Ten-year-old Elliott is adrift. His father has recently left the family for another woman, his mother is overwhelmed, his older brother dismisses him, and his younger sister is too young to understand. Into this loneliness comes the most unlikely friend: a small, wrinkled alien botanist accidentally stranded on Earth when his spaceship fled government pursuers. Elliott discovers E.T. in the backyard shed, and despite his terror, chooses connection over fear. What develops is cinema’s most tender portrait of friendship—a telepathic bond so complete that Elliott feels E.T.’s emotions, gets drunk when E.T. drinks beer, and nearly dies when E.T.’s health fails. The climax, in which Elliott and his friends bicycle E.T. toward his departing spaceship while silhouetted against the moon, created one of cinema’s most indelible images. But it’s the goodbye—E.T.’s glowing finger touching Elliott’s forehead, “I’ll be right here”—that has made generations weep.

Content Breakdown: The content is more intense than the gentle premise suggests. Language is stronger than many parents expect—”shit,” “damn,” “son of a bitch,” and notably “penis breath” as a sibling insult; also the dated slur “redskin” during a Peter Pan reading (providing discussion opportunity about how language standards change). Violence includes E.T.’s terrifying chase through cornfields and forest, government agents invading the home in hazmat suits with flashlights like weapons, and E.T.’s devastating apparent death scene—his gray, withered body in a medical facility while Elliott screams in grief. This scene is extremely emotionally intense and the primary content concern. Sexual content is minimal—Elliott, under E.T.’s telepathic influence, grabs and kisses a girl at school without her consent (played for comedy in 1982 but now a valuable consent discussion opportunity). Substance use includes E.T. discovering beer in the refrigerator and getting tipsy, which telepathically causes Elliott to act drunk at school, releasing frogs from biology class (played for comedy but depicts intoxication affecting a child’s behavior).

Why This Film Works for Overcoming Fear, Worry and Paranoia

Fear runs through this film like an electric current. Elliott is afraid when he first encounters E.T.—they scream at each other, both terrified. The government agents are faceless, threatening, presented almost as horror-movie villains. E.T. himself is afraid—of being captured, of dying alone, of never going home. And underneath everything, Elliott carries the unspoken fear that defines children of divorce: the fear of abandonment, that the people he loves will leave and not come back.

What makes E.T. masterful for this objective is how it shows fear being transformed—not eliminated, but moved through. Elliott’s first instinct is fear; his second is curiosity; his third is compassion. He doesn’t stop being afraid of the strange creature in his shed. He chooses to connect anyway. This is the film’s model for overcoming fear: not the absence of scary feelings, but the decision that connection matters more than self-protection.

The film also distinguishes between fears that protect us and fears that isolate us. Elliott is right to be cautious of the government agents—they do want to take E.T., do invade his home, do represent genuine threat. But if he’d let fear of the unknown prevent him from approaching E.T. in the first place, he’d have missed the most important relationship of his life. The film teaches discernment: some fears are warnings, others are walls. Wisdom is knowing the difference.

Characters to Discuss

• Elliott: He’s afraid when he meets E.T. but approaches anyway. What makes him choose connection over flight? How does his loneliness relate to his courage?
• E.T.: He’s powerful (telekinesis, healing touch) but also vulnerable—stranded, sick, dying. How does the film show that being powerful and being afraid aren’t opposites?
• The government agents (“Keys”): They’re presented as terrifying but aren’t simply evil—the lead scientist genuinely cares about E.T. by the end. How does the film complicate our fear of them?
• Michael (the older brother): He moves from dismissing Elliott to protecting him and E.T. What changes? How does he overcome his own fears (of being uncool, of authority)?
• Gertie (the younger sister): She screams when she sees E.T., then immediately accepts him. What can we learn from how young children process fear differently than older kids?
• The mother: She’s so overwhelmed by the divorce that she doesn’t notice an alien living in her house. How do adult fears and worries create blindness?

Parent Tips for This Film

E.T.’s death scene—prepare for it: This is one of the most emotionally devastating sequences in family film history. E.T. turns gray and withered, medical equipment flatlines, Elliott sobs “I love you” to what appears to be a corpse. Even knowing E.T. revives, children (and adults) may experience genuine grief. Don’t skip it—the death and resurrection are essential to the story—but prepare your child: “There’s a part where it seems like E.T. dies, and it’s very sad. Elliott is heartbroken. But keep watching.” Having tissues available isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom.

The government invasion: Agents in hazmat suits take over Elliott’s home, separate him from his family, and subject E.T. to medical procedures. For children with anxiety about authority figures, medical settings, or home safety, this sequence may be intensely triggering. The film deliberately presents the “adult world” as threatening—validating children’s fears while also showing that kids can resist and prevail.

The kiss scene: Elliott, feeling E.T.’s emotions telepathically, suddenly grabs a girl in his class and kisses her without asking. In 1982 this was played as sweet/funny. Today it’s an opportunity: “Elliott didn’t ask before kissing her. How do you think she felt? What should he have done differently? The movie shows this as romantic, but what do we know now about consent that maybe they didn’t think about then?”

The “penis breath” line: Elliott’s brother calls him “penis breath” at the dinner table. This will likely prompt questions or giggles. A simple response: “That’s a rude insult Elliott’s brother uses. Brothers sometimes say mean things to each other. We don’t use language like that in our family.” Then move on—the film doesn’t dwell on it.

The beer scene: E.T. drinks beer; Elliott telepathically becomes intoxicated at school. This is played for comedy but shows a child acting drunk (stumbling, slurring, making poor decisions). Discuss: “E.T. didn’t know beer would make him feel funny. How did it affect Elliott? Why do adults have to be careful about alcohol?”

Runtime consideration: At 115 minutes, this is long for young viewers. A natural intermission point occurs after Elliott first brings E.T. into his room and they begin communicating—approximately 40 minutes in.

Guns vs. walkie-talkies: For the 2002 20th-anniversary edition, Spielberg digitally replaced the agents’ guns with walkie-talkies, sparking controversy about altering films. The 2012 Blu-ray restored the original guns. If you encounter both versions, this provides media literacy discussion: Should filmmakers change their work to reflect new values? Who decides what’s appropriate? Spielberg himself later said he regretted the alteration.

Deeper Themes for Older Children

Immigration/refugee parallels: E.T. is a refugee—stranded far from home, hunted by authorities, hidden by those who show compassion, desperate to reunite with his family. Spielberg, son of Jewish parents aware of refugee experience, has acknowledged these resonances. For older children: “How is E.T.’s situation like what refugees experience? What does the film say about how we should treat those who are different and vulnerable?”

Divorce and abandonment: Elliott’s father has left the family. E.T. leaving at the end mirrors this loss—but with a crucial difference. E.T. leaves because he must, not because he wants to; he promises to remain present (“I’ll be right here”); the leaving is framed as completion rather than abandonment. For children processing parental divorce or separation: “How is E.T. leaving different from Elliott’s dad leaving? What does E.T. give Elliott that helps him with that older loss?”

Recommendation: Ages 7+ is appropriate for most children; ages 8-10 for sensitive children or those with particular anxiety about death, medical settings, or authority figures. E.T.’s death scene requires preparation and likely emotional support. The forced kiss provides consent discussion opportunity. One of the most emotionally powerful family films ever made—transformative for children ready to receive it, potentially overwhelming for those who aren’t. When in doubt, wait a year. This film will still be there, and it rewards the viewer who comes to it ready.