Continuity mistake: While ET is watching Mary read the story of Peter Pan to Gertie, in the shot from outside the closet we see Elliott using his left hand to close the shutter slats, but in the next shot inside the closet it is Elliott's right hand closing the slats.
Super Grover
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: When Gertie rushes into Elliott's bedroom with the drawing she made for him, just as she sees ET and begins to scream the paper is in her left hand and her right hand is empty, but in the next shot the paper is suddenly in her right hand.
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: When everyone goes to the shed Michael kneels down to look closely at the prints on the ground, and in the closeup the marks we see differ from the clear prints seen in the next wideshot.
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: When ET is trying to tell Elliott and Gertie that he wants to phone home there's a chip bag on the table in front of the turntable, but it disappears when Michael comes home and ET points out the window and says, "ET phone home," then the chip bag reappears when ET pulls off the wig.
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: After Elliott finds ET in the wig and hears him speak, when ET gives Elliott the newspaper comic section there's nothing on the yellow chair behind him, but in the next closeup a shirt suddenly hangs over the back. Additionally, the globe on the desk has turned so the continents change position.
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: When ET tastes the potato salad in the side shot the drawer in pulled open, but in the shot from behind him as his finger touches the can of beer we see the drawer under that shelf is closed, but in the next side shot that drawer is open again.
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: After Elliott explains to ET how the water comes out of the bathtub faucet, when Elliott's on his knees moving closer to ET (while he's squeezing toothpaste), note there are two solid color floor mats (one white and one brownish) which disappear when Elliott rushes to answer the telephone.
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: When Elliott's on the phone with his mother telling her even though he's sick he doesn't need a doctor, Elliott's holding the telephone receiver up to his ear with his left hand and the telephone base with his right hand, but in the next shot the two have suddenly switched hands.
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: After ET weighs himself on the scale there's nothing draped over the side of the bathtub, but in the next shot we see in the reflection that there's a burgundy tub mat hanging over the side of the bathtub, behind ET and Elliott. Then that tub mat vanishes again when Elliott rushes to answer the telephone.
23rd Mar 2017
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Continuity mistake: In the first shot of the boys playing Dungeons and Dragons, Greg is holding the phone with the stretched out cord pulled under his left armpit, then a couple of shots later (not a continuity issue yet) the cord is pulled over Greg's right shoulder, but in the next shot it's back under his left armpit.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.