E.T. Page #5

[This introduces jeopardy into the scene, for Harvey could harm E.T.]

INT:
KITCHEN: DAY

Elliott, dressed only in white underwear, opens the refrigerator door and

takes out some food.

INTERCUT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM

E.T. walks around the room.

INTERCUT:
KITCHEN

Elliott opens up a jar of peanut butter.

INTERCUT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM

E.T. touches a tennis racket.

INTERCUT:
KITCHEN

Elliott picks up cheese and tomatoes.

INTERCUT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM

E.T. picks up an umbrella.

INTERCUT:
KITCHEN

Elliott takes a carton of milk out of the refrigerator.

INTERCUT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM

E.T. accidentally opens up the umbrella.

INTERCUT:
KITCHEN

Elliott screams with fright and drops the milk carton onto the floor.

INTERCUT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM

E.T. screams with fright, drops the umbrella, then runs into the closet.

[This further establishes the merging of E.T. and Elliott into one being.

Elliott shares E.T.'s feelings and simultaneously experiences what he

experiences. The audience also experiences this surprise with them, which

further tightens the bonds.]

Milk flows from the open carton onto the floor, as Elliott leans into the

open refrigerator. He clutches his chest and looks up towards the ceiling

as he ponders his experience.

INT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM: DAY

Elliott carries a plate of food into the room. He walks past the open

umbrella and looks into the closet. Stuffed animals line the back of the

closet wall. E.T. pushes the animals forward. He was hiding behind them. He

is still shaking from the fright experience. "Are you okay? Too much

excitement, huh? You want a coke?"

[This is the resolution of the last scene sequence. We see both characters'

reactions to the events that have occurred.]

EXT:
DRIVEWAY: DAY

Michael runs up the driveway towards his house. He's wearing a red football

blazer.

INT:
ELLIOTT'S HOUSE: DAY

Michael opens the front door and runs into the house. He takes off his red

shirt to reveal the blue shirt he's wearing underneath. He picks up a

magazine then opens the refrigerator. "Nothing but health sh*t," he says,

as he takes out a can and shakes it.

[The audience tenses up because jeopardy has just been introduced into the

story. They wonder what will happen when Mike discovers E.T. in Elliott's

bedroom.]

INT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM: DAY

Elliott walks away from his closet and opens the door to his room. He tells

Mike to come in. Both boys are dressed in blue and white colors. Mike calls

Elliott a faker, then starts to tell him about scores on an asteroid game,

when Elliott interrupts, to tell him about the goblin. Michael makes fun of

Elliott and his belief that the goblin has returned. But Elliott persists,

and makes Mike promise to give Elliott "absolute power."

[This is the payoff to the "absolute power" concept as set up during the

DUNGEON AND DRAGONS scene.]

[Elliott's objective is to vindicate himself to his brother and sister by

proving that "the Goblin-E.T." really does exist.]

Ellott makes Mike close his eyes, then he retrieves E.T. from the closet

and leads him to the center of the room. Mike has a silly grin on his face

as he opens his eyes and turns around to look at E.T. A sickening look of

terror comes over his face.

Suddenly Gertie opens the door and walks into the room with her doll under

her arm, saying "Elliott, look what I made for you." E.T. sees her then

stretches his neck to raise his head high. Gertie walks right up to him and

screams. E.T. screams back at her. Elliott screams for both of them to

stop. Mike falls back against the wall and knocks down the bookcase. They

all scream together. Elliott grabs Gertie's mouth and pushes her back to

Mike.

"Kids, I'm home," shouts Mary from downstairs.

[Jeopardy! The mother, an adult, is about to discover E.T. Even though they

are terrified, the children all band together against the threat. They'd

rather sit in the closet with the "monster" than have their mother discover

him.]

Mike quickly shuts the door, then they all run to the closet. Gertie

screams again. Mike grabs her by the mouth and pulls her away as E.T. runs

across the room with his arms raised. Elliott shuts the closet door just as

his mother walks into his room. Mary notices the fallen bookcase. She looks

around and then comments, "This is no room, this is an accident." Elliot

tries to cover by saying he was "reorganizing."

INT:
CLOSET: DAY

E.T.'s head appears among the stuffed animals. Mike has his hand over

Gertie's mouth as she tries to scream. Mary walks past the closet door.

[This creates suspense in the audience: will E.T. be discovered by Mary?]

Mary asks Elliot to keep an eye on Gertie while she takes a shower. She

kisses him on the head then leaves the room. Elliott opens the closet door.

Michael, in awe with mouth open wide, watches as Elliott approaches E.T.

"Elliott," whispers Mike. "I'm keeping him," says Elliott.

E.T. sits behind the stuffed animals as if he was one of them.

[The use of stuffed animals as props around E.T helps to transfer positive

feelings that the audience has for them to E.T.]

Gertie asks what it is as she and Michael approach E.T. Elliott tells her

that it won't hurt her. When asked if it's a boy or girl, Elliott replies

that it's a boy. He then tells her that she can't tell Mom about the

creature. When asked why not, he explains that "grownups can't see him.

Only little kids can see him." Gertie snaps back, "Give me a break."

[The charm in Gertie's character lies in the contradictory attributes of

being a sophisticated child. Humor is generated by this incongruity.]

Elliott then goes into his Dracula voice: "Then do you know what will

happen if you do tell?" He grabs Gertie's doll, tosses it to Mike and tells

him to "Do it!." Mike "tortures" the doll by twisting its arm. Gertie cries

as she runs to it. E.T. watches the scene with wonderment in his eyes.

Gertie finally promises not to tell about E.T. They all watch him as he

stretches his neck and lifts up his head.

EXT:
COMMUNITY: DAY

On the hilltop overlooking the neighborhood stands a man with a camera as

he takes photos of the houses below. The man with keys on his waist walks

into the area, as other men comb the ground with electronic equipment.

[Jeopardy is introduced in the scene in order to maintain tension in the

audience. The antagonist is getting closer to the home of the protagonist.]

EXT:
ELLIOTT`S HOUSE: NIGHT

[This is an establishing shot.]

INT:
ELLIOTT`S HOUSE: NIGHT

Mary, carrying a yellow watering pail, walks across the room and waters a

large plant. Gertie pulls a little red wagon into the hallway. When asked

by Mary what she's doing, Gertie replies that she's going to play in

Elliott's room. "Okay, don't let them torture you," says the mother. "I

won't, Mary," replies Gertie.

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