Melissa Mathison
The screenwriter who, with profound simplicity, gave the world E.T.'s heart and defined childhood wonder for a generation.
1950–2015 (age 65)·American screenwriter·Birthday: June 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Melissa Mathison operated in the high-stakes world of Hollywood with a quiet, determined grace. The daughter of a film critic, she began her career as an assistant on the set of 'The Godfather' before her talent for intimate storytelling caught Francis Ford Coppola's eye. He recommended her to a young director named Steven Spielberg. The result was 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,' a script she wrote in just eight weeks. Mathison’s genius was in crafting a story of alien contact not as invasion, but as a fragile, emotional bond between a lonely boy and a stranded being. The film became a global phenomenon, earning her an Oscar nomination. She later married actor Harrison Ford and, after a long hiatus, returned to write for Spielberg again on 'The BFG.' Beyond film, she was a committed activist, dedicating significant energy to the cause of Tibetan freedom.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Melissa was born in 1950, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Melissa Was Born
The biggest hits of 1950
#1 Movie
Cinderella
Best Picture
All About Eve
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Melissa's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1950Born
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1955Started school
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1963Became a teenager
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Could drive
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1968Could vote
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Turned 21
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1980Turned 30
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 40
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 50
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 60
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2015Died at 65
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Wrote the screenplay for 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,' which became one of the highest-grossing and most beloved films of all time.
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.'
- Penned the adaptation of 'The Black Stallion,' widely praised for its lyrical and faithful translation of the novel.
- Returned to screenwriting after a long break to adapt Roald Dahl's 'The BFG' for director Steven Spielberg.
Did You Know?
She was married to actor Harrison Ford from 1983 to 2004; they had two children together.
Her brother is the journalist and author Dirk Mathison.
She was a close friend and advocate for the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan cause.
She wrote the 'E.T.' screenplay while living in a pool house at the home of filmmaker John Milius.
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