E.T. can still bring tear to your eye

By Christy Lemire
Associated Press

The 20th-anniversary edition of "E.T." will be in theaters Friday. Universal Pictures E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial' Rated PG for strong language and mildly troubling thematic elements Running time: 120 minutes Opens Friday at Dole Cannery 18 Theatres, Restaurant Row Theatres, Ward Stadium 16-Plex, Waikiki 3-Plex, Kahala 8-Plex, Koko Marina 8-Plex, Pearl Highlands 12, Pearlridge West 16-Plex, Kapolei 16-Plex, Mililani 14-Plex, Ko'olau 10-Plex, Kailua Cinemas, Windward 10, Laie Cinemas, Makalapua Cinemas (Big Island), Prince Kuhio Stadium Cinemas (Big Island), Keauhou 7-Plex (Big Island), Kukui Mall 4-Plex (Maui), Maui Mall Megaplex Cinemas (Maui)

I was 9 years old when "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" came out in 1982, and it was one of the first truly transforming movie events of my life.

Every time I saw it, I cried when E.T. died — even though I knew he'd come back to life. And I had the biggest crush on Henry Thomas.

Something about the friendship between a lonely young boy and a space alien who's far from home tugged at my heart. It was full of awe and wonder, so sweet and sad and sometimes scary.

And it still is. Twenty years and $700 million in worldwide box office revenue later, "E.T." is back in theaters, with new footage and enhanced visual effects. It holds up beautifully.

Steven Spielberg has said this is his most personal film — more than "Schindler's List," which he's said is his most important film — because it provided catharsis for him as an adult of the feelings he experienced as a child when his parents divorced. But the director wanted to update some of the imagery, using technology that was unavailable two decades ago.

He had the effects specialists at Industrial Light & Magic digitally touch up certain details with computer graphics. E.T.'s wise eyes and quizzical facial expressions are more vivid now; the colors are more vibrant, the images crisper.

Technically, the movie looks great, but there was nothing wrong with it before. Still, "E.T." is a must-see on the big screen — for the first time, for the 101st time — to experience the simple beauty of Melissa Mathison's storytelling and to relive the moments that have become beloved fixtures of pop culture. We've all seen Elliott riding his bike with E.T. across the moon a million times, but it's still inspiring to watch that moment in a theater, with John Williams' score soaring behind it.

Spielberg has left the story intact: 10-year-old Elliott (Thomas), his older brother, Michael (Robert MacNaughton), and his younger sister, Gertie (Drew Barrymore, exhibiting flawless comic timing at age 6), help an alien "phone home" after he's left behind on Earth. Nameless, faceless grown-ups try to capture the grunting, waddling little guy first so they can study him.

They're also the subject of a minor change that has purists atwitter. Spielberg has taken the guns out of the hands of the government agents who are chasing Elliott and his friends as they whisk E.T. to the forest to meet his spaceship. Now, they're holding walkie-talkies, but the difference is so subtle that you wouldn't notice it unless you're looking for it.

So 20 years later, what's the point of rereleasing "E.T."? Is it — as some will surely claim — a shameless money-making ploy, dolled up as nostalgia? Perhaps. But it's infinitely better than most kids movies that have scurried mindlessly into the multiplexes in recent years.

I hadn't seen "E.T." in about 15 years and rented it recently, wondering whether it would have the same emotional impact on me as an adult. Sitting on the couch, blubbering, I realized that it did — and I have to admit, I got a little teary-eyed seeing the updated version as well. That kind of enduring moviemaking comes along once every 20 years.

On the Web:

• The Official E.T. Site: et20.com
• Dreamworks SKG Fan Site: dreamworksfansite.com/amblin/et20