time and remains a defining work of American cinema, blending science fiction with an intimate story of childhood, family, and belonging. John Williams composed the score, and the practical creature effects by Carlo Rambaldi gave E.T. a presence that still resonates decades later.

This cell, titled E.T., Elliott and Gertie, captures a quiet interior moment bathed in warm window light, with E.T., Elliott, Michael, and Gertie gathered together in what reads as a domestic space. The three frames show slight variations in the grouping, with Gertie prominent in the middle frame and Michael anchoring the outer two, preserving a tender and recognizable scene from the film.