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 commercial and artistic powers. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time and remains a defining work of American cinema, blending suburban realism with science fiction wonder in a way that resonated across generations. Its score by John Williams and its practical creature effects set benchmarks that influenced the decade that followed.

The Elliott and Friends Chase Scene captures Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Sean Frye, K.C. Martel, and C. Thomas Howell as Elliott, Michael, Steve, Greg, and Tyler riding together across a daytime exterior, with E.T. riding in the front basket. Three consecutive frames from the same shot preserve the momentum of one of the film's most recognizable sequences.