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ET is my favorite Spielberg movie. I first saw it at the cinema, aged eight, at Bolton Odeon in 1982. It was also the first film that made me cry – not cry, but cry all over the bus. I remember being very confused because I was happy and sad at the same time. I watched the film with my mother and some friends from the Gingerbread Club, which is a group of single parents that organize social events, especially for single mothers. At a time when there was stigma for being a single parent, it offered a sense of camaraderie and support.
Looking back, I think one of the reasons I connected so strongly to ET was that it featured a single woman instead of the perfect nuclear family that dominated most movies and TV shows at the time. It really touched my reality, and that made me love this movie even more. That Christmas, my favorite gift was an ET doll with a light belly and a light toe. I liked it. More than 40 years later, I still love this movie and I don’t hesitate when someone asks me my favorite movie. Even now, hearing a few notes of John Williams’ score is enough to bring tears to your eyes within seconds.
Andrea, 51, Manchester, UK
Hook (1991)
It is widely regarded as a Spielberg flop. So much so, that even Spielberg began to regret making the film. All of this makes no sense to me as a child of the 90s. The movie is a reliable consolation. I can quote whole conversations, and use important words in my daily life. Cast, a very sad Robin Williams as a boy who grew up accidentally, a lawyer who laughs at jokes, a warm fog that permeates the film. I remember it being played on the radio often as a child and having my own – pardon the pun – pressed copy. I returned to this film many times as a child, and I return to it at least once a year now, when a dose of nostalgia is needed. So despite Spielberg’s criticisms, I really like his work for a lot of selfish reasons.
Rhea, Melbourne, Australia
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind will always be the Spielberg film that means the most to me, as it was what made me consider it a great film. I was five years old and my mother decided to take me and my sister to a double rental at a cinema near Chester. By heart, the movies we got to see were the made-for-TV Spider-Man movie, and the classic Ray Harryhausen movie, Sinbad. Long story short, my dad dropped us off at the wrong movie theater, on the other side of town, and my mom decided we’d rather see whatever was on there than spend a rainy, wet evening.
The only “worthy” movie was Close Encounters, even though my mom said several times before buying the tickets that she was worried it might scare me. To be honest, what he said really scared me. Until then, my only problem with watching a movie with the words “The Third Kind” in the title is that I haven’t seen the first two movies (I was also confused when the credits at the beginning of the first Star Wars movie called it “Episode IV”).
Anyway, I sat in the movie theater next to my mom, shaking like crazy from the horror movie she was making me watch. But not for long! About 15 minutes in, I excitedly announced that my stomach had stopped churning and from then on I was totally hooked on this amazing, amazing and amazing movie. I vividly remember going to bed that night begging my mother to leave the curtains open so I could see the stars. Spielberg’s art had opened up my young mind and made me suddenly curious about the magic that might be out there. Most importantly, I wasn’t afraid to look at it.
Scott Harrison, 54, North Wales, UK
Always (1989)
Always, starring Holly Hunter, Richard Dreyfuss and John Goodman, it’s my favorite movie. Funny, sad, dramatic and great dialogue: “Girls’ Clothes!” Holly and Richard at their peak, their chemistry was so good and the fact that they are not your typical Hollywood beauty makes you love them even more. I have to watch this movie every few years and I always laugh and cry hysterically and it never fails to reaffirm my faith in humanity. Spielberg created a great love story, but his joy is often overshadowed by his summer blockbusters.
Karen Cusick, 61, Devon
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Outlaws, for its power and sheer excitement as Indiana Jones cracks his whip through a temple locked in a South American jungle. Also, choosing the Nazis as the villains (and snakes!) was a skill that helped keep the plot timeless. Steven Spielberg tips his fedora to the cliffhanger series of the 1930s and the Tintin stories to bring us a lifetime of fun!
