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
Released by Universal Pictures in 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became one of the defining family films of the decade, directed by Steven Spielberg at the height of his early creative powers. It told the story of a stranded alien and the suburban children who befriend and protect him, blending science fiction with heartfelt domestic drama. The film's enormous commercial success, technical achievement in creature design, and emotional resonance cemented its place in Hollywood history, and it remains one of the most beloved and frequently studied releases of the era, a touchstone for a generation raised on its imagery and its themes of friendship and wonder.
This cell brings together Gertie, Michael, and Elliott, the three siblings whose household becomes the center of the story once the alien enters their lives. Gertie is the youngest, often prized by collectors for her scarcity across cells relative to her brothers, while Michael occupies the middle ground between skepticism and eventual loyalty, and Elliott anchors the family bond at the heart of the film. A cell naming this trio together points to a moment of shared sibling presence, a scene built around their connection rather than the extraterrestrial himself, preserving a quieter, human corner of the story on film.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm color release print of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on the upper edge; the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on the upper edge; lower edge perforations are also present and visible; spacing appears even and punches appear clean.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along the lower portion of the strip beside the picture area, appearing as a dual variable-area (bilateral) track.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer text or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight cyan-green tint consistent with color print stock; dye image reads warm-amber, no obvious fading or red shift detected.
Projection history
Faint longitudinal lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with projection wear; no splices or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive color image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, consistent with a release print of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
Era check
The bilateral variable-area optical track, cyan-base color print stock, and warm dye image are all consistent with a 1982 theatrical release print era.
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 000062769
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
