National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Universal Pictures released E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in June 1982, directed by Steven Spielberg at the height of his early career. The film became the highest-grossing release of its time and remains a defining work of American cinema, blending suburban family drama with science fiction in a way that resonated across generations. Its cultural footprint has only deepened in the decades since.

This cell, titled Gertie and Michael, captures three consecutive frames from a single shot inside the family home, preserving Elliott, Michael, and Gertie together in the warm practical lighting that gives the film's interior scenes their distinctive intimacy. Holding three frames from the same continuous moment makes this a quietly compelling piece of production history.