“John Williams’ music for the film E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is an incredible union of visual and musical storytelling and is considered one of Williams’ finest scores. This paper provides a brief biography of John Williams, a general background of the film E.T., and analyzes the music that John Williams wrote for the movie. This includes an overview of the musical themes and a cue-by-cue analysis that examines the thematic material and how it supports the narrative.”
John Williams and His Music for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, by Robert Normandie (PDF)