There are few moments in cinema more unforgettable than a bicycle soaring across the moon. Few melodies more instantly recognizable than those first shimmering notes of John Williams’ score. And few stories that have touched the human spirit quite like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Steven Spielberg’s 1982 masterpiece about a lonely boy, a stranded alien and the unbreakable bond between them.
Now, more than forty years after it first captured the world’s imagination, E.T. returns to the big screen for one special showing at the Cameo Art House Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 4:30 p.m. For longtime fans and new generations alike, it’s a chance to experience the wonder the way it was meant to be seen; in the darkened glow of a movie theater, surrounded by community, where laughter and tears can be shared freely.
The Movie That Sparked a Lifelong Love of Cinema
I still remember the first time I saw E.T. We rented it from our local video store being that I was born long after it had left the theaters. I can’t think of any other movie that made me fall in love with the movies, other than E.T. That spark, ignited in the glow of Spielberg’s storytelling, eventually led me to a lifelong career in film and the arts. I have seen the film at least once on the big screen when it was released in the early 2000s.
A Story That Touched the World
When E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial first premiered in the summer of 1982, few could have predicted its impact. Spielberg, already a household name after Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Raiders of the Lost Ark, crafted something quieter and more intimate. It was a film that looked at science fiction through the eyes of a child.
The story follows Elliott, a ten-year-old boy, played by Henry Thomas in one of the most authentic child performances ever captured on screen. Elliott discovers a small, stranded alien hiding in his family’s backyard shed. Elliott’s loneliness as a result of his parents’ recent separation, mirrors that of E.T., who has been accidentally left behind by his fellow travelers. What begins as a secret friendship soon becomes a journey of trust, courage and love that transcends not only age, but galaxies themselves.
Elliott enlists the help of his siblings. Older brother Michael played by Robert MacNaughton and younger sister Gertie, played by a then-six-year-old Drew Barrymore, help keep E.T. hidden from their mother. Their mother is played by Dee Wallace. The quest to hide him from the faceless government agents determined to capture him becomes most important. Together, the children must help their new friend “phone home” before it’s too late.
At its heart, E.T. is not just a science fiction story, but a film about empathy. It’s about seeing life through another’s eyes and about the universal longing to belong. Spielberg once described it as “a story about what happens when you’re lonely and you make a friend who changes your life.” That emotional truth, as much as the film’s special effects or thrilling sequences, is what has kept audiences returning to it decade after decade.
A Landmark of Film History
The success of E.T. was immediate and staggering. It became the highest-grossing film of all time upon its release, surpassing Star Wars, and held that title for more than a decade. Critics hailed it as an instant classic, praising Spielberg’s direction and the deeply emotional screenplay by Melissa Mathison.
The film went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Original Score for John Williams, whose music has become inseparable from the image of a bicycle silhouetted against the moon. Williams’ music, much like the film itself, walks the line between wonder and melancholy. That final cue when E.T. says goodbye and says “I’ll be right here” as he points to Elliot’s forehead, still gives me chills.
The film’s legacy extends beyond its box office numbers. It reshaped how Hollywood approached stories about childhood and imagination. It inspired countless filmmakers and artists like J.J. Abrams to Guillermo del Toro.
A Film That Still Speaks to Us
More than forty years later, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial remains timeless because it speaks to something deeply human; the ache of separation and the joy of connection. Its message, whispered through the stars, is one of compassion. That’s why audiences still gather, decades later, to relive the magic. In a world that often feels divided, E.T. reminds us that friendship, courage and kindness can bridge even the widest distance.
The Cameo Art House Theatre at 225 Hay St. invites the community to come home to the movies on Nov. 15 at 4:30 p.m., to your memories and to that feeling of wonder that only great storytelling can bring. Bring the whole family. It’s for all ages. Tickets can be purchased online at https://ticketmesandhills.com/events/et-the-extra-terrestrial-1982-november-15th-11-15-2025