E.T. Page #13

Doctors state that he has no blood pressure and there is no pulse or

respiration. A bell rings, which signifies a life and death situation.

Doctors run into the room and tear down the plastic coverings surrounding

E.T.

"Leave him alone. You're killing him," says Elliott. They wheel Elliott out

of the room as he continues to scream. The medical staff frantically tries

to revive E.T. They try electrical shocks, but that fails. Gertie holds her

doll as she watches. She reacts by jumping when the electrical shocks are

applied to E.T.

[Showing one character's reactions to a situation help to create the

intended reaction in the audience.]

The doctors are losing him. Elliott watches and cries. Mary goes to him and

they hug each other. Gertie cries as she holds her doll. Mike walks into

the room, as "Keys" watches, then turns away.

[This provides the audience with each character's reaction to the death of

E.T. This is a surprising event for the audience: the protagonist has died.

Emotionally, it was designed to sadden the audience so that they will

become overjoyed when he is brought back to life.]

EXT:
ELLIOTT'S HOUSE: DAY

A white van awaits at the bottom of the driveway.

[Previously, the vans and cars associated with the antagonist were of dark

colors. The color changes allows the filmmaker to use culturally determined

color associations to manipulate the audience's emotional responses.]

Police and other officials walk past a white van, white truck, police cars

and other white vehicles towards a tan colored car. Mike's friends sit on

their bikes behind police barriers. They make comments that something has

just happened inside the house.

[This establishes the existence of Mike's friends who will play a crucial

role in the last chase scene.]

INT:
MEDICAL ROOM: DAY

The medical staff gives up on E.T. and decide to pack him in ice. Mike

watches as the staff of E.T. slowly walks away. "Keys" removes his headgear

and walks to Elliott who is standing vigil over E.T.'s body. "Keys" then

approaches E.T. Mike watches and cries as a man behind him removes his

headgear. The faces of several medical attendants are shown.

[This humanizes the forces of the antagonist and makes them much less

threatening. That's why they had to be faceless for so long throughout the

story.]

"Keys" kneels besides E.T. and with gloved hand closes his eyes. Mary holds

Gertie. When Gerite asks if he's dead, Mary replies that she thinks so.

Gertie then says she wishes him back.

[The interchange between Gertie and Mary reminds the audience of the Tinker

Bell situation when Mary read to her from Peter Pan. Those same feelings

are reintroduced here: the clapping of hands to save the fairy and then the

desire to rescue the children. This is the payoff to the emotional

reactions set up in that earlier scene.]

"Keys" looks up to see two attendants roll in a metal casing filled with

ice into which they will place E.T.'s body.

Mary picks up Gertie and carries her out of the room. Medical technicians

prepare the casing as Elliott watches. Keys approaches Elliot and tells him

that they will be taking E.T. away. "They are just going to cut him all

up," replies Elliott.

[This is the payoff to the frog sequence. The audience believes that

Elliott is correct, given the scientific mind as demonstrated by the

teacher. They also now remember the joy they felt when Elliott freed the

frogs, and wish they could experience that again now.]

"Do you want to spend some time alone with him?" asks "Keys," as he puts

his arm around Elliott and walks him to the casing. He tells the medical

attendants to leave the room.

[This generates empathy for "Keys" who is shown to be concerned for

Elliott's feelings.]

The attendants walk out of the room past Michael who is watching Elliott.

"Keys" leaves Elliott alone with the body of E.T., which is covered in a

plastic bag as it lies on dry ice. Elliott stares down at E.T.

"Look at what they've done to you. I'm so sorry. You must be dead. I... I

didn't know how to feel. I can't feel anything anymore. You've gone

someplace else now. E.T., I love you."

[Elliott wears a partially open white-jacket. He is framed within an oval

shaped glass.]

Elliott places the cover down over E.T. and walks away from the oval glass.

A red-light flashes from inside the casing, but Elliott doesn't notice this

as he walks away. He passes the pot of wilted flowers. The flowers slowly

start to regain strength. Elliott notices this, then quickly returns the

casing.

[This is the payoff for the pot-of-wilted-flowers prop.]

He opens the casing, sees the red-light flashing from E.T.'s heart, then

zips open the plastic bag. The alien looks up and says "E.T. phone home."

Elliott screams with joy.

"Home, home, home, home," says E.T.

"Does this mean they are coming?" asks Elliott.

"Yes," answers E.T.

[E.T. has finally succeeded in his objective of communicating home.]

Elliott tells him to stay and shut up, as he places his hand over E.T.'s

mouth. Elliott zips him back up, then places a cloth over his flashing

red-heart, as "KEYS" re-enters the room. Elliott slams down the cover.

"KEYS" pulls Elliott away from the case as two attendants prepare for its

removal. Elliott cries out with feigned sorrow to conceal his glee when he

sees the wilted flowers regain their health. The attendants lock the case.

INT:
DECONTAMINATION CHAMBER: DAY

Elliott tells Mike that E.T. is alive. Mike's also overjoyed. Mike and

Elliott rejoice as the wilted flowers continue to bloom.

INT:
ELLIOTT'S HOUSE: DAY

Mary is talking to "KEYS" as Gertie runs up with the pot of flowers in her

hands. He asks Mary if the boys have gone because she's sup- posed to give

her a note when they have gone. Mary takes the note from Gertie and reads

it.

[This note provides the crisis to which Mary must react, yet the audience

is kept in suspense.]

EXT:
PLASTIC TUNNEL: DAY

Elliott runs down the tunnel past two men dressed in blue, then enters the

back of the van. Elliott then pulls aside the white curtains that separate

the drivers compartment from the back of the van to reveal Michael in the

driver's seat. He to is wearing a blue jacket. Elliott yells at Mike for

not wearing his mask. Suddenly, a black official walks by the van, spots

Mike in the driver's seat, and knocks on the window. He holds a

walkie-talkie in his hand as he asks Mike who he is. Mike responds that

he's driving. The official tells Mike to open the door. When Mike looks to

Elliott for advice, Elliott tells him to drive away.

[Elliott and Mike's objective is to escape with E.T.]

A group of men approach the van. Mike screams that he's never driven

forward before, shifts into first gear, and drives away.

[This is the payoff to the scene of Mike incompetently backing the car down

the driveway.]

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