Did you notice that I include this film in the Star Wars multiverse? Thatʼs because, presumably a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, ancestors of E.T. appear as background characters in Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace.
I rewatched this when it came out on 4K, and... honestly, it had lost some of its magic for me too. I can't recall every detail, but I'd agree with a lot of your take. The storytelling felt a little looser than I remembered. I adore Spielberg, but maybe he was still finding his footing back then. The script seemed caught somewhere between being too "kid" and too "adult," and it didn’t quite land that happy medium anymore. It is a classic, which counts for something.
(Still flailing a bit to find the words, but that’s my two cents!)
I agree that being a classic has to count for something. It felt almost like I was betraying my younger self and Spielberg too, when I only gave it an A now, not an A+.
I donʼt base my opinions on those of other people, but it does feel good to hear that someone else has made a similar observation. 🙂
Iʼve been rewatching a lot of early 80s movies lately and have noticed several movies that seem caught between being too “kid” and too “adult”. My theory is that this was a result of the ratings system back then. A G-rating killed a movie financially, so they would take a family-oriented film like E.T. and put in more adult stuff that didnʼt really work, in order to get a PG. Finally in mid 1984 they split PG in half by adding PG-13 and it seems like that helped movies find their right lane.
I don’t base my opinions on other people either—but I’m always in a state of openness, and I love being led by other people’s enthusiasm.
If memory serves, ironically, Spielberg was the one leading the charge for the PG-13 rating—mostly to avoid an R rating for Temple of Doom. I think Red Dawn came out around the same time too?
I love movies, so your Stack is right up my alley. My wife and I have two kids who are still a little too young for a lot of the ‘80s movies we love. (Goonies is a big one—it has all the same threads we're talking about here.)
How long do we have to wait? Probably a while—they’re only 6 and 4. 😄
Looking forward to seeing what’s next on your watchlist! '80s movies, all the way!!! Are you on Letterboxd?
Did you notice that I include this film in the Star Wars multiverse? Thatʼs because, presumably a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, ancestors of E.T. appear as background characters in Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace.
I rewatched this when it came out on 4K, and... honestly, it had lost some of its magic for me too. I can't recall every detail, but I'd agree with a lot of your take. The storytelling felt a little looser than I remembered. I adore Spielberg, but maybe he was still finding his footing back then. The script seemed caught somewhere between being too "kid" and too "adult," and it didn’t quite land that happy medium anymore. It is a classic, which counts for something.
(Still flailing a bit to find the words, but that’s my two cents!)
I like your two cents!
I agree that being a classic has to count for something. It felt almost like I was betraying my younger self and Spielberg too, when I only gave it an A now, not an A+.
I donʼt base my opinions on those of other people, but it does feel good to hear that someone else has made a similar observation. 🙂
Iʼve been rewatching a lot of early 80s movies lately and have noticed several movies that seem caught between being too “kid” and too “adult”. My theory is that this was a result of the ratings system back then. A G-rating killed a movie financially, so they would take a family-oriented film like E.T. and put in more adult stuff that didnʼt really work, in order to get a PG. Finally in mid 1984 they split PG in half by adding PG-13 and it seems like that helped movies find their right lane.
Like you, thatʼs just my two cents. 🙂
I don’t base my opinions on other people either—but I’m always in a state of openness, and I love being led by other people’s enthusiasm.
If memory serves, ironically, Spielberg was the one leading the charge for the PG-13 rating—mostly to avoid an R rating for Temple of Doom. I think Red Dawn came out around the same time too?
I love movies, so your Stack is right up my alley. My wife and I have two kids who are still a little too young for a lot of the ‘80s movies we love. (Goonies is a big one—it has all the same threads we're talking about here.)
How long do we have to wait? Probably a while—they’re only 6 and 4. 😄
Looking forward to seeing what’s next on your watchlist! '80s movies, all the way!!! Are you on Letterboxd?