The MacGuffins will select, with a heavy dose of nostalgia, their fifth team selection and 130th overall pick, for entry in the
Fantasy category
:
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
Come.
Stay.
After watching all sorts of short-listed picks fall off the board (Amelie, Strangelove, Donnie Darko, Malkovich, Trainspotting, Kill Bill, and especially Butch Cassidy), I figured it was time to fill a category that had a handful of options, but only one movie I really love- the first movie I ever saw in a theatre (at age 9 months),
E.T. One of Steven Spielberg's true masterpieces, this is
the quintessential family movie, and a film that I could watch again and again.
One of the most profound things about
E.T. is that it seems to suck viewers in, as a flood of childhood memories wash over them. It's almost as if this wonderous state of innocence overtakes people, and whisks them back to being an age in the single digits. Little kids and great-grandparents sit there transfixed, and even film buffs, hip teenagers, and jaded adults find it irresistable and come along for the (bike) ride.
What is it about this film that does that? From a technical standpoint, Spielberg relied heavily on POV shots, so much so that almost the entire movie is seen through the eyes of either E.T. or Elliot. The camera is often low to the ground, bobbling around (think the chase/bike scenes), or obstructed (blanket over E.T.'s head), helping the viewer to experience and understand what's happening just like an innocent child (or alien) would. As the plot moves forward, and it becomes apparent that E.T. is sick and the evil scientists (see how I am in kid mode already?) are banging down doors looking for E.T., everything is seen from that same kid perspective. Viewers immediately and instinctively identify with both E.T. and Elliot, and tend to watch with a childlike sense of anticipation and wonderment.
Those technical decisions set up the emotional aspect of the film brilliantly. Of course the feelings brought about are helped by the outstanding acting by the child actors, one of John Williams' best scores, and some very memorable, classic scenes. However, the beautifully simple story of love, friendship, compassion, and unselfishness maintains to this day its power to render almost anybody completely stripped bare. Upon my most recent viewing, I remember tears trickling down my face during the last few minutes, completely overwhelmed and engrossed.
A movie for absolutely everyone,
E.T. is a magical cinema experience, and I am happy to add it to The MacGuffins!
