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 time and remains a defining work of American cinema, blending suburban family drama with science fiction 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.

This cell, titled Elliott, captures Henry Thomas in the role that made him a household name. Across three consecutive frames, Elliott appears wrapped in his red hooded garment, yellow autumn foliage filling the background behind him. The low-angle framing gives the shot an intimate, grounded quality characteristic of Spielberg's child-eye perspective throughout the film.