E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Question: Right after ET's death scene we see the people in the suits taking some weird cone things out of the house. What was it they were taking out in the cones?

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

Question: Why, at the beginning of the movie, is there a ton of smoke hovering over the table where the young boys are playing the game? I know they are not smoking cigarettes. The mother is obviously not smoking. Where is the all the smoke coming from? It isn't incense either.

William Bergquist

Chosen answer: They actually are smoking and there are cigarettes on the table.

Mike K

Answer: It didn't show anyone smoking but there is a lit and burning cigarette on the table.

Answer: They're definitely not smoking but there is a lot of smoke. You can see an actual flame at one point so I'm guessing incense.

Answer: There also is a can of insecticide AND air freshener. Years ago they were used to mask the smell of smoke. The mother was too busy and addled to notice them smoking.

Question: Does anyone know the city this was filmed in, or any location used in the film?

manthabeat

Chosen answer: According to IMDb, the filming locations for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial are: (1) 7121 Lonzo Street, Tujunga, L.A., California (2) Crescent City, California (3) Culver Studios, Culver City, California (4) Granada Hills, L.A., California (5) Northridge, L.A., California (6) Wrightwood, California.

Super Grover

Question: The doctor is asking the mother questions about E.T. near the end. One of the questions he asks is "are the children okay?" The children are right there. Why does he ask her?

manthabeat

Answer: He's asking if the kids have any symptoms they aren't completely aware of themselves or they might be dishonest about.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: What was the purpose of the government officials arriving at Elliot's house in astronaut suits? I never really understood the purpose behind that.

Answer: They are not space suits. They're protective hazmat suits. They are dealing with an unknown extraterrestrial being, and would take every possible precaution to ensure they are not exposed to some potentially lethal alien infection.

raywest

Answer: Forgive my ignorance they just looked like space suits to me.

Question: I was hoping someone could clear this up for me. Did ET really die and somehow return, or did he simply fake his death to fool the authorities?

Gavin Jackson

Chosen answer: First, it is hard to know whether he actually died and was revived, or possibly got so close to dead that the scientists simply assumed he had died and called it. But it was not a ploy. His link to the flower reflects his dying condition. As he died, so did the flower.

Garlonuss

Question: When Keys says to Elliot that E.T. came to him too, does he mean that E.T. came into his life or that Keys himself had a similar experience to Elliot's when he was ten?

Answer: I think he's saying that it's been his dream since he was a little kid to see an alien- hence, E.T. came into his life.

Krista

Question: Why did Elliot let all the frogs out? And why was he asking one if it could talk? I realise he was drunk (or ET was), but this doesn't explain such behaviour.

Gavin Jackson

Chosen answer: Elliot, through a psychic connection to ET, is experiencing the effects of the beer that ET is drinking. It has impaired Elliott's judgment and unleashes his inhibitions. He frees the frogs because he doesn't want them to be killed and dissected in class. Talking to one is just a side-effect of being intoxicated and he may be identifying it as a sentient being like E.T.

raywest

Question: I used to have a book that was a sequel to "E.T." called something like "The Green Planet." I am not sure what it was about, does anyone know about this book?

Answer: The book was about E.T. returning to his home world and pretty much shunned for getting left behind. He comes to believe that Elliott is growing up and in doing so forgetting about him. E.T. decides he can save Elliot from growing up and forgetting about him by building a ship and returning to Earth.

Mitchel Hall

Question: When Elliot grabs Gertie's doll and tosses it to Mike, he says, "Do it, Mike. We have to." What does Mike start doing with the doll that brings Gertie to tears?

Answer: It sounds like they're fake-threatening to damage the doll, like pulling its head off, or something to that effect. Naturally, Gertie would be upset.

raywest

Question: Why couldn't ET use his magic finger on himself when he was ill?

Rob245

Answer: The ability is meant to be empathic - he can use his energy to heal other life-forms but must himself heal normally, given sufficient time and hope. Elliot's caring for E.T. helps facilitate his recovery.

Erik M.

Answer: He may have been too weak to do it himself.

Question: Why couldn't ET fly earlier in the movie while people pursued him?

Rob245

Answer: He can't fly he can only make objects levitate.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial mistake picture

Other mistake: In all the shots of ET wearing the white sheet the two eye holes are about a foot apart, so he could see out of the holes properly, but when Michael finds the white sheet ET had been wearing he lifts the material and we see that the two eye holes are only about two inches apart, which makes no sense. (It was Gertie's sheet that had eye holes so close together).

Super Grover

More mistakes in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

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
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial trivia picture

Trivia: Steven Spielberg has a cameo as one of the doctors when Elliot and E.T. are 'hospitalized' inside the house.

wizard_of_gore

More trivia for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

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