Spielberg’s name translates to “sports mountain” in German and he brings the gameplay from the first appearance of the Paramount logo to the top of the mountains in the Peruvian jungle where Indy searches for hidden treasure, before being caught up in the snow Himalayan fights, a foot chase in Cairo and a fun car chase in the desert. As you pause, the chemistry between Indy and Marion has the alchemy of a 1930s screwball comedy.
Niall Laverty, Dublin, Ireland
Empire of the Sun (1987)
For me, it is Kingdom of the Sun. It was one of the largest Hollywood films allowed to be filmed in communist China, in Shanghai. It is faithful to JG Ballard’s excellent book. In fact, I can’t read this book now without seeing a young Christian Bale as Jamie/Jim. The visuals are amazing, the acting feels real, and John Williams’ score is beautiful. The opening scene, with boxes floating in the Yangtze while Suo Gân plays in the background, drew me in immediately. I think I first saw it in year 11, towards the end of term, when our history teacher called us.
I’ve always loved history, so the event was a perfect fit for me. But what really stuck with me was Jim himself. At that time I was only a few years older than him, and I remember wondering how I would have dealt with his situation: separated from his parents, forced to take care of himself and growing up in the midst of terrible events. I was not happy with the conclusion I reached. There are events that I still think about: the Japanese pilot, the “troublesome boy”, the atomic bomb, and the amazing moment of the “Cadillac of space”. War may be the beginning, but I don’t see it as a film about war. It’s about ideas, courage, choices and consequences. + That’s why he stayed with me.
Matthew Vandermeer, 50, Brisbane, Australia
The Fabelmans (2022)
I am a high school English and film studies teacher. I’m 49 years old – just a few months older than Local Meetings. The Fabelmans is my favorite movie of all time, and it’s the capstone movie we watch for the end of my film studies class at Appleton West High School. In it, Spielberg vividly tells the story of his childhood and youth and the influence of his family on him becoming a filmmaker, and uses the story to reveal the “how” and “why” of his life to inspire the imagination of his audience.
Watching The Fabelmans for the first time is a religious experience for Spielberg fans of my age. It’s a reflection on growing up with movies and an honest attempt to show the next generation of filmmakers and fans everything they need to take on themselves. For fans of Spielberg and the rest of the vision of “New Hollywood”, there is no better (or more accessible) film to show how the films that move us are built on the basis of science and art, how Spielberg is good at both, and how the influence of his parents in polar-opposite circles made him (and us!) to be able to dream clearly.
The Fabelmans also have a fun final shot that you will see in the movie. It made me jump out of my chair in 2022 just like I did as a schoolboy when ET’s heart started to whiten again 40 years ago. The film is a classic of magic, and nothing is wasted when a Hollywood magician reveals his biggest secrets and those of his family.
Nathan Ossmann, Appleton, Wisconsin, US
The Color Purple (1985)
The Color Purple tells the stories of separated sisters and women who help each other through adversity and characters who grow and mature. It shows a repressed ascent, has soulful vocals and a love that transcends years of separation. The Color Purple is Spielberg’s best film because it shows the power of women to overcome their problems when they help each other. It also has an amazing mix of gospel and jazz and blues. The scene that sticks in my mind is Shug singing a gospel song asking for his father’s forgiveness and acceptance.
Mandy Purcell, 54, Melbourne, Australia
Duel (1971)
I first read Duel as a fun short story in Playboy magazine in the early 1970s. I was delighted to hear that it had been made into a film and I first saw it on UK Channel 4 TV. Now have it as a DVD, watch it all the time, I’m glad that the director is played by Dennis Weaver who I remember from 1950s TV as Chester in Gunsmoke, an American western series. I was impressed by how Spielberg captures the threat of an unknown driver in an unknown, large, unrecognizable, purple car, repeating the same thing – the car appears from nowhere to threaten, bumper to bumper. It’s a one trick pony but Spielberg keeps it fresh every time the bullying happens. And the end. Basically a person on the road, like a scared driver leaves his car on the edge of the cliff while the car follows, on the edge and forgets. Very smart in basic control.
Mike Abbott, 83, London, UK
