E.T. Page #6

[This generates humor because the child deals with the mother as if they

are equals.]

Gertie picks up a pot containing a sickly geranium plant and places it into

the wagon. The phone rings and Mary answers it off screen.

[The plant becomes an important prop because in the story it will represent

the health and well-being of E.T.]

INT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM: NIGHT

Gertie knocks on the door. Mike lets her and Harvey into the room. They

walk to the table where E.T. and Elliott are sitting. Gertie puts the

sickly plant n the table. E.T. puts his finger into the plant. Elliott

opens up an encyclopedia and points to California on a map of the United

States. "We are here," Elliott says as E.T. munches on celery. Michael

hands Elliott a globe and tells him to use this instead of the map. Elliott

points to the globe, then asks E.T. where he's from. E.T. points out the

window.

[Elliott's objective is to discover more about the alien.]

Elliott opens the book to a page that has the map of a galaxy. He points to

the planet earth, touches the globe, then says "HOME, HOME." E.T. makes a

soft noise that sounds similar to the word "home." Gertie watches him as he

picks up round objects and places them on the map: three small pieces of

fruit and two eggs. E.T.'s eyes concentrate on the table, which then starts

to shake. The two eggs and three small pieces of fruit then lift off the

table and float in the air. The children watch with awe.

[This introduction of "magical" powers that E.T. possesses was unexpected

and thereby helps to make the story unpredictable.]

Elliott screams with fright and the floating objects drop to the floor. He

walks to a lamp and stares into it. Mike asks what is wrong. "I don't know.

Something scary," says Elliott as E.T. places his finger on Elliott's

shoulder.

[Jeopardy is introduced into the scene with this comment. Yet it is not

E.T. who is to be feared, as indicated by his comforting gesture of placing

his finger on Elliott's shoulder.]

EXT:
BACKYARD: NIGHT

Elliott runs by the shed, past a swaying swing, up the stairs to the red

lamppost and to the wire gate. He strains to hear the sounds of men

talking.

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

INT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM: NIGHT

E.T. sits next to a lamp as he reads a child's ABC book. He sits next to a

Raggedy Ann doll.]

[Another image of E.T. learning the language which helps to forge a bond

between him and children in the audience. Good feelings for the doll are

also transferred to the alien.]

On the floor next to E.T. is the pot containing the sickly flowers. He

looks at the flowers, makes a moaning sound, and suddenly they become

healthy and transform into full bloom.

[This establishes the magical healing powers of E.T.]

EXT:
ELLIOTT'S HOUSE: DAY

Elliott and Mike walk down the driveway. They are on their way to school.

They discuss E.T., arguing about how smart he is.

[This is just a transition scene.]

EXT:
STREET: DAY

Mike and Elliot walk towards a bus stop where a group of children are

waiting. Mike's friends torment Elliott about his "goblin."

[This generates more audience empathy for Elliott, who is unfairly mocked

by the ignorant boys. Elliott still has not earned the respect of Mike's

friends, which is one of his dreams.]

They finally get on the bus as Elliott walks away, followed by a pretty

blonde girl who seems to have a crush on him. Michael appears worried as he

sits on the bus among the other children who are throw- ing objects at each

other.

INT:
ELLIOTT'S HOUSE: DAY

Gertie stands on the stairway looking up, presumably thinking about E.T. in

Elliott's room. Mary comes running downstairs and tells Gertie that they

have to get into the car, otherwise they'll be late. Suddenly, Mary hears a

noise upstairs. She goes up to see what caused the sound.

[Jeopardy:
E.T. is in danger of being discovered by an adult. The

audience's expectations were shaped in the earlier dinner scene, where Mary

told the children she would call to have the creature taken away if he came

around the house again. This is what the audience expects her to do if she

finds E.T.]

INT:
ELLIOTT'S BEDROOM: DAY

Mary walks into the closet and looks around. The camera pans across the

large faces of all the stuffed dolls: Raggedy Ann, a Bear, a Monkey, E.T.'s

Face, a Lion, etc. Mary doesn't notice E.T., then closes the closet door

and leaves.

[Humor is generated because of the incongruity of a living creature among

the dolls, and the inability of Mary to distinguish between them. The

laughter releases the tension that was created in the previous scene. This

also reinforces the audience's emotional ties to E.T., since he is so

"doll-like."]

INT:
SCHOOL: DAY

A teacher walks down the aisle and announces to the class that today they

will perform the frog dissection for which they have been preparing. As he

passes Elliott's desk, he starts to say "frogs similar to," then he notices

the drawing of E.T. The teacher picks it up. Elliott turns to see the

pretty blonde girl staring at him. Realizing she's been caught, she quickly

turns and looks away.

[This attraction to Elliott is set up in order to payoff before the end of

the school sequence.]

INT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM: DAY

E.T. opens the door to Elliott's room and walks out into the hallway.

Harvey sees and quickly approaches.

[Jeopardy:
will the dog attack E.T.? At there last encounter E.T. was

frightened by Harvey.]

INTERCUT:
CLASSROOM

The teacher continues his instructions, telling the students that the

scalpel is very sharp, and that they should use discretion when cutting.

There should be very little blood, and maybe a little body fluids.

[This exposition of the plans sets up the audience's expectations, which

later will not be fulfilled. This is a standard structure used to generated

excitement and unpredictability in a story.]

INT:
KITCHEN: DAY

E.T., wearing a blue-flannel shirt, walks into the kitchen with Harvey at

his side. He opens the refrigerator. Harvey licks his lips as he watches in

anticipation of getting something to eat. E.T. takes out a plastic

container of potato salad, opens it, then sticks his tongue into the salad.

He hates the taste and throws it onto the floor. Harvey licks it up. E.T.

then picks up a can of beer and drinks it as Harvey barks.

INTERCUT:
SCHOOL

Elliott sits at his desk as he listens to the teacher speak. Elliott burps.

All the children in the classroom stare at him.

[This again shows the merging of Elliott and E.T.]

INTERCUT:
KITCHEN

E.T., drunk, wobbles across the kitchen floor and walks into a counter.

INTERCUT:
SCHOOL

Elliott places his fingers to his head. He is also becoming drunk. The

teacher tells the class that in this bisection they should locate the heart

and notice that it is still beating.

[The red-lit heart is the most prominent feature of E.T. Having the teacher

focus on the frog's heart starts the identification in the audience's mind

of the frogs and E.T.]

Rate this script:3.8 / 4 votes