E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Mary	Dee Wallace
Keys	Peter Coyote
Gertie	Drew Barrymore
Elliot	Henry Thomas
Michael	Robert MacNaughton
Greg	K. C. Martel
Steve	Sean Frye
Tyler	C. Thomas Howell
Pretty Girl	Erika Eleniak

Review

In Steven Spielberg's esteemed fantasy classic, alien visitors from outer space aren't only more advanced than us intellectually, but they are also as loving, loyal and cosy as your family dog. It was the perfect concoction for both kids and their parents, who desperately wanted for their children's future to be bright and optimistic and not bleak like Cold War era politics. Seen today, E.T. has acquired that attractive position of standing with one foot in a time when children were biking around in suburbian streets trying to kill time and discover the world, and the other foot in a future in which we need to look for alternative solutions to an increasing amount of challenges as a species. Around halfway through, the film goes from cuteness to weightiness, from entertainment to message. And here is Spielberg's biggest achievement; he lifts E.T. from a cute, well-told children's story to a multifaceted experience, without losing sight of his motif or his target-audience. With fine, sympathetic performances by the children, all of whom seem to have enjoyed this experience immensely. The wonderful, CGI-less special-effects were created by the award-winning SFX-artist Carlo Rambaldi, who had already won an Academy Award for his work on Alien.