Best movies of 1982

According to my parents, when I was 3-4 years old I used to keep my room in an insanely orderly manner. They tell me they often had to encourage me to remove my toys from their designated spots to play with them, otherwise they'd just sit where they belonged.

Then one day something changed. My room was suddenly a mess, and I was so proud of it I'd take anyone who came to our house back to my bedroom to show it off to them. After I escorted my best friend's mom to see it, she went to my mom & asked what happened. My mom was clueless, offering only that I had just changed my room in the past week. My best friend's mom asked if my dad had taken me to see E.T. that week, and my mom said "yes." My best friend's mom said, "well, that explains it. It looks like Elliot's room."

And that's the first time a movie ever changed my life.



E.T. will forever remain one of my favorite films for that reason, but also because it's a great movie beyond that. The characters could easily live in your neighborhood, the score is amazing, and every time you watch this film you can't help but get caught up in the magic it creates. If an alien landed & found its way to my backyard, I'd still hope that it could take me on a flying bicycle ride even though I'm an adult now. More importantly, I'd welcome it openly just like Elliot does E.T., because if there's one thing this movie taught me it's that understanding comes through interaction and acceptance.

Cockroaches have always creeped me out thanks to this film.