Could Steven Spielberg have made "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" in today's world? I'm not one to sentimentalize the past, but I seriously doubt it.

It is a film I know by heart. Only 21 years old, I cannot remember a time when "E.T." was not part of my cinematic vocabulary. Sitting in a theater half-filled with children under ten years old, I had a surge of emotion. I realized some of these children were seeing this film for the first time. That concept is beyond me. I realize that my generation is now being followed by another. I don't feel old…simply no longer young.

I was also amazed at how little the film has dated. Some of the clothing has indeed changed (although the mother's boots are now back in style), hairstyles have improved, but the messages and the story's framework are still as solid as ever.
So, why couldn't this film be made in today's world? Parents still see it as an experience they wish to pass down to their children. It refuses to grow stale even after twenty years. There were as many tears and cheers as I'm sure were prevalent with the first audiences to see Steven Spielberg's work.

No, the difference between films then and now is film's role in society. Is "E.T." a grand statement? No. But, after seeing it again on the big screen, I continue to be amazed by how many chances it takes that most modern films would avoid.
For those unfamiliar with the story, the film opens with a spaceship parked in a wooded area. Alien creatures are out scavenging when the ship decides to take off, leaving one creature behind. Strange men soon appear, getting out of trucks, and chase the abandoned creature, E.T., until they lose sight of him.

This opening sequence alone floors me. Not one word is said, not one note of explanation is given, yet every viewer is on the exact same page. Not only is it coherent-it is memorable. Just close your eyes for a second and imagine the scene…the spaceship parked there, the glowing hearts, the rubbery fingers pulling back a branch, the chase through the tall grass, the dangling keys on the bad guy's belt. Few minutes in the movies are as memorable or palpable as the opening sequence of "E.T."
This creature then finds his way to a house where a single mother is raising three children. The youngest son, Elliot (Henry Thomas), finds the creature one night and instantly bonds with it. We then watch Elliot as he explains the world to E.T., and as the two attempt to get E.T. home despite the men with the jingling keys.

While the idea of a child befriending an alien seems simplistic, the way Spielberg handles it could likely not be done today. What modern studio executive would allow a children's film to engage subjects like divorce, death, the loss of control, the passage of time, and the cruelty of fate? In an age of children's film that must simplify messages and rely on comedy to draw in kids, studio executive would never allow a film to deviate so much from audience expectations.

Yet, all the little faces fixated on the screen are a testament to "E.T.'s" success. I'm sure these kids loved "Shrek," "Monsters Inc." and even "The Lion King." Wait, were they alive yet for "The Lion King?" Regardless, they love the comedic animation of recent years. Yet, their little brains can process so much more. They see "E.T." saying goodbye and this speaks to them.

The secret to "E.T.'s" success with adults is that it allows them to finally see the world again through the eyes of a child. Early, E.T. stares up at towering trees. He goes through the refrigerator, trying beer and potato salad for the first time. He walks the streets on Halloween. Through it all, Elliot explains the world, from Pez to geography. Without pretense, "E.T." quietly reminds us of why life is so special and that maybe we should look up at the stars every once and a while rather than constantly down at our watches.

I return again to thoughts of my age. How did I see this differently as an older viewer? I noticed Spielberg's intentional point of view, showing almost all important moments from a child's point of view. I noticed the mother's reactions. I noticed the irony of a cell phone ringing just before the "E.T. phone home" scene.

Isn't that about the greatest compliment "E.T." can receive? It coexists with cell phones. It will be rented on DVD. It will be pirated on the Internet. It has survived the test of time.

Come 2022, I'm sure I'll be seeing it again with my kids.

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