E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Directed by Steven Spielberg

1982 • PG • English • 114 min.

In the ’80s, 1950s nostalgia was all the rage for a while — see Back to the Future, for a prime example. In the 21st century we get a fair amount of 1980s nostalgia in stuff like Stranger Things, Super 8, and the It movie. Steven Spielberg (who produced Back to the Future) pretty much invented the cinematic version of the ’80s — the whole kids-in-the-suburbs-racing-around-on-bikes-and-getting-into-adventures thing — when he directed E.T. The movie was a huge hit — it held the record for highest-grossing film of all time until Spielberg’s own Jurassic Park outgrossed it in 1993. And it won four Academy Awards, including one for frequent Spielberg collaborator John Williams’ musical score.

Cast: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote