E.T. Survives Time, Technical Tinkering

5 Stars

Chances are that if you are between the ages of 18 and 24, the movie "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" inspires a unique emotion: flat-out terror.

That is the feeling that came flooding back as I sat in the dimmed theater preparing to watch the 20th anniversary re-release of "E.T." That alien was a frightening little bugger when you were not of an age to understand the film's gentle plot.

Perhaps this occurrence is the beauty of the recent re-release craze in the movie industry: the assuaging of childhood fears.

From the original "Star Wars" trilogy to "Grease" and "Gone With the Wind," many films have been brought back to theaters in recent years.

Maybe none are so deserving of the rerelease treatment as "E.T.," Steven Spielberg's 1982 treatise on interplanetary friendship that was both a critic's darling and cultural touchstone. After all, it held the title as the highest grossing film in history for more than a decade and inspired millions of people worldwide to "phone home."

In simplest terms, "E.T." is the story of a boy and his best friend.

The fact that this friend is an alien is more a novelty factor than a necessity to the plot. The film could have worked just as well with two people of different races or cultures.

What made "E.T." brilliant at the time of its release was not its plot but its pathos. As the human half of the film's dynamic pair, Henry Thomas' Elliot remains one of the most strikingly nuanced child performances caught on film.

Equally winning are Robert MacNaughton as Michael, Elliot's annoying but good-hearted older brother, and a pre-rehab (but not by much) Drew Barrymore as the impossibly adorable little sister Gertie.

Though Dee Wallace plays the mother figure to addlebrained perfection, "E.T." ultimately belongs to the kids. The entire film seems to be shot through the eyes of a child. The adult figures hover from above and rarely have faces.

Many people will flock to see "E.T." because of its heavily publicized and much-heralded new footage, digitally enhanced effects and remastered soundtrack.

The film's major new scene features E.T. and Elliot exploring a bathroom, and though it does little to further the plot, it proves an amusing and welcome addition that highlights the growing bond between the two. Also, John Williams' soaring soundtrack benefits beautifully from 21st century technology.

Other alterations prove more distracting than enhancing. The CGI effects used to enhance E.T.'s facial expressions are easily noticeable and ultimately unnecessary.

The same applies to Spielberg's replacement of the government agents' guns with walkie-talkies, which seems downright picky when compared to the ubiquitous amount of weapons and violence in today's society.

Fortunately, the overall resonance of "E.T." does not suffer from these silly alterations. The film is as relevant and moving today as it was 20 years ago, if not more so.

The ultimate paradox of "E.T." then and now is that a film about extraterrestrials could affirm so much about humanity.

Some may call it gimmickry, but it's the kind of gimmick that the world could use a little more of.

"E.T." scared me as a kid, but as the years have passed it has left me with a new emotion: hope.

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.