Cinematic Point Of View

In Lexington, Kentucky, we have a theater called The Kentucky Theater. It’s a beautiful old theater downtown full of history. Opening in 1922, the theater was designed as a movie palace but quickly became a fixture of the downtown social scene, featuring not only films but also live music and vaudeville acts. It was among the first theaters in the country to be equipped with Warner Brothers’ “Vitaphone” sound system.

During COVID, the theater was hit hard, but they came back stronger than ever as a nonprofit. They are killing it with independent films, foreign films, and classic films during the summer.

Last week, I was lucky enough to catch a screening of Steven Spielberg‘s ET: The Extra-Terrestrial with my kids and some friends. What an event! It will go down as one of my all-time favorite theater experiences.

The Cinema

The enormous, beautiful, old Kentucky Theater was packed. Hardly an empty seat in the house.

My 10-year-old son had seen the film several times, but it was his first time to see it on the big screen in a packed theater. It was truly a magical night.

The crowd was absolutely incredible. They laughed at even the smallest little things that are funny in the film. Little lines and or expressions. They applauded and clapped and shouted for all the right big moments. It felt like every theater experience felt to me as a kid in 1980s. People were blown away by what they were watching. To be fair, E.T. is a dang near perfect film. It is both casual in execution and pacing yet also very efficient and keeps things moving. That’s not easy!

The Kentucky Theater has another unique thing going for it. Live organ music! Near the front there is an organ, and often, during special events, they have someone playing live music. This night was no exception, as a man played renditions of the E.T. soundtrack for everyone to enjoy. The old-fashioned sound echoed off the high vaulted dome ceilings, creating an otherworldly feeling.

The sound in the theater is special as well. Those huge domed ceilings lend a slight echo to the sound system which, for me, is a big plus. It’s all part of the experience of being transported to another place and time.

No matter how many times I’ve seen E.T. since I was a kid, it hits on an emotional level for me every viewing except now I feel the passing of time and some nostalghia for how much the world has changed.

I still remember one of the many times I saw E.T, as a child in the theater with my parents. I would have been 10 years old. When we went in it was day time. We the film was over it was night. I can remember walking out into that starry night and looking up with wonder. Feeling so alive and emotionally charged. Sitting in the backseat of our car and replaying the music and every scene in my head on the drive home.

Back then, you couldn’t just pull up the musical score, and you had no idea when or if you’d ever even see the film again. I’m pretty sure it was several years before it hit home video on VHS. Every trip to the theater was special. Every time you see a film, it might be the last time you see it.

That’s how it felt last night at the Kentucky Theater. It captured that magic. It reminded me of why I love cinema. I feel like my whole person was recharged after an experience like that. I can’t recommend this venue enough.

The Movie

What can I say? E.T. is a top 5 film for me.

I love the kids in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial so much. They are probably the best on-screen kids in any film, except maybe Close Encounters of the Third Kind. They are just so genuine and funny. It doesn’t feel like acting. It doesn’t get much better than Henry Thomas as Elliot. He’s at that age where he just doesn’t fit into the adult world or the kid world and just nails the frustration and struggle to be heard and seen with the biggest heart.

Robert MacNaughton plays Elliot’s older brother Michael, and they have the perfect brother dynamic and chemistry. Robert really is an amazing actor in this movie. You don’t ever hear enough about him. Beyond a few small roles here and there, I read that he retired from acting in 2002.

Drew Barrymore as Gertie, of course, gets all the great one-liners, and her natural talent shines in every single scene.

Dee Wallace has never been better than she was as the kid’s mom, Mary. She brings so much to the screen in every scene or cutaway she’s in. Dedicated, distracted, attentive, and heartbroken. She puts it all up there for you to feel.

The character of Keys, played by Peter Coyote, is a true original. Seen mostly as a set of keys hanging from a belt, Coyote plays him so well with so little. Not really a bad guy, but a menacing force, always there searching, like a grown-up child chasing after his dreams.

The state of technology plays such a big factor in how things play out. The government is always around, listening, but also, because it’s the ’80s, a little behind each step of the way. In a world without cell phones, everything moves a bit slower. You wonder how this would all play out today.

Then there are the bikes and how much personal freedom they provide. Kids just hop on a bike, and off they go to God knows where. Who knows when they will return? That’s how it was for my childhood. It’s pretty astounding when I look back at it. There’s so much personal freedom that doesn’t necessarily exist today, or maybe it does, and I just don’t see it because I am not a kid anymore.

Of course, the music by the legendary John Williams hits just right at every moment, pulling at your heartstrings, lifting you up, or tucking you in for the night.

One of my all-time favorite film sequences is the bike chase near the end of the movie. The John Williams score just ramps it up to a whole other level. Everything clicks just perfectly and unlocks something in me during those moments as the kids race to get away from the government agents. Maybe it’s the perfect metaphor for trying to outrun aging. I think, for me, that’s it. Hold on to that youth and hopeful spirit for as long as you can.

The last thing I’ll comment on is the ending, so SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t seen this movie. The beautiful way they bring all the key characters together in the end for a final good-bye. It’s done so gracefully and delivers such a satisfying level of closure, yet it leaves you with a sense of hope as you walk out of the theater. I think it works so well and is cemented in my heart due to the quiet, beautiful piano piece by John Williams that they cut to as the credits roll. It feels like a chance to rest and breathe after holding your breath during that final act. Cinema perfection.

Okay, I’ve gone on long enough about both the film and the experience. I love this movie. If you have never seen the E.T. in the theater and get a chance, jump at it! I cannot highly recommend it enough

Do you have a favorite theater experience? I’d love to hear about it.