National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 1994
“Written by Melissa Mathison and directed by Steven Spielberg, this film chronicles the relationship between a young boy (Henry Thomas) and a benevolent alien who is stranded on Earth and trying to find his way back to his home planet. The film's masterful blending of hopeful innocence with excitement and humor made it both a critical and popular success.”
Universal Pictures · Amblin Entertainment · 115 min
Box office
$792.9M worldwide on a $10.5M budget
Honors
Academy Awards — 4 wins, 9 nominationsGolden Globe Awards — 2 wins, 4 nominationsLos Angeles Film Critics Association — 2 winsBritish Academy Film Awards — 1 win, 8 nominationsAll 20 wins · 27 nominations on record
Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects
Academy Awards: Best Original Score
Academy Awards: Best Sound Editing
Academy Awards: Best Sound
Golden Globe Awards: Best Motion Picture – Drama
Golden Globe Awards: Best Original Score
Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Film
Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Director
British Academy Film Awards: Best Original Music
Japan Academy Film Prize: Outstanding Foreign Language Film
David di Donatello: Best Foreign Director
National Board of Review: National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Saturn Award: Best Special Effects
Saturn Award: Best Writing
Saturn Award: Best Science Fiction Film
Saturn Award: Best Music
Saturn Award: Best Classic Film DVD Release
National Society of Film Critics Award: Best Director
Boston Society of Film Critics Award: Best Director
Grammy Award: Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
Scholarship
Named in the title of 28 peer-reviewed works
Examples
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial — 100 Science Fiction Films, 2013
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — A K Peters/CRC Press eBooks, 2010
E.T. the extra-terrestrial — Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter), 1982
Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in 1982 under Steven Spielberg's direction, and it quickly became a defining moment for the studio and for the era of family filmmaking. Built on a modest, intimate story rather than spectacle alone, the film became the highest grossing release of its time and remains a touchstone of early 1980s cinema, prized for its blend of suburban realism and wonder. Its cultural footprint, from John Williams' score to its iconic imagery, has made original 35mm material from the production highly sought after by collectors of classic Hollywood.
This cell, drawn from a moment called Keys, features Michael, the eldest of the Elliott siblings, whose role in the household often placed him at the center of the family's efforts to navigate the extraordinary situation unfolding around them. Keys suggests a scene tied to access, responsibility, or passage, themes that run throughout the film's plot involving secrecy and protection. As a single 35mm frame excerpt, it offers collectors a tangible artifact from a specific narrative beat, a small physical fragment connecting directly to the film's original theatrical release print.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm release print of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, likely a reissue.
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, appearing as two bilateral variable-area lines alongside a separate digital data strip, consistent with a Dolby analog plus digital hybrid track arrangement.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base shows a slight cyan-green tint typical of safety acetate or polyester stock; dye image appears warm with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
Fine longitudinal lines consistent with projection wear are visible across the frame area; no splices or cue marks seen.
Picture
Positive color image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Era check
The bilateral variable-area optical track combined with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data strip between perforations is consistent with a 1990s reissue or later release print, as the original 1982 release predates Dolby Digital optical encoding.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000062766
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
