E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial turns 25-years old today. E.T. is one of the all-time great movies of Generation X and this movie blew me out of my seat as a kid. Even today, critics acclaim E.T. as a timeless story of friendship and it's considered one of the greatest films ever made. I still find the movie profounly moving and it still gives me a lump in my throat.

What I think makes E.T. so powerful for me know, is the heart-wrenching way it has of making me long to be a kid again. Of course, I refuse to ever completely grow up, and my memories are my own, but man does this movie make me wish I was a kid again, when riding my bike and running like the wind was a pleasure, Now I barely want to walk around the yard.  The "E.T. era" was a great time. Matchbox cars were the greatest thing in the world, Halloween was a night of mystery and creepy fun, going to the movies was an adventure, and looking up at the stars could be a mind-blowing experience.

For those that are a bit younger, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg that stars Henry Thomas, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, Dee Wallace and Peter Coyote. It tells the story of Elliott, a lonely boy who befriends a friendly alien, dubbed E.T., who is stranded on planet Earth. Elliott, and his brother and sister help the alien return home, while keeping it hidden from their mother and the government.

Interestingly, the concept for E.T. came from an imaginary friend Spielberg created after his parents' divorce. Spielberg hired screenwriter Melissa Mathison to write the script for E.T.. The film was shot entirely within the fall of 1981 in California on a budget of only $10.5 million. The movie was shot in roughly roughly chronological order to facilitate emotionally convincing performances from his young cast.

E.T. the film became a box office hit, beating Star Wars to become the most financially successful film yet released. The film was re-released in 1985 and 2002, with altered special effects and additional scenes for the 2002 (CGI) version of the film. If you have yet to view the movie or plan to re-view the movie, make sure you go with the original. Additional scenes and effects are distracting…and the original is always the best. Spielberg still considers E.T. to be the film that best epitomizes his work, Happy Birthday, E.T!