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 one of cinema's most enduring works, blending science fiction with a deeply human story of friendship, belonging, and letting go. Shot on 35mm by cinematographer Allen Daviau, its warm, practical imagery gave the film an intimacy that distinguished it from the spectacle-driven blockbusters of its era.

This cell, titled E.T. and Elliott, captures a moment from the film's iconic outdoor bicycle sequence, with E.T. dressed in a white hooded costume and seated in the basket while Elliott rides nearby in his recognizable red-orange jacket. Pulled from 35mm, the three frames represent a continuous shot, preserving the quiet adventure shared between the two central figures of the story.