wenty years ago, a wrinkly alien found himself marooned in a California forest, taken in by a lonely 10-year-old boy and immortalized in one of the most loved films of all time.
Now, E.T. and Elliott (Thomas) are back in theaters in a newly restored and enhanced version of Spielberg's most famous movie, just in time for the 20th anniversary of a phenomenon that spawned the phrase "phone home" and made Reese's Pieces the favorite candy of a generation.
For those members of the audience newly arrived in this galaxy, the story is simple. Elliott—helped by his older brother, Michael (Robert MacNaughton), young sister, Gertie (Barrymore), and mom (Stone)—befriend an alien stranded in his suburban backyard, while mysterious men close in on the creature. Elliott and E.T. forge a strong bond, but Elliott nevertheless tries to help the alien find his way back to his "people" before he gets sicker—and before the government men find out their secret.
The new version restores the film to its original luster and remasters the soundtrack—including John Williams' Oscar-winning score. It also adds two new scenes, including one in which E.T. takes a bath, to Elliott's amazement.
Most significantly, Spielberg has enhanced the film with computer technology. In some cases, the enhancements are subtle: Clouds now scud across the sky in previously inert matte paintings; Elliott's cape now billows behind him in the famous bicycle-over-the-moon scene.
In other scenes, the changes are more dramatic and notable. Carlo Rambaldi's E.T. puppet has been almost entirely replaced with a new CGI version of the character in a few scenes. In other scenes, computer technology supplements the puppet's movements and facial expressions.
Spielberg also used technology to alter the film in two controversial ways. Stone redubbed a line in which she originally told Michael not to go out on Halloween looking like a "terrorist"; that word has been changed to "hippie." And Spielberg used computer technology to erase the guns from federal agents pursuing Elliott and his friends, replacing the weapons with walkie-talkies.
A 21st-century makeover
Revising, enhancing and restoring E.T. 20 years after the fact is analogous to Leonardo da Vinci ambling into the Louvre to touch up the "Mona Lisa." By the time the public has embraced a work of art as its own, does the artist have a right to change it?
That philosophical question is moot, as Spielberg has mustered the power of 21st-century film technology to alter his masterpiece to his own ends. (For purists, the original unaltered version of E.T. will be released on DVD, along with the new one.) The question for an audience member today is: Do the changes hurt one of my favorite films?
The answer is a qualified no. E.T. remains at its glowing heart a story about a boy and his alien, a boy learning about love. Whatever changes Spielberg and the magicians at Industrial Light & Magic have wrought, E.T.'s power to move an audience to laughter, anxiety and, ultimately, tears remains thankfully intact.
The new print of the film is luminous, reacquainting the audience with Spielberg's magical composition, lighting and love of the human face. The digitally enhanced soundtrack sharpens Williams' score, which again proves the perfect accompaniment for Spielberg's images. The newly added scenes are simply more icing on the cake.
The new computer effects work for and against the movie. The original film's technological limitations actually helped the movie, requiring the original E.T. to move slowly and deliberately and underscoring the character's inherent grace and serenity. The new enhancements allow E.T., in certain scenes, to be more expressive and agile, but the new images differ noticeably from the remaining puppet segments, however much the ILM technicians strove to match things up. Fortunately, the changes won't jump out at the casual viewer.
More problematic are the alterations that reflect the world of 2002 vs. 1982. Eliminating the "terrorist" reference is understandable, but regrettable, as its incongruousness resulted in a laugh. Now the line simply falls flat. Similarly, removing guns may be laudable from a parent's point of view, but it seriously undercuts the menace of the scenes in which the Federal agents pursue Elliott and his friends.
