A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.
 
Some films have become iconic and the world embraces them with both arms.  This is one of those movies and it should be seen by everyone.
 
FUN FACT:  In the Halloween scene, where E.T. sees a child in a Yoda costume and seems to recognize him. This is an inside joke by Steven Spielberg on his good friend, Star Wars creator George Lucas. In Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), Lucas returns the joke in a scene that takes place in the galactic senate. In the shot of the various senators calling out, you can see E.T. 's species among the senate pods in the lower right corner.