History Film / ETTheExtraTerrestrial

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The police and government agents are the [[DesignatedVillain villains]] of the film, but even then they are very reasonable, never actively trying to harm the children when they find out and even giving Elliott time to [[spoiler:grieve after ET ''dies'']]. This is particularly true of Keys, who gently talks to Elliott to try and figure out what's wrong with E.T.

* DramaticAlienVTOL: When ET finally goes home.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: For the 2002 special edition re-release of the film, the guns of the cops at the end of the film were digitally replaced by CGI walkie-talkies (Spielberg, now a father himself, felt the shotguns could have been too frightening for his children) and "terrorist" changed to "hippie" (referring to one character's Halloween costume). When the film eventually was released on DVD, the initial run saw both the 2002 release and the original theatrical cut packaged together in one set.

* TheBigDamnKiss: {{Parodied|Trope}} by Elliott, who is subliminally reenacting ''TheQuietMan''.

* OneHeadTaller: {{Played for laugh}}s; Elliott has to climb on top of [[ScullyBox a fallen classmate]] to kiss the girl.

* ScullyBox: {{Inverted|Trope}}; Elliott has to climb on top of a fallen classmate to kiss the girl.

* TheBigDamnKiss {{Parodied|Trope}} by Elliott, who is subliminally reenacting ''TheQuietMan''.

* CoyGirlishFlirtPose: Elliot is a deceptively skilled ladies' man.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The first choice to play Gertie? JulietteLewis. Her father made her turn down the role and Barrymore was cast instead.

* ArmiesAreEvil: Averted. They're more like obstructive.

* ForHalloweenIAmGoingAsMyself: Not quite; E.T.'s one of the rare examples who can't go as himself. He needs a formless ghost sheet.

* EnforcedMethodActing

Down in that suburb live Elliott, his older brother Michael, and his little sister [[DrewBarrymore Gertrude]], the products of a broken home with an overworked mom (the dad is absent). Over the course of a few days, lonely Elliott encounters the stranded alien and lures it to his house with Reese's Pieces, offering it shelter and naming it E.T.

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: The mother fails to contain her laughter when reprimanding Elliot for calling Michael "penis breath."

* BigNo[=/=]PleaseDontLeaveMe: [[spoiler:When Michael wakes up and sees the flower that E.T. has revived begin to die again, he shouts out a Big "NO!", which is cued up in synch to Elliot's scream of "E.T., DON'T GOOOO!!!", right before E.T. flatlines.]]
* BillingDisplacement: Dee Wallace as Elliot's mother Mary.

* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: Mom is reading the {{trope nam|ers}}ing section of ''PeterPan'' to Gertie at one point, foreshadowing E.T.'s recovery in the climax.

* TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons: This is what the kids were playing when Elliot wanders outside and discovers E.T.

-->'''Elliot''': *fed up that nobody believes him about E.T.* IT'S NOTHING LIKE THAT, PENIS BREATH!

* HumansAreMorons: Averted. Not only do humans heal him and help send him home but there are many moments in which ET seems less intelligent than humans, despite coming from a more advanced race, such as when he becomes fascinated with a can of pencils, only to run screaming when they tip over.

-->'''Rev. Lovejoy''': I remember another gentle visitor from the heavens, he came in peace and then died, only to come back to life, and his name was... E.T., the Extra Terrestrial. ''(cries)'' I loved that little guy.

* OhCrap: The scientist attempting to scramble back into the moving van, as Elliot pulls out the last peg of an attached walkway.

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The police and government agents are the [[DesignatedVillain villains]] of the film, but even then they are very reasonable, never actively trying to harm the children when they find out and even giving Elliot time to [[spoiler:grieve after ET ''dies'']]. This is particularly true of Keys, who gently talks to Elliot to try and figure out what's wrong with E.T.

* SistineSteal: One that ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' hilariously brought full circle in one short: The Warner siblings help Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel and the result is that Elliot and E.T. are depicted upon it.

* StrappedToAnOperatingTable: [[spoiler:Both Elliot and E.T. get laid down on operating tables when they are sick and the house is quarantined. Unfortunately, E.T. doesn't last very long...]]

For information on the infamous video game adaption, go '''[[{{VideoGame/ET The Extra Terrestrial}} here]]'''.

** The change was mocked mercilessly by many, but perhaps most infamously by ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' in the episode "Free Hat" (which showed us what would have happened if this change had also been applied to ''SavingPrivateRyan''). After the episode aired, Spielberg himself later admitted that editing E.T. was a mistake and vowed never to do such a thing again.

* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: Mom is reading the {{trope nam|er}}ing section of ''PeterPan'' to Gertie at one point, foreshadowing E.T.'s recovery in the climax.

* DungeonsAndDragons: This is what the kids were playing when Elliot wanders outside and discovers E.T.

* FollowTheLeader: A few mostly-forgotten knockoffs such as ''Nukie'' and especially ''MacAndMe'', which cranks the ProductPlacement UpToEleven. More successfully, this was the likely inspiration for the SitCom ''Series/{{ALF}}''.

**** And in the ExpandedUniverse, we have the E.T. Species senator funding an extra-galactic botanical expedition...

* BillingDisplacement: Dee Wallace as Elliot's mom

** The change was mocked mercilessly by many, but perhaps most infamously by ''SouthPark'' in the episode "Free Hat" (which showed us what would have happened if this change had also been applied to ''SavingPrivateRyan''). After the episode aired, Spielberg himself later admitted that editing E.T. was a mistake and vowed never to do such a thing again.

* MessianicArchetype: E.T., right down to the resurrection and the Michaelangelo touching of fingers between man and the Divine. So blatant was the parable it was spoofed on ''TheSimpsons'':

* SistineSteal: One that ''{{WesternAnimation/Animaniacs}}'' hilariously brought full circle in one short: The Warner siblings help Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel and the result is that Elliot and E.T. are depicted upon it.

* TheyShouldHaveSentAPoet: It's suggested E.T. sees Halloween this way.

-->'''Michael:''' *poking through the fridge* Nothin' but health shiiit~.

** Considering what "penis breath" is implying, it's DOUBLY getting crap past the radar.
** E.T. drinking beer, and Elliot at school turning sympathetically drunk.

* ButNowIMustGo: "I'll be...right here."

* FollowTheLeader: A few mostly-forgotten knockoffs such as ''Nukie'' and especially ''MacAndMe'', which cranks the ProductPlacement UpToEleven. More successfully, this was the likely inspiration for the SitCom ''{{ALF}}''.

* HopeSpot: After being able to elude the cop cars, one of Michael's friends cheers "We made it!" [[NotSoFastBucko only for a couple dozen FBI agents to burst back onto the scene]].

* HopeSpot: After being able to elude the cop cars, one of Michael's friends cheers "We made it!" [[NotSoFactBucko only for a couple dozen FBI agents to burst back onto the scene]].

* DisappearedDad