ET the Extraterrestrial

US film released in 1982, directed by Steven Spielberg, with screenplay by Melissa Mathison. The film is about a US child called Elliott who befriends an alien, nicknamed ET, who has been stranded on Earth and wants to get back to his home planet. The heart-warming story, coupled with advanced special effects, made this one of the most popular commercial films of the century.

ET combined dramatic technology with at times biblical imagery to create a landmark film which has often been imitated. The images and catchphrases from the film, notably ‘ET phone home’ have also been used in a wide variety of media and advertising.