Sielberg’s ‘E.T.’ flies again for its 40th anniversary

Above : Steven Spielberg’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” is celebrating its 40th anniversary. (Photo/Universal Pictures)

When the history of 20th-century filmmaking is finally written – and by that I mean the definitive version of that history – the name Steven Spielberg will be prominent.

Yeah, the guy has his detractors. Too polished, too commercial, too lightweight, etc.

And there’s a case to be made for all this, despite the fact that he’s made a number of films with heavy themes, “Schindler’s List” and “Finding Private Ryan” prominent among them.

But no one has a better sense of how to position a camera than Spielberg (too polished). And no one has a better sense of how to portray emotion, even if that emotion can sometimes be a bit too cloying (too lightweight).

Take, for example, his 1982 film “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” Written by the late Melissa Mathison (once married to Harrison Ford), and with Allen Daviau providing the cinematography and John Williams (as usual) proving the music, this Spielberg-directed venture earned four Oscars (Sound and Sound Effects, Visual Effects and Music for Williams).

And it earned scads and scads of money. To date, t he film has earned $436 million domestically ($793 million worldwide), placing it at No. 25 of top all-time U.S. money-making movies.

Think about that if you go see the 40th-anniversary screening of the film, which is playing in theaters right now.

Or not. Maybe just enjoy the movie. Your children likely will, too.

And you can thank Steven Spielberg for the experience.