National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film became the highest-grossing release of its era, displacing Star Wars, and remains a defining work of American cinema. Shot by cinematographer Allen Daviau, its visual warmth and suburban intimacy gave science fiction an emotional register it had rarely achieved. The production marked a turning point for Spielberg and for the industry's understanding of what a family film could accomplish.

This cell, titled Gertie and Michael, captures the two siblings in the film's characteristic amber interior light, the kind of quiet domestic moment that gives the story its grounded humanity. Drew Barrymore's Gertie and Robert MacNaughton's Michael share the frame in an unguarded exchange, the warmth of the household setting surrounding them. For collectors, frames centered on these two characters together represent a less commonly seen pairing from one of cinema's most beloved productions.