Within Alien contact stories
How E.T. Turned Contact Into Friendship
E.T.
On this page
- The child and alien relationship
- Empathy as a first contact theme
- The cultural impact of a gentle visitor
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Introduction
Within the wider tradition of alien contact stories beyond invasion, E.T. represents a major shift. The alien is not a threat demanding a military response; he is a vulnerable outsider whose needs mirror human experiences of loneliness, separation and the search for home. The film’s central idea is that contact with another form of life changes humanity not through technology or conquest, but through the simple act of caring for someone unfamiliar.[TIME]time.comE.T. Still Perfectly Captures the Longing of Childhood, 40 Years Laterthe Extra-Terrestrial," which continues to capture the essence of childhood memories and emotions even 40 years after its release. Direct…
The child and alien relationship
Elliott and E.T. become friends through shared loneliness
The friendship between Elliott and E.T. works because neither character begins from a position of power. Elliott is a child struggling with the emotional effects of his parents’ separation, while E.T. is stranded far from his own world and separated from his family. Their connection develops because they recognise the same feeling in each other: being somewhere they do not fully belong. The Library of Congress describes the film as a story of “two lost souls” who find comfort through friendship and eventually help rescue one another.[The Library of Congress]loc.govThe Library of Congress E.T. The Extra-TerrestrialThe Library of Congress E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
This makes the alien encounter unusually intimate compared with many science-fiction stories. E.T. is not introduced as a source of knowledge, weapons or cosmic danger. He needs shelter, communication and kindness. Elliott does not become important because he defeats an alien; he becomes important because he chooses to protect one. The relationship reverses the usual power dynamic of first-contact fiction: the human child is not the explorer discovering a strange world, but the caretaker responsible for another being’s survival.
The film also presents friendship as a form of learning. E.T. experiences Earth through Elliott and his family, discovering human language, customs and emotions. Elliott, meanwhile, gains a wider understanding of life beyond his own worries. Their relationship suggests that meaningful contact begins when curiosity is combined with respect rather than control.[AFI]afi.comMovie Club: E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL | American Film InstituteAFI Movie Club: E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL | American Film InstituteApril 7, 2020…
A bond built on empathy rather than similarity
One of the film’s most distinctive ideas is that communication does not require the two sides to be alike. Elliott and E.T. have different bodies, histories and origins, yet they develop an emotional connection. The screenplay’s approach to this bond was shaped by writer Melissa Mathison, who introduced the idea that E.T. could feel Elliott’s emotions, creating a literal connection between the human child and the alien visitor.[The New Yorker]newyorker.comThe New YorkerThe Screenwriter of “E.T.” and “The BFG” Says Goodbye | The New YorkerJune 29, 2016…
This emotional link gives physical form to a central theme of first-contact science fiction: understanding another intelligence requires imagination. The film asks viewers to consider another being’s experience rather than judge it through fear or unfamiliarity. In that sense, E.T. becomes a symbol of empathy itself — the ability to recognise feelings in someone whose life is completely different from one’s own.
The famous moments of connection between the characters are powerful because they are quiet. The friendship grows through shared experiences: eating together, exploring the neighbourhood, hiding from danger and communicating through small gestures. The film suggests that trust is created gradually, through ordinary acts of care.
Empathy as a first contact theme
Moving alien stories away from invasion
Many earlier alien narratives focused on humanity’s fear of outside forces. UFO-inspired science fiction often explored invasion, technological threats and uncertainty about whether visitors from space would be peaceful or hostile. E.T. belongs to a different tradition: the alien encounter as a test of human compassion.[The Library of Congress]loc.govThe Library of CongressUFOs and Aliens Among Us | Life on Other Worlds | Articles and Essays | Finding Our Place in the Cosmos: From Gali…
The film’s conflict comes not from E.T.’s intentions but from how humans respond to him. The children see a living individual who needs help, while some adults view him primarily as an object of scientific interest or a potential danger. This contrast places the audience alongside Elliott’s perspective and asks whether humanity’s first instinct would be protection or possession.
The story therefore changes the meaning of “first contact”. Contact is not portrayed as a dramatic meeting between governments or civilisations. It begins privately, in a child’s home, through trust between two individuals. This small-scale approach became one of the film’s most influential contributions to science fiction because it made alien contact feel emotional and personal rather than purely political or technological.
The alien as a mirror for human problems
E.T.’s role is not simply to represent life beyond Earth. He reflects human experiences that audiences already understand. His desire to return home parallels Elliott’s feelings about family, belonging and emotional security. The alien visitor reveals problems within the human world rather than replacing them with a cosmic adventure.
This is why the film’s science-fiction elements support a coming-of-age story. The spacecraft, alien biology and government pursuit create the external plot, but the central transformation is internal. Elliott becomes more aware of other people’s feelings and learns that caring for someone may require accepting loss.
