Directed by:
Steven Spielberg

Starring:
Henry Thomas as Elliott
Drew Barrymore as Gertie
Robert MacNaughton as Michael
Dee Wallace-Stone as Mary
Peter Coyote as Keys
K.C. Martel as Greg
Sean Frye as Steve
C. Thomas Howell as Tyler
David M. O'Dell as Schoolboy
Richard Swingler as Science Teacher

• This goof can be seen during scene when Elliot and E.T. first meet. When they frighten each, Elliot runs in the house to tell his mom and friends that he just saw an alien. There's a few seconds when every one tries to talk over one another. Elliot then gets every to shut up and tell them "Don't go out there". While he's saying those lines, you can see the C. Thomas Howell mouth the same line. ( VHS) - Soulman

• When Mary is reading Gertie a passage from "Peter Pan," there's a shot of E.T. in the closet watching her. Mary's shadow is cast on the door and the words she's speaking don't synchronize with her mouth at all. - Nate

• What's with the cherry tomatoes? The first time Elliot opens the fridge to feed himself and E.T. the cherry tomatoes are there. The same container of cherry tomatoes are there when, on the second day, E.T. goes alone to the fridge. Minutes after E.T.'s pushed aside the cherry tomatoes and been drinking the beer, mom and Gert come home with groceries. What does mom take from the bag to put in the fridge? Cherry tomatoes! (20th Anniv.) - Kieth Moreland

• Are we to assume that the same flowers in the pot, that Gert is holding in the car after Elliot and Michael have split with E.T., is the same one that's been reflecting the life force of E.T. throughout the movie? It's not. The flowers in the pot that Gert is holding, in the car, have more and taller green leaves present than the one that was in the house and ends up being taken on the spaceship. (20th Anniv.) - Kieth Moreland

• In the beginning of the movie, when the family is sitting at the dinner table, Gertie's (Drew Barrymore) piece of steak changes size. Yes, she could be "eating it", but that would not explain how it gets bigger at one point. It is very obvious and quite amusing. - Mo

Commented Goofs

• I noticed this when I saw the movie in the theater for the twentieth anniversary. The day that Gertie discovers E.T, that night she says to her mother that she's going to Elliot's room. Her mother says something like, "Okay, don't let him torment you," or something like that. And then Gertie says something like "I won't, Mary." Calling her mother by her name, instead of Mom, or Mommy. Oops. (20th Anniv.) - Donica
  • Comment: Regarding Donica's submission that Gert calling the mom, "Mary," instead of mom. The oldest son does it, too, she he asks if he can back the car out of the garage. I wouldn't consider it a goof, as the actresses' name isn't really Mary (it's Dee). This movie was made at a time when the American psycho-babble trend was afoot to "treat your kids like friends (or equals)" was just beginning. (20th Anniv.) - Kieth Moreland

• (Audio/visual unsynchronised) In the beginning when the men drive into the forest to capture E.T., one of the cars stop and its wheels screech as if on asphalt, although the ground in the forest is muddy. - Webmaster
  • Comment: Not having seen the movie in quite a long time, I'll have to take Webmaster's word on the sound discontinuity. However, I noticed the other day that my car's brakes where making a squealing noise, if the vehicle in question is coming to a sudden stop in the movie, perhaps it just needs a brake job. Also, power steering on some older vehicles (late 70s & 80s vehicles) make a squeeling noise when cranked as far right or left as the wheels will go. Just my two cents. - rayxgraham

Corrected Goofs

• The 20th Anniversary Edition of "E.T." contains a change of police officer's shotguns to walkie talkies. When the boys ride up to the police cars, if you look carefully, shotguns are clearly visible being held by the officers. When the bikes zoom up into the air, the police officers are now holding the walkie talkies. (20th Anniv.) - Nate
  • Correction: Sorry man the scene where the kids fly over the FBI agents where they had walkie talkies instead of guns Spielberg intentionally changed as to let up on the violence he felt wasn't necessary. He always wished to change it and decided to finally in the reindition. - dogmeat
    • The goof remains: The shotguns change to walkie talkies. There should not have been any shotguns to begin with. They forgot to edit them out in some shots.

• Near the beginning of the movie, the family is sitting down at the dinner table discussing Halloween. The actress who plays the mother, asks Drew Barrymore's character, Gertie, "What do you want to be for Halloween, Drew?" instead of Gertie. - Cinncoop
  • Correction: She says Gert, not Drew. - lulu