E.T. Page #9

INT:
VAN: NIGHT

The man in the van continues to listen to Elliott and Michael's

conversation. Only the listener's eye is clearly visible.

[This is a cinematic technique to signify the "ever-watching eye" of the

faceless antagonist.]

INT:
GERTIE'S ROOM: NIGHT

Mary lies in bed next to Gertie as she reads her the Peter Pan story. Mary

reads that Peter has defeated the Indians, but Wendy and the boys have been

captured by the pirates. He vows to rescue her. E.T. watches them from the

closet.

[Here the notion of "a rescue" is introduced, and visually associated with

E.T. as he watches them from the closet. This is an emotional set up for

the audience, so that they will later be supportive of Elliott and the

boy's efforts to rescue E.T.]

Mary reads the section of the Peter Pan story where Tinker Bell becomes

poisoned. Elliott comes into the closet, stands next to E.T., then closes

the door behind them.

"Tinkerbell swallows the draft as Peter's hand reaches for it," reads Mary.

"Why T, you have drunk my medicine."

Elliott pulls E.T. away from the door, then shifts through a box of items

that he brought up from the garage. He cuts his finger on the blade of a

power saw, then says "OUCH," as he holds his bleeding finger up into the

air. E.T. points his own finger towards Elliott. E.T.'s finger glows like a

laser light as he says "ouch." He then presses this lit finger on Elliott's

cut and heals it.

[This establishes the fundamental goodness and healing power of E.T.]

E.T. opens the slit in the closet door and continues to watch Mary read to

Gertie the part where Tinker Bell is dying.

"She says she thinks she can get well again if children believe in fairies.

Do you believe in fairies? Say quick that you believe."

"I DO! I DO! I DO!" says Gertie.

"If you believe, clap your hands."

Both Gertie and Mary clap their hands. Elliott places a blanket around

E.T.'s shoulders and a scarf around his neck, as they listen to the rest of

the story.

"Thank you, thank you. And now to rescue Wendy," reads Mary. Elliott places

his arm around E.T.

[The Peter Pan story is used to set up the audience's emotional reactions

to a fairy tale concerning near death and rescue. This emotional empathy

will then be transferred to E.T., another "fairy-like creature" when he

becomes sick and is rescued. Just as the audience felt like clapping for

Tinker Bell, they will applaud the children's efforts to save E.T.]

EXT:
HOUSE: NIGHT

Exhaust flows from the tailpipe of a van. This is the same type of

poisonous exhaust image that the audience saw when vans drove into the

forest at the beginning of the movie.

[Jeopardy:
the forces of the antagonist are still nearby.]

INT:
BEDROOM: NIGHT

Elliott, dressed in white long-johns, sits on his bunkbed as he watches

E.T. Michael stands next to him. Elliott comments that E.T. is putting

together his instrument, while Mike fears that it might blow up the house.

He also comments on the irregularity of E.T.'s breathing.

[More jeopardy, both in Mike's fears of his family and home being

destroyed, and in E.T.'s illness becoming progressively worse.]

E.T places his communication device over the Buck Rodgers comic strip.

[This movement establishes a mental association between the device and the

spaceman's communication efforts in the comic strip.]

Petals drop off the flower in the pot.

[This represents E.T.'s failing health.]

E.T. lifts up his head (which indicates he's using his telekinetic powers),

then lifts part of his communication device into the air. He next lifts up

the umbrella and opens it. Both objects float in the air in front of him.

[E.T's primary objective is to go home. To accomplish this he must create a

communication device. This is his sub-objective, which appears to be

completed. He next must activate this device from the landing site and call

home. The obstacles he has to overcome are Mary, the community, and the

distance to the forest. These obstacles will be confronted in the next

scenes.]

INT:
ELLIOTT'S ROOM: DAY

Preparing for Halloween, Elliott paints his lips with makeup. He talks to

Gertie about her going out that night as a ghost. They review the evening

plans. She will meet them at the lookout.

[This is an example of incomplete exposition which engages the audience.

They only talk about part of the plan: the meeting at the lookout. They

don't discuss anymore details, such as deceiving Mary into thinking that

Gertie is with them instead of E.T. The partial information forces the

audience to stay involved with the action and to create their own

conjectures about what will happen.]

INT:
CLOSET: DAY

Mike helps Elliot put on his knapsack. Elliott then places a sheet over

E.T.

INT:
STAIRCASE: DAY

E.T., covered with a sheet and clown shoes, walks down the staircase. The

clown shoes cover his three-toed feet.

INT:
HOUSE: DAY

Mary walks through the house dressed in a tight fitting leopard skin dress

with facial makeup that makes her look like a cat. Mike tells his mother to

wait and not peek, as he and Elliott lead E.T. into the room. Finally, Mary

turns and shrieks with glee. She runs to get a camera.

[The tension in the situation is caused by their fear that E.T. will be

discovered by Mary. Mike and Elliott's objective is to get him out of the

house undiscovered.]

E.T. looks through holes cut out for his eyes and sees Michael with a fake

butcher knife through his head. He lights up his finger in an attempt to

heal Mike's wound. Mike grab's E.T.'s hand and puts it back under the

sheet. "Ouch, ouch" says E.T, as he tries once again to heal Mike. "It's a

fake knife, it's fake," says Mike.

[Laughter is generated because while E.T.'s behavior would be appropriate

if Mike was really wounded, it is inappropriate in this situation since the

knife is fake.]

Mary comes back with a camera and prepares to photograph them.

"You look great," says Mary.

"Thank you," says Mike.

"Thank you," says Elliott.

"Thank you," says E.T.

Mary doesn't notice that E.T. has spoken.

[Laughter is generated by the "rule of three" humor structure and Mary's

ignorance.]

When Mary takes the photo, the flash shocks E.T. and knocks him onto the

floor. Mike and Elliott quickly pull him up before Mary notices and lead

him out of the house.

[They succeed in their objective with the help of their "not so smart"

mother.]

EXT:
STREET: DAY

Mary walks down the driveway as she orders them to be home no later than

one-hour after sundown. E.T., dressed in the sheet, turns and looks at

Mary, then continues down the driveway with Mike and Elliott.

[This creates a "timelock", a sense of urgency, and the expectation of an

upset mother if they haven't returned by the assigned time.]

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