The ending is especially important because the friendship cannot continue in the way Elliott initially wants. E.T. must leave Earth, and Elliott must accept separation. Rather than presenting friendship as permanent possession, the film presents it as something that can permanently change a person even after someone is gone.[TIME]time.comE.T. Still Perfectly Captures the Longing of Childhood, 40 Years Laterthe Extra-Terrestrial," which continues to capture the essence of childhood memories and emotions even 40 years after its release. Direct…
The cultural impact of a gentle visitor
How E.T. changed the image of aliens in popular culture
Released in 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became one of the most successful films of its era and was later preserved in the United States National Film Registry for its cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. The Library of Congress notes that the film combined childhood wonder, humour and emotional storytelling while becoming a landmark of popular cinema.[The Library of Congress]loc.govThe Library of CongressBrief Descriptions and Expanded Essays of National Film Registry Titles | Film Registry | National Film Preservati…
Its influence extended beyond box-office success. Before E.T., alien imagery in popular culture was often associated with danger, invasion or scientific mystery. Spielberg’s film helped establish another familiar image: the alien as a possible friend. This did not remove darker alien stories from science fiction, but it expanded the genre’s emotional range by showing that contact could be based on vulnerability and trust.
The film also influenced later stories that explore relationships between humans and non-human beings. Its legacy can be seen in science fiction that focuses on communication, friendship and moral responsibility rather than only conflict. The question changed from “What will aliens do to us?” to “How would we treat them?”
Why the friendship remains powerful decades later
The continuing appeal of E.T. comes from its simple but challenging idea: humanity is defined by how it responds to the unfamiliar. The film does not imagine progress as the result of discovering alien technology or gaining scientific advantage. Instead, progress comes from recognising another being’s needs and emotions.
For younger audiences, E.T. represents the possibility that friendship can appear in unexpected forms. For adult viewers, the story often carries a different meaning, focusing on family change, separation and the difficulty of accepting that important relationships can evolve. This ability to speak to different stages of life has helped the film remain culturally significant long after its release.[TIME]time.comE.T. Still Perfectly Captures the Longing of Childhood, 40 Years Laterthe Extra-Terrestrial," which continues to capture the essence of childhood memories and emotions even 40 years after its release. Direct…
By turning an alien visitor into a friend, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial gave science fiction one of its most enduring images of peaceful contact. Its lasting contribution is not a vision of what aliens might bring to Earth, but a question about what humans might bring to them: curiosity, fear, or empathy.
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Endnotes
1.
Source: time.com
Title:E.T. Still Perfectly Captures the Longing of Childhood, 40 Years Later
Link:https://time.com/6183061/et-40th-anniversary-steven-spielberg/
Source snippet
the Extra-Terrestrial," which continues to capture the essence of childhood memories and emotions even 40 years after its release. Direct...
2.
Source: afi.com
Title: Movie Club: E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL | American Film Institute
Link:https://www.afi.com/news/afi-movie-club-e-t-the-extra-terrestrial/
Source snippet
AFI Movie Club: E.T.: THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL | American Film InstituteApril 7, 2020...
Published: April 7, 2020
3.
Source: afi.com
Title: e t the extra terrestrial afi movie club
Link:https://www.afi.com/news/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-afi-movie-club/
4.
Source: afi.com
Title: E.T. | American Film Institute
Link:https://www.afi.com/news/tag/e-t/
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Source: time.com
Title: That Old Feeling: “E.T.” Goes Home
Link:https://time.com/archive/6911941/that-old-feeling-e-t-goes-home/
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Title: e t the extra terrestrial 2
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Source: loc.gov
Title: The Library of Congress E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Link:https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/ET.pdf
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Link:https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-screenwriter-of-e-t-and-the-bfg-says-goodbye
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The New YorkerThe Screenwriter of “E.T.” and “The BFG” Says Goodbye | The New YorkerJune 29, 2016...
Published: June 29, 2016
10.
Source: loc.gov
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Source: blogs.loc.gov
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Link:https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65965426
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Published: June 15, 2026
14.
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Title: science through pop culture
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Source: blogs.loc.gov
Title: reading the film registry e t the extra terrestrial 1982
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16.
Source: tcm.com
Title: e t the extra terrestrial 1982
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Source: loc.gov
Title: Not Just Pulp Fiction (
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Source: wikidata.org
Title: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
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Additional References
24.
Source: youtube.com
Title: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: The Ending EXPLAINED!
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Source snippet
Spielberg's Alien Empathy Analysis This video essay explores how Steven Spielberg uses extraterrestrial contact to examine profound quest...
25.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Why E.T. Is Steven Spielberg’s Best Character | Mini-Essay
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIMqt13ePT0
Source snippet
What Happened to E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL?...
26.
Source: imsdb.com
Link:https://imsdb.com/scripts/E.T..html
27.
Source: theguardian.com
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/p/4evhj
28.
Source: youtube.com
Title: What Happened to E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL?
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u06re6qZ8M
Source snippet
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: The Ending EXPLAINED...
29.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Revelation Day is NOT about aliens
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Why E.T. Is Steven Spielberg's Best Character | Mini-Essay...
30.
Source: tvovermind.com
Title: Every Steven Spielberg Film Preserved in the National Film Registry – TVovermind
Link:https://tvovermind.com/every-steven-spielberg-film-preserved-in-the-national-film-registry/
31.
Source: openlibrary.org
Title: E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial storybook by William Kotzwinkle | Open Library
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32.
Source: zooscope.group.shef.ac.uk
Title: e t the extra terrestrial dir steven spielberg universal pictures 1982
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33.
Source: theguardian.com
Title: Melissa Mathison obituary | ET: The Extra-Terrestrial | The Guardian
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/06/melissa-mathison