Continuity mistake: In the exterior front shots of Elliott's house there are some significant changes to the landscape in different shots. For instance, the two lampposts at the bottom of the driveway change to an entirely different style in some shots, and the huge garden boulders repeatedly vanish and reappear. Also, note when Michael takes off on Elliott's bike to go search for ET, the in-ground lamppost that should be beside the mailbox has vanished, but it reappears when all the government agents are setting things up outside the house.
Continuity mistake: While Elliott and ET are saying goodbye, in the original 1982 version in the shot facing Elliott, ET lifts his right hand to point his finger at Elliott's forehead and ET's finger glows (note the weird angle of ET's raised right hand), but in the next shot facing ET when he says the iconic words, "I'll be right here," it's actually ET's left hand up by Elliott's face. This was digitally corrected in the 2002 version, so that in the first shot ET lifts up his left hand.
Continuity mistake: After Mary carries Elliott downstairs the government agents start entering her home, and in the next closeup of ET lying on the floor there's a large bath towel hanging over the side of the bathtub, but in the next shot of ET from behind the "spacesuit", there's now a small bath mat (same color as the previous towel) hanging over the side of the tub.
Revealing mistake: Elliot takes his dishes to the sink, opens the faucet and steam rises all over the kitchen. When the camera pulls back, one can notice that the huge cloud of steam is coming from somewhere along the window, not from the narrow stream of water from the faucet.
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.
Revealing mistake: During the scene in the woods with the communication machine, Elliot tells E.T. that they need to go. You see the machine still working at a regular interval because a rope is pulling it. The shot pans to the left a touch and the rope stops moving, as if the person pulling it realises it's no longer in the shot.
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.
Other mistake: When Elliot's mother is reading to Gertie, there is a scene looking into the closet and we see her shadow as she is reading. Why don't we see Gertie's shadow? When we see them through the closet door they're sitting next to each other. We should see both.
Other mistake: When the kids pedal away from the FBI and turn towards the homes under construction, skidmarks from previous takes are visible before the FBI cars arrive.
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.
Revealing mistake: When the boys' bicycles lift off they cast no shadow on the police cars nor on the road below.
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.
Other mistake: Whatever E.T. feels or things happen to him, Elliot experiences them too, but when Mary takes a photo on Halloween, only he faints and Elliot doesn't, despite their mental link.
Suggested correction: E.T. doesn't faint. He is just startled and stumbles and falls over backwards.
Continuity mistake: When ET's spaceship takes off and starts flying, the sky is red, a shot later it's blue.
Continuity mistake: At the end, ET's finger glows and he says "I'll be right here" but in the immediate opposite angle the finger's not glowing.
Continuity mistake: When Gertie first meets ET his neck is either stretched or not depending on the angle.
