I saw my very first dinosaur when I was around five years old. My kindergarten class went on a field trip to the Museum of Natural History in New York City. This memory is etched in my brain. I can envision the ride on the school bus. I sat next to my friend Julia. We were both very excited and a little scared. Seeing a picture of a dinosaur and standing beside a fully blown-up model are two very different things. I distinctly remember walking inside and seeing an enormous T Rex in the main room. I stopped in my tracks. It was overwhelming to me. I didn’t view it as just a bunch of bones glued together. I thought it was real. I saw it with its leathery skin. I held my breath, looking at its rows of sharp, pointy teeth. It was so fu**ing tall. I felt small and vulnerable. All my classmates ran around the realistic display. I remember standing very still and quiet. I had nightmares for a long time.
When my son, Aaron, was a toddler, he fell in love with dinosaurs. Everything in his room was built around that theme, from his sheets, comforter, towels, pj’s, underwear, T-shirts, toys, and posters. He couldn’t get enough stories, puzzles, or movies about his favorite subject. We even had to stop at the dinosaur store in the middle of the desert on our many vacation trips from Phoenix to California. At the age of four, Aaron announced to everyone that he wanted to be a paleontologist. He didn’t change his mind until he was in the fourth grade, and then decided he wanted to be a teacher.
I am now watching my son’s son, Aiden, loving his dinosaur collection. He can name them all. I sit on the floor with him, and together we imagine the roar of a T Rex. We laugh at the power of our voices. I wonder what he thinks about them and their existence. We visited the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, which showcases extinct species. There is a massive replica of a dinosaur out front before entering. He loves running around and under this model. I am slammed with memories every time Aaron, Aiden, and I visit.
In 1993, Steven Spielberg brought one of the greatest special effects movies of all time to the screen. It broke records on its opening weekend, taking in over 47million dollars. By the time it was seen worldwide, it would gross over a billion dollars. It would win three Oscars for Best Sound, Best Sound Effects, and Best Visual Effects. Spielberg thought it was important to hear the sounds of a T. rex and see the vibrations in a cup before this dangerous creature made its first appearance. It worked brilliantly, and so began one of the most creative franchises, JURASSIC PARK.
JURASSIC PARK was based on Michael Crichton’s original novel. The rights were purchased for two million, and he was one of two who wrote the screenplay as well. Crichton was worried about the dangers of cloning and regenerating species in the lab. He thought it was dangerous for humankind. In his script, he voiced that opinion loud and clear. “Dinosaurs had their chance.” Sixty-five million years stand between man and these powerful creatures. It is not for scientists to take that chance. “Should or could” is the question to ask ourselves. Or, as Jeff Goldblum, portraying Malcolm, perfectly stated, “Life cannot be contained. Life, uh, will find a way.” And this, in a nutshell, is the premise of JURASSIC PARK.
Spielberg had been working on finishing SCHINDLER’S LIST. He had a tough time initially getting into the swing of things with JP. He was involved in every aspect. He wanted to make sure the project reflected his high standards of perfection. This was evident throughout the entire production, which is why the film still holds up so well today. Spielberg is a master at creating the anticipation of what is coming. The human imagination is far more commanding and intense. Oftentimes, audiences felt more fear before ever seeing the dinosaurs on screen.
The location for this majestic park was excellent. Who can forget the entangled, massive trees, the gorgeous, gentle meadows, or the stunning waterfalls? Hawaii does not disappoint. John Williams created a breathtaking musical score. Everyone remembers those soothing, lilting tones as the jeeps calmly roll under the JURASSIC PARK entrance sign. It magnificently billows on high pillars. It was a spectacular sensory overload for our minds to take in and process.
The entire ensemble was superbly cast, featuring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Richard Attenburro, Bob Peck, BD Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mozello, Ariana Richards, and Jeff Goldblum. (As a side note, Ariana was cast as Lex because she could scream the loudest while projecting the most fear.) Audiences see themselves sitting in those silent, moving trams. They feel the hunt begin. Time slows down as movie-goers instinctively race in all directions trying to find safety. In the shiny, steel kitchen, not a breath or a single movement is heard. The lobby of the Visitor’s Center combines scientifically engineered bones with those of extinct species. These fantastic actors made audiences believe what they experienced was happening in real time. Every horror and terrorized second is registered. The idea of survival turned the page. This exhausting, exhilarating, innocent weekend trip had to end one way or another. This is how it feels to be delightfully captured within cinema when all the pieces are connected correctly. (Now I feel like Nicole Kidman’s opening speech at an AMC theater.)
JURASSIC PARK is a magical, blockbuster classic. It is a masterpiece combining all the best of filmmaking. It’s a blip in time when a story, special effects, characters, sounds, sets, and stirring music all came together because of one man…Steven Spielberg. His incomparable artistry has made a difference. He ignites deeply hidden emotions. He is a visionary who can take audiences anywhere in time and still stand the test of time for decades to come.
JURASSIC PARK is available on Netflix.
