E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Continuity mistake: After ET levitates the balls of modeling clay (which Gertie had been playing with) Elliott tells Michael "something scary" is happening, and when Elliott runs toward the shed the swings on the swing set are motionless, but in the next shot one of the swings is suddenly swinging back and forth, but in the next shot it's perfectly idle once again.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: After Elliott finds ET all dressed up courtesy of Gertie, when ET heads into Elliott's bedroom the large oval striped rug has its center under Elliott's bunk-bed, but when they're all in Elliott's room that rug is pulled out (which can't easily happen due to the weight of the bunk-bed) and now covers much more of the floor area, between the bunk-bed and closet.

Super Grover

Visible crew/equipment: When Michael and Elliott bring ghost ET downstairs Mary walks over to the trio with the Polaroid camera, and when she kneels down the actor's tape mark can be seen on the carpet, presumably where Mary had stood when she stopped to scream.

Super Grover

Other mistake: While ET is pulling the blanket loaded down with small appliances, etc., the TV is playing "Francis Goes to the Races" and when the film's Peter and Frances walk into the stall we hear Frances (the woman, not the mule Francis) say, "Grandpa, what's wrong?" but the subtitles on the DVD (1982 and 2002 versions) read, "Stanford, what's wrong?" and the subtitles on Netflix (1982 version) read, "Francis, what's wrong?" Additionally, when ET pulls the blanket behind the TV, on the TV screen we see Frances join her grandfather and we hear their dialogue, but in the next shot as ET stumbles out from behind the TV very drunk, even though we hear the TV's continued dialogue, what we actually see on the TV screen is a repeat of Frances joining her grandfather again, and then it jumps to the scene of Peter in the stall with Francis.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Michael drives the van onto the playground and stops, in the shot from behind the three boys on their bikes Greg turns his head to look down at Harvey, who's sitting between Greg and Steve, but in the next shot facing the boys Harvey has vanished.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Mary sees ET lying on the floor in the bathroom, in the closeups of Gertie there's a white fringed hand towel hanging on the rod behind her, but in the wideshots that towel isn't on the rod though we see a small white towel lying on the counter when Michael picks her up. Then in the following shots of ET the white fringed hand towel is hanging at the end of the rod, but then it vanishes.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Elliott finds ET dressed up and wearing a wig both sides of Elliott's closet doors are open, but after ET hands Elliott the newspaper comics section ET goes over to the closet and only one side is open. Additionally, note the deliberate absence of Elliott's lounge chair which should be right beside the closet door.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Gertie rushes into Elliott's bedroom with the drawing she made for him, just as she sees ET and begins to scream the paper is in her left hand and her right hand is empty, but in the next shot the paper is suddenly in her right hand.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When everyone goes to the shed Michael kneels down to look closely at the prints on the ground, and in the closeup the marks we see differ from the clear prints seen in the next wideshot.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: After Elliott finds ET in the wig and hears him speak, when ET gives Elliott the newspaper comic section there's nothing on the yellow chair behind him, but in the next closeup a shirt suddenly hangs over the back. Additionally, the globe on the desk has turned so the continents change position.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When ET tastes the potato salad in the side shot the drawer in pulled open, but in the shot from behind him as his finger touches the can of beer we see the drawer under that shelf is closed, but in the next side shot that drawer is open again.

Super Grover

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial mistake picture

Continuity mistake: After Elliott explains to ET how the water comes out of the bathtub faucet, when Elliott's on his knees moving closer to ET (while he's squeezing toothpaste), note there are two solid color floor mats (one white and one brownish) which disappear when Elliott rushes to answer the telephone.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: In the first shot of the boys playing Dungeons and Dragons, Greg is holding the phone with the stretched out cord pulled under his left armpit, then a couple of shots later (not a continuity issue yet) the cord is pulled over Greg's right shoulder, but in the next shot it's back under his left armpit.

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: While Elliot and E.T. are saying goodbye to each other at the spaceship, you see Elliot's mom sink to her knees. Then, you see a close-up shot of Elliot and E.T. looking at each other and you can see her white shirt in the background as she gets back up, but then there is a close up of her face as she gets up again.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial mistake picture

Continuity mistake: While all the boys are trying to escape with ET, there are black brake levers/clamps on Michael's and Greg's bike handlebars, and brass brake levers/clamps on Tyler's and Steve's handlebars, but in some closeups this changes. For example, after Steve shouts, "Let's split up," Michael's are brass, when Tyler pulls off his balaclava his are black, and when Greg shouts, "Tell me when it's over," his are brass. Presumably bikes were switched for closeups.

Super Grover

Deliberate mistake: At the end of the film when E.T. is leaving, there is a bright light from the ship, and wind and dust from the spaceship's liftoff. But when the spaceship has lifted off and has flown into space and made a rainbow, they show Elliot and the others and there is still the shining light, plus wind and dust blowing for no reason.

Revealing mistake: When the boys are racing away on their bicycles from the Feds, the stunt doubles for Elliott and his friends are obviously way too tall to be children.

Other mistake: This concerns the 2002-Version. For this version a lot of scenes have been changed/remastered digitally, e.g. E.T.'s mimic, the flapping of Elliot's coat during the bike flight, or some cloud movement during the night scenes. Even the guns were changed into walkie talkies. But every person who was holding a walkie talkie is still pointing out his trigger finger as if holding a gun.

Revealing mistake: When Elliot, Michael, and E.T. arrive at the park after escaping the scientists, a ramp can be seen where they drive over the curb.

Elliot: Okay, he's a man from outer space, and we're taking him to his spaceship.
Greg: Well, can't he just beam up?
Elliot: This is reality, Greg.

Super Grover

More quotes from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Trivia: When the children go out on Halloween night, they pass other children dressed up. One that they pass is dressed as Yoda from Star Wars, and at this point the music plays Yoda's theme from Star Wars. John Williams wrote the music for both films.

More trivia for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Question: When Elliott, Mike and Mike's friends are escaping from the agents on their bikes, are the actors' stunt doubles adults or teenagers? Asking because I've heard of teenagers being stunt performers in movies.

Answer: The BMX stunt riders were aged between 15 and 20, so older than the kids in the film who were about 10.

Sierra1

More questions & answers from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

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