This is Steven Spielburg's enchanting tale of a
lonely boy who befriends an alien that he finds hiding in his garden. This is one of the films that had a great influence on 1980's Sci-Fi films. The film is unusal for a science fiction film in that it is drawn from the mind of a child, in this case Spielburg when he was a child. The young boy, Elliot, is a reflection of the young Spielburg. It is also rare in that it is an uplifting science fiction film. The musical score was written by John Williams. The film also appeals to adults as it is about accidentally leaving a child behind and having to go back and find them, a parents nigtmare. Only in this case you left them on another planet.
Nomination - Best Picture
Nomination - Best DIrector - Steven Spielburg
Won - Sound, Visual Effects, Sound Effects, Music
Nomination - Cinematography, Editing
4/5 
Drew Barrymore
Dee Wallace 
Erica Eleniak 
C Thomas Howell 