Adventure drama

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982): Cast, Ratings & Box Office

Name: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Genre: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Drama, Fantasy, Family
Released: 1982-06-11
Duration: 1 h 55 min
Cast: Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore, Henry Thomas, Erika Eleniak

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) movie poster

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 adventure drama directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote and Drew Barrymore. It runs 1 hour 55 minutes and earned $797.3 million worldwide on a $10.5 million budget. It won 4 Oscars, including Music (Original Score) and Sound, and 9 awards in all. Critics gave it 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and 92 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.9/10.

IMDb rating: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 99%
worldwide gross: $797.3M
Oscars won: 4

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Watch the trailer Read the plot summary

Released: June 11, 1982
Runtime: 1h 55m (115 min)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Genres: Adventure , Sci-Fi , Drama , Fantasy
Original language: English
Studio: Universal Pictures
Budget: $10.5M
After the credits: No No extra scene

The story

What Is E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial About?

The premise of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A lonely boy named Elliott discovers an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth. They form a heartwarming friendship, and Elliott, along with his siblings, works to hide the alien from government agents determined to capture it. Elliott embarks on a perilous journey to help E.T. contact his home planet and ensure his safe return, learning the true meaning of friendship and courage along the way.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags

alien
bicycle
friendly alien
california
friendship
halloween
extraterrestrial
single mother
empathy
flying
brother brother relationship
brother sister relationship

+38 more

blockbuster
child protagonist
suburb
boy
forest
halloween costume
heart
flower
scientist
family relationships
mother son relationship
chase
car chase
absent father
child swearing
interspecies friendship
product placement
spacecraft
stranded
fish out of water
acronym in title
trick or treating
girl
race against time
character name in title
1980s
beer
frog
suburbia
drunkenness
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
stuffed animal
healing
hazmat suit
quarantine
coming of age
tearjerker
teasing

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Cast & crew

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Cast

Dee Wallace leads the cast, with Peter Coyote and Drew Barrymore. Directed by Steven Spielberg; 5 actors are credited in all.

Director Steven Spielberg

Also Starring in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

· 1 more

Erika Eleniak

From the director

More from Steven Spielberg

More films directed by Steven Spielberg, best-rated first: Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, The Fabelmans and Jaws.

Full filmography

Ratings

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and 92 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.9/10.

IMDb

7.9 /10
See on IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes

99% Tomatometer

Popcornmeter 72%
See on Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic

92 Metascore

User score 8.2
See on Metacritic
TMDB

75% User score
See on TMDB

Plot

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Plot Summary

What happens in E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 6-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In a serene forest that overlooks a vast suburban neighborhood, an alien spacecraft has made its unexpected landing. The extraterrestrial beings aboard have arrived to observe Earth and gather specimens. One curious creature wanders a bit too far from its ship, and when it encounters strange sights and sounds, it scurries away in fear. The group of Earth men, led by an individual whose jingling keys hang from his belt, frantically pursues the frightened creature. In a race against time, the alien tries to reach its spaceship, only to find that it has left without it. Eventually, the creature finds its way down an embankment and into the suburban development below.

Full summary

The whole story of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, scene by scene

Read the full summary

Timeline of events

Box office

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Box Office & Budget

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial grossed $797.3 million worldwide on a $10.5 million budget, 76 times what it cost. $439.5 million came from the US and Canada and $357.9 million (45%) from the rest of the world.

1982 box office

Worldwide gross

$797.3M

76× its budget

US & Canada: $439.5M
International: $357.9M
Budget: $10.5M

US & Canada 55% Rest of the world 45%

Awards

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Awards & Nominations

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial won 4 Oscars, including Music (Original Score) and Sound, and 9 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1983, with 4 wins from 9 nominations.

9 wins35 nominations6 ceremonies

Oscars 1983 4 wins · 9 nominations
- Won Music (Original Score)
- Won Sound
- Won Sound Effects Editing
- Won Visual Effects
- Nominated Best Picture
+4 more at the Oscars 1983
Saturn Awards 1983 4 wins · 8 nominations
- Won Best Music
- Won Best Poster Art
- Won Best Special Effects
- Won Best Writing
- Nominated Best Actor
+3 more at the Saturn Awards 1983
BAFTA 1983 1 win · 11 nominations
- Won Best Original Music
- Nominated Best Cinematography
- Nominated Best Direction – Steven Spielberg
- Nominated Best Editing
- Nominated Best Film – Steven Spielberg
+6 more at the BAFTA 1983
Golden Globes 1983 5 nominations
- Nominated Best Director – Steven Spielberg
- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Nominated Best Original Score – John Williams
- Nominated Best Screenplay
- Nominated New Star of the Year – Actor – Henry Thomas

Show all 6 ceremonies

DGA Awards 1983 1 nomination
- Nominated Feature Film – Steven Spielberg
Golden Globes 1982 1 nomination
- Nominated New Star of the Year – Actor – Henry Thomas