What Does It Take to Be a Hero? Heroes are often portrayed as crime fighters or saviors. However, anyone who shows courage, selflessness, and virtues qualifies for the hero archetype. Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film E.T. the Extra Terrestrial narrates the Taylor family's efforts to illegally house an alien long enough to escort E.T. to it’s mothership for a return to the species planet without seeking attention from scientists or police. The main character and protagonist Elliott Taylor relates to a mythological hero archetype visualized by Joseph Campbell consisting of three stages, the departure, initiation, and return. illustrated in Elliott’s actions and determination. 11-year-old Elliott Taylor lives among 16-year-old brother Michael Taylor,
