An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.
It is the kind of film that young people are going to want to see again immediately after they've seen it.
– Gene Siskel,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Aug 2013
fresh:
Unchecked goodness has its price, after all, and childhood wonder wouldn't be nearly as sweet if it didn't fade. That may explain the film's appeal. It trapped that feeling, and its sense of possibility, in amber -- then, now, and for any time.
– Keith Phipps,
AV Club,
4 Aug 2013
fresh:
An appealing film this new one is, with some charm, some glee in the childrens' triumphs, some share in their friendship with E.T.
– Stanley Kauffmann,
The New Republic,
15 Feb 2011
rotten:
More than the work of any other filmmaker, Spielberg's output seems uniquely designed to induce in me this queasy false-memory syndrome.
– Don McKellar,
Village Voice,
4 Jun 2007
fresh:
On inherent merit, the movie would not warrant such a highly publicized re-release, but this is one of those films that transcends what's on the screen.