So, I decided to check this movie out again. Believe it or not, I haven’t seen it since I was fairly young. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I actually saw it.
As it played, I realized that as a child I created several conceptions of the people, scenes and events that exist within the movie. As strange as it sounds, I am somehow able to remember the feelings and understanding I had of the movie when I was young.
First, the “Forest”. I always felt like the “keys” character was a nasty villain. I remember hating him. I suppose that was what the filmmakers wanted us to believe, so I don’t think that’s so special. What’s interesting here, though, is that I couldn’t make the connection as a child that they are actually “the good guys”. While it’s unclear whether they are all military scientists, some appear to be civilians with some form of government agency, including “keys” guy. Now, the “men in black suits” vibe is very strong in the movie. While I had a very conservative anti-government upbringing, the subsequent expansion of my worldview in college and beyond helped to temper my view of “the man”. It also led to an unsustainable increase in the cost of aluminum to my own personal head-wear manufacturers. Tin-foil hat jokes aside, I’m not as blindingly anti-“anything” these days. It also doesn’t help that the scientists wear NASA spacesuits when they enter Elliot’s house at the end. As an adult, I require a huge suspension of belief, but as a child that was completely believable to me. It’s quite apparent though, that the scientists were trying to help E.T. at the end of the movie.
It was quite lost to me at the time that E.T. and his people are naturists. It’s fairly obvious from the fact that they care nothing for the people in the city, but seem to be foraging for new plant life. I suppose this is obvious from other cues in the movie including his ability to bring plants back to life. It was also lost on me that we actually see the inside of the spaceship for a few seconds, and see some exotic plant-life. I always thought that was out in the forest somewhere as a child.
Fast forward a bit, we’re still at the beginning of the movie. The “guys”, including Elliot’s brother, are playing some form of game. At the time, I didn’t realize that they were playing a game, and it was completely lost on me that Elliot really wanted in on it. I also missed the innuendo when Elliot’s mother bends over and one of Michael’s friends licks his finger and almost touches her behind. I also missed the whole idea behind “Mexico”, and why it was so important to the mother. When Elliot was overtly antagonistic and Michael get’s pissed, telling Elliot to think about other people, I saw him as a villain as well. The whole concept of what was actually going with regard to the mother’s feelings about the father and their recent “break-up” was lost to me.
When Elliot finds the tracks outside, they are very obviously not coyote tracks, and it’s fairly obvious that they aren’t anything indigenous. It also strikes me as odd that E.T. can haul ass as much as he can, especially when he gets scared. He definitely doesn’t appear to have that same capability when he’s crawling up the ramp at the end of the movie just before his ship flies off into space.
Perhaps what I remember the most about this movie is the Reese’s Pieces. I don’t know why, but even today, I still crave those little sugary treats whenever I see them on screen. I remember throwing them around outside as a kid into little piles like Elliot does in the forest. One thing that really brought out a big memory reaction was how E.T. drops the pile on Elliot’s blanket outside the house when they meet for the first time (the first amicable meeting). For some reason, the way that last piece rolls out in front, and E.T. kind of almost points at it, or guides his hand away as if that little candy had focus for a split second meant something to me as a child.
All in all, it was an interesting experience. I really noticed the music this time around. It really makes the movie. Especially having individual theme music such as the score the plays when the “keys” man comes on screen. I find that the expressions and feelings conveyed by the animatronic/puppet based E.T. character were very believable, and I had no trouble connecting with the character as a kid or as an adult.
-j