7.9 is absurd.
Just embarrassing. That is all.
shareI think it's about right. This is a very entertaining film. It gets the "burbs" in the 80s atmosphere just right, gets all the pop culture references perfect, and the kids in the roles do a terrific job.
But it's a little blank on overall theme. It is a big commercial film, so there aren't going to be a whole lot of deep moments of reflection to give it added weight.
It's a classic film no doubt :)
RIP
Dimebag Darrell
1966-2004
You must not be paying attention to the internal Elliot part of the story and the change in his character from beginning to end that is noticed by his mother. Notice that's who he looks at when he hugs the creature goodbye. And notice her reaction to his transformation, through her guilt of raising the kids in a broken family. She actually sinks to the ground with emotion. Remember the dinner scene, and then the slow camera move to Elliot with the steam rising... he goes into the fantasy aspect full force, but by the end he is finally bonded with his reality, and even had all the other figures in his life (the other boys) help him as a team.
Spielberg is always making movies more about family roles, empathy, and breaking down emotional walls. In this case, as was brought up by a screenwriter once, E.T., in effect, sometimes becomes the replacement of family for Elliot, who is at odds with everyone around him at the beginning. Remember his first encounter with E.T. is the baseball and glove at the shed? Then remember that the absent father is associated with taking them to the ball games?
Well he kind of tried this again but very very awkwardly in War of the Worlds. That movie works brilliantly as spectacle, but not with the substance underneath like E.T.
There is actually a lot going on effectively under the surface of the movie even though at a glance it seems like a fairy tale children's movie. This is why IT IS NOT BAD LIKE MAC & ME.
No movie that gets that many people to see it in the theater repeatedly is only working on a surface level. "Trust me."
But even below that is the case that the movie is about overcoming or fighting xenophobia. Spielberg is great at that.
You must not be paying attention to the internal Elliot part of the story and the change in his character from beginning to end that is noticed by his mother. Notice that's who he looks at when he hugs the creature goodbye. And notice her reaction to his transformation, through her guilt of raising the kids in a broken family. She actually sinks to the ground with emotion. Remember the dinner scene, and then the slow camera move to Elliot with the steam rising... he goes into the fantasy aspect full force, but by the end he is finally bonded with his reality, and even had all the other figures in his life (the other boys) help him as a team.
Spielberg is always making movies more about family roles, empathy, and breaking down emotional walls. In this case, as was brought up by a screenwriter once, E.T., in effect, sometimes becomes the replacement of family for Elliot, who is at odds with everyone around him at the beginning. Remember his first encounter with E.T. is the baseball and glove at the shed? Then remember that the absent father is associated with taking them to the ball games?
Well he kind of tried this again but very very awkwardly in War of the Worlds. That movie works brilliantly as spectacle, but not with the substance underneath like E.T.
There is actually a lot going on effectively under the surface of the movie even though at a glance it seems like a fairy tale children's movie. This is why IT IS NOT BAD LIKE MAC & ME.
No movie that gets that many people to see it in the theater repeatedly is only working on a surface level. "Trust me."
But even below that is the case that the movie is about overcoming or fighting xenophobia. Spielberg is great at that.
Amazing post. Thanks for that!
And E.T. is the best movie ever. What it rates here is hardly irrelevant.
A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference. Eeyore share
Too long to read, given the dreadful first sentence.
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