Continuity mistake: When the kids and the mother go outside to see what scared Elliot, ET's footprints on the sand are smudged. When the shot changes they're neatly marked.
Continuity mistake: The weather during the end chase changes three times. When they first leave it is full on sunny. When they arrive at the playground it is overcast. The next scene it's sunny again.
Continuity mistake: After Elliott burps during class, notice the blonde girl in blue. Her arms are crossed differently depending on the shot. (00:45:10)
Continuity mistake: As Gertie lifts a flower pot and places it in the wagon, the overhanging green leaves near her left hand disappear as the shots change. (00:37:15)
Continuity mistake: When Mike suggests that Elliott saw an iguana instead of an alien, Mary holds a coffee mug halfway between her mouth and the tabletop. Between frames the mug changes position and is now within a couple inches of her mouth. (00:17:05)
Continuity mistake: When drunken ET drags a blanket filled with stuff behind the TV, the type of stuff changes when the mother arrives home.
Continuity mistake: When Elliot and ET are in the bathroom and the phone rings, the chord changes positions between the wide and close-up angles.
Continuity mistake: After the van skids into the playground, Steve's hand jumps to a different position on the bike he's holding. He starts off by gripping the handlebar, but then suddenly he's holding onto the steel frame between both handlebars instead. (01:39:00)
Continuity mistake: After the frog incident, Elliott opens Gertie's closet doors to reveal E.T. dressed in drag. He initially grabs both knobs and starts pulling, but in the following shot no hands are seen gripping the knobs and the doors open up automatically. (00:53:40)
Continuity mistake: When Mike rolls Mary's Audi into the street, his head goes from being within the vehicle to poking out between shots. (00:26:30)
Continuity mistake: When Mike reaches the playground in a stolen van, his friends are there waiting with bikes. On the right we see Greg wearing sunglasses, a red cap and headphones. But in the next shot where they approach the van's rear doors, Greg is suddenly missing his sunglasses. (01:38:55)
Continuity mistake: In the first shot of Mike barreling downhill with the van, he passes by a group of three onlookers. But after Elliott figures out how to disconnect the plastic tube and lose the two men struggling within it, an overhead shot of the neighborhood shows Mike driving past the same group of people yet again (note the orange winter hat and black & white striped jacket worn by the kids). (01:37:15)
Continuity mistake: When Elliot shows up behind the fridge his mom kneels down and puts her head on his chest. From the opposite angle she is standing taller, with her head by his right elbow.
Continuity mistake: When the movie starts and ET is about to arrive to his spaceship with the cops behind, the scenes involving ET and the cops are filled with smoke, the ones with the spaceship are smoke clear. This swaps back and forth.
Continuity mistake: When the movie ends and the spaceship takes off, all the people in the forest suddenly disappear.
Continuity mistake: When Elliot says goodbye to dead ET, his robe swaps from open to closed around the neck.
Continuity mistake: When the boys are in the garage looking for things, the light is out, door closed, and they are using torches. Cut to the outside shot - the door is open and the main light is on. This shot is shown with the van outside, then not outside.
Continuity mistake: While ET is reading the ABC book and brings life to the wilted plant, the position and number of the leaves and flowers are completely different between the front and back shots.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Elliott is grieving over E.T., he suddenly rests his head on the casing's circular glass window between shots. This happens a moment before he starts talking. (01:32:05)
Continuity mistake: As Elliott creeps up to the tool shed with a pizza box, watch how the porch swing rotates 180° from one shot to the next. (00:10:15)
Answer: The BMX stunt riders were aged between 15 and 20, so older than the kids in the film who were about 10.
Sierra1 ★