This piece accompanies the “Movies I Like” YouTube series linked below. The character in the video is intended as parody.
Sam Neill’s passing made me spend a moment reflecting on his work and some of the core memories coming from them. I’ll admit I’ve only seen the smallest fraction of his filmography, but those works have been heavy enough to stick with me through the years. The most important of those being Jurassic Park, which lands on my all-time favorites list. So here’s a movie that I like…
Releasing in 1993 and starring Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough, Jurassic Park immediately captured my imagination and cemented my awe at how a movie could so completely transport me to a different place. Steven Spielberg’s deft direction and vision for how to bring Michael Crichton’s novel to the big screen is likely the origin of my love for movies. I was only nine then and had been going to movies with my parents since my earliest memories, but those were mostly Disney flicks or Home Alone. Somehow, I got to see Ghostbusters II in theaters…I would’ve been 5 at the time, and yeah, it scared the bejesus out of me. I don’t fault my parents for taking that risk at all. It feels like an acceptable event in my life, and it definitely created a core memory. Anyway, as a boy of 9, I loved dinosaurs, so seeing them come to life at one of my first “big kid” movies distracted me from some of the more mature themes in the film like hubris and, ya know, people being eaten.
There are just so many elements that make Jurassic Park an exciting and memorable film. Obviously, the physical dinosaurs project a visceral ferocity that steals every scene they’re in. While large-scale CGI was still in its infancy, some of the velociraptor work was good enough to make them the stuff of nightmares. Since I had no knowledge at the time of how they put dinosaurs on screen, my youthful mind was blown. They were the greatest and most mesmerizing thing I had ever seen.
Beyond the dino’s, Jurassic Park has wonderful characters. Sam Neill’s Dr. Grant continues to be one of the coolest operators in remarkable circumstances. You felt like you could always trust him, and there was plenty to appreciate about Dr. Grant’s intelligence and snark. John Hammond (Attenborough) played the perfect aloof billionaire grandpa. Laura Dern’s Ellie Sadler complemented Dr. Grant’s confidence and ability, bringing her own determined poise and stubbornness when the moment called for it. Jeff Goldblum created an unforgettably quirky weirdo in Dr. Ian Malcom. Though Malcom’s mannerisms are grating, I look fondly upon my introduction to Chaos Theory. We then can’t forget Samuel L. Jackson as Ray Arnold and Wayne Knight as Dennis Nedry, two supporting characters who provided quotable lines and scene-stealing interactions. Each character has their own significance to the story, and hearing their names, or the names of the actors playing them, pulls up a mental image from Jurassic Park.
Despite the dinosaurs and superb cast, I’m not sure the film fully comes together without John Williams’ score. As he’s done with all his films, Williams creates repeatable themes for places, characters, and situations. There are still moments I find myself humming the Jurassic Park main theme. Heck, when I was younger, I used that piece for a piano recital. It’s like each note is purposeful and memorable so that the tune sticks with you without you even realizing it. At the end of the day, Williams is a master of storytelling through music.
Spielberg is due his credit here too, because I’m not sure another director creates the perfect look and feel for a movie like this created in the early 90’s. His vision for Jurassic Park and how it all came together left me craving the same experience from everything that came after. It’s almost unfair to expect other films to provide the same high as Jurassic Park. Some can pull it off, but it’s a rare feat. And, while I’m less impressed with Spielberg’s more contemporary work because he spoiled me with Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan (not to mention the first three of the Indiana Jones franchise), I will always trust his films to have a look and feel that’s like reconnecting with an old friend.
This is the second time I’ve written about Jurassic Park, essentially both times stemming from circumstance as opposed to any fanaticism around the film, though JP’s quality could warrant that. It’s a complete package of a movie that remains fun and intense through every viewing. Being able to hear Dr. Grant tell the terrifying tale of how velociraptors hunt will now be a little more meaningful, a portal to simpler times and a lifetime of experiences to create. Anyway, Jurassic Park is a move that I like. Maybe you’ll like it too.
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