3 Words From 'E.T.' Changed How Kids Connect With Alien Stories Forever

Did you know that Steven Spielberg crafted the all-time classic E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, drawing on his own childhood experiences of loneliness? By the end of its initial theatrical run, the movie had achieved such an enigmatic status that it had dethroned Star Wars as the highest-grossing movie of all time.

He made the concept of an alien look human, stepping aside from the usual violence associated with their arrival in movies. And when E.T. said with his baby words, “E.T. phone home,” it was game over. He wasn’t an alien anymore; he was a friend in need of help.

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Let’s understand why “E.T. phone home” is an iconic line that mirrors one of the central themes of the movie—belonging.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'Credit: Universal Pictures

Released in 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial follows the story of a young kid named Elliott (Henry Thomas) who gives shelter to an alien accidentally left behind by his community, and strikes an unexpected friendship with the being. No film in the ‘80s and ‘90s captured people's attention like this film did with its childlike wonder, and it still continues to do so. E.T. remains one of the most important films of Steven Spielberg’s legacy. This iconic movie won four Academy Awards out of nine nominations at the 1983 Oscars.

Story

Elliott Taylor (Henry Thomas) lives with his older brother Michael (Robert MacNaughton) and little sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore), along with their overworked, divorced single mother Mary (Dee Wallace). He is a lonely kid who, over the course of a few days, encounters a harmless and stranded alien. He lures it to his house and names it E.T.

Elliott and his siblings keep E.T. a secret. As E.T. learns to put together basic English words, it is finally able to tell them what it wants: to “phone home.” Throughout the movie, E.T. forms a psychic bond with Elliott as the kids help him build a transmitter to communicate with his planet. Eventually, E.T. falls sick, and government agencies track him down. When all seems lost, Elliott and E.T. race against time to let E.T. escape and reach his home.

The Context and the Scene

It starts with Elliott’s five-year-old sister, Gertie, who teaches E.T. basic English words while their mother is out of the house. The alien who depends on telepathy for communicating quickly picks up on the linguistics. When Elliott returns home, Gertie proudly informs Elliott about her teaching lessons with E.T., and Elliott is shocked when he hears his name come out of his mouth.

Then, E.T. points to Buck Rogers’ comic strip illustration, followed by the word “phone.” He follows it with another finger pointing through the window at the sky, for “home.” Gertie sums up the whole message for Elliott’s lagging brain with the famous words, “E.T. phone home.”

Simple-Broken Words

'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'Credit: Universal Pictures

1. E.T. from a Childlike Perspective

E.T. screenwriter Melissa Mathison wrote the alien’s character with parallels to a child slowly learning the ways of human life. Like a child learns a language with broken and slurred words, E.T. also mimics the same childlike growth, just on a different planet.

It could have been, “I want to go to my planet.”
Or simply, “I miss my planet.”

The makers of the movie went ahead with broken, assembled words, “E.T. phone home.” The words themselves paint a picture of being homesick and isolated. These words mirror how a child speaks, learns, grows, and grounds an alien movie into a genuine human experience.

2. Reimagining Alien in a Different Light

Steven Spielberg brought a fresh perspective on how extraterrestrial beings are usually portrayed in movies. Often in sci-fi thriller films, aliens are monsters coming down to Earth to invade and wipe out every bit of humanity.

But in E.T., the alien is a lost, emotional, and far from home. The simplicity of this iconic line blurs the line between the unknown and relatable. Suddenly, an alien becomes a lost traveler who expresses a desire to reconnect with his family, something anyone can connect to.

Importance of Words in “E.T. Phone Home” Line

'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'Credit: Universal Pictures

“Home” has a psychological effect on our brains. It immediately brings a sense of safety, freedom, and identity. As kids, we all have at some point felt out of place and different. And who can forget the feeling of being alone without your parents? This line plays on those emotions to make us understand E.T.’s human-like emotions under the disguise of different physical attributes.

This line also symbolizes the central theme of the movie, as the theme of “home” is something both E.T. and Elliott share with each other in similar ways. They both feel lonely inside and suffer abandonment issues. Both find a friend in each other. I would go as far as to say that Elliott’s name also starts and ends with “E and T,” which ironically connects them together.

Conclusion

At the heart of it, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is about a telepathic connection with a creature from another planet. And these three words made kids (and adults) realize that longing, fear, and love for home are universal human emotions. It made the concept of aliens more familiar and relatable rather than something distant and mysterious.w