The screenplay for Jurassic Park can be found below:
It is a first draft, and is therefore substantially
different from the finished film, bearing a greater resemblance to the source
material. The changes made between the script and the finished film form the basis of this post.
Who Wrote It?
The film was written by Michael Crichton and David Koepp,
and based on the novel by Michael Crichton.
Who Directed It?
Jurassic Park was directed by Steven Spielberg.
How Long Is It?
The film is 121 minutes long, including end credits.
What’s It About?
The eccentric tycoon John Hammond (Played by Richard
Attenborough) invites a pair of scientists, Dr Alan Grant (Played by Sam Neil)
and Dr Ellie Sattler (Played by Laura Dern), to visit and endorse his pet project:
Jurassic Park. Based on a tropical island, it contains dinosaurs of all kinds,
brought to life through advanced cloning technology. Other guests on the trip include rebellious
mathematician Ian Malcom (Played by Jeff Goldblum) and Hammond’s two
grandchildren, Tim and Lex (played by Joseph Mazello and Ariana Richards).
However, when an employee tries to steal the park’s advanced technology, he
inadvertently releases the dinosaurs, who begin to run amok. As Hammond, Ellie
and Malcom try to find a way to contain the creatures, Grant, Tim and Lex journey across the island to find the rest of the group.
5 Key Scenes – Jurassic Park
(The Following May Contain Spoilers)
Discussions With
Hammond – In the film, most of
the opposition to the idea of resurrecting dinosaurs is voiced by Ian Malcom in
a speech during a dinner meeting. He notes that Hammond and his scientists were
“so preoccupied with whether they could, that they didn’t stop to think about
whether they should”. This sequence serves two purposes. Most importantly, it prepares
us for the fact that the dinosaurs will go on the rampage. It also sets up the
tension between Hammond and Malcom, indicating that the two will be forced to
put their animosity aside when the dinosaurs attack.
On the other hand, the script omits Malcom completely, and
cuts the dinner scene. Instead, the
objections to Jurassic Park are primarily voiced by Ellie, who claims that
dinosaurs cannot repress their hunter instincts, and Grant, who notes that
commercialising science leads to “A disregard for method” that eventually leads
to the failure of the island. However, because the screenplay is focused on
action, there is less emphasis on the issues regarding the cloning of dinosaurs.
As a result, the characters are less developed, as their views on the matter go
a long way towards defining their personalities.
T-Rex Attack –
The most iconic action sequence in Jurassic Park is the Tyrannosaurus Rex
attack that occurs at the halfway point of the film. At the start of this scene,
the T-Rex’s arrival is signalled by a vibrating glass of water. In the script,
it is signalled in a more conventional manner, as “The whole car vibrates” to
signal the arrival of the dinosaur. The vibrating glass of water is more
effective, as it increases the suspense. As soon as the protagonists notice
what is happening to this minor object, the slow-building sense of awareness is
more terrifying then the sudden attack in the original script.
This leads to the first major chase in the movie, as the
T-Rex attacks the car containing Tim and Lex. The script portrays the creature as
toying with the cruiser “like a dog with its bone”. This description highlights
its destructive nature, as the car, and the children inside, are treated by it
as a plaything. The film stays true to this description, and depicts the dinosaur
in close-up from Tim and Lex’s perspective. This makes the creature even more
dangerous, because it causes large amounts of damage with little effort.
Grant And The Kids - Dr. Grant is the story's central protagonist, as he has the strongest character arc out of all the main characters. At the beginning, he is opposed to the idea of having children, but looking after Tim and
Lex brings out the father in him. This is highlighted in a sequence where they
have to climb over a perimeter fence before the power gets turned on. It
appears in both the film and the script, and there are a number of similarities
between the two depictions, most notably the fact that one of the children (Lex
in the script, Tim in the film) is afraid of heights. However, the risk level
in the screenplay turns out to be low – the power doesn’t return. The fact that
the obstacle isn’t as severe as it is in the film reduces the pressure placed
on Dr Grant, and therefore ensures that the episode has less of an impact on
him and his relationship with Tim and Lex.
One notable scene in the movie depicts the three hiding in a
tree for the night. They crack a number of jokes about dinosaurs, and Grant
promises to watch for dinosaurs and protect the children. However, in the
original script, the children fall asleep the instant they settle down in the
tree- there are no heart-warming interactions between them and Grant. Overall,
the idea of Grant being a father figure is far less prominent in the script
then it is in the film.
The Final Battle – The climax of Jurassic Park depicts the protagonists taking on Velociraptors who are attacking the Island headquarters. This sequence is
divided into two parts. During the first part, Tim and Lex are chased through the
kitchen by two Velociraptors. In the script, they use steaks to trick the raptors
into entering a walk-in freezer. In the film they also use trickery; Lex hides
in an oven, and the dinosaurs mistakenly attack her reflection. However, the two children seem a bit calmer and more composed in the script. Their panic in the finished sequence
increases the tension, as it emphasises the fact that they are a disadvantage
and leaves the viewer wondering how they will be able to survive.
In the second part of the climax, Grant, Ellie and the
children face the Velociraptors in the Visitor Centre, dangling from the giant
Tyrannosaurus skeleton that is the main exhibit there. In the film, the Velociraptors
are defeated by the timely arrival of a T-Rex. This represents a “payoff”
following the Tyrannosaurs’ appearance in the middle of the film, because a
monster that memorable should not be used for a single scene only. However, the
live T-Rex does not appear in the screenplay. Instead, the raptors are defeated
by Grant single-handedly, as he uses the skeleton to crush them. Whilst this
cements Grant’s growth into a strong, brave hero, it seems like an easy way of
defeating the implacable velociraptors. Therefore, the denouement of the film
proves to be more memorable.
Hammond’s Behaviour –
The screenplay retains the novel’s depiction of Hammond as an antagonist who is
more concerned with making money from the theme park then he is with thinking
through the risks and implications of his grand idea. He responds to Dr. Grant’s criticism with a megalomaniacal
rant in which he announces that he will persevere with his idea, and dismisses
Grant as “one more negative voice in a universe of negativity”. However, the
film makes him into a more likeable character. At the end, he decide to leave the island with the rest of the protagonists
(albeit with a degree of reluctance) and responds to Dr Grant’s comment that he
has decided not to endorse the park with a simple “So have I”. Character arcs
are a convenient way to distinguish between protagonists and antagonists, and
by realising that his dream cannot be maintained, the version of Hammond we see
in the film is able to grow as a character and therefore remain sympathetic.
This difference in personality between is summed up with how
the character is introduced in both versions. In the film, he is introduced
turning up suddenly at Grant and Ellie’s dig. His primary motive for turning up at the
location incognito is for the sense of adventure. This establishes Hammond’s energetic
personality, but also shows that he is overconfident, as he nonchalantly helps
himself to champagne from the fridge. Conversely, in the script, he is not
introduced until the protagonists arrive on the island. This makes him into a
more mysterious figure with a greater sense of power, and establishes how dependant
he is on his park. In the screenplay, Hammond’s fanatical obsession with making
the park successful ensures that he will be blind to the flaws in his idea,
making him unable to change and ensuring that he poses an obstacle to the
protagonists.
Verdict
Jurassic Park improved substantially between the first draft
and the finished film. Whilst the original script has a number of strong action
sequences, the finished film contains more likeable and better-developed
characters, and also provides a fuller focus on the issues arising from
cloning. Furthermore, it benefits immeasurably from Steven Spielberg’s direction,
as he wrings the maximum levels of tension out of the various action sequences,
increasing the jeopardy levels through his focus on the small details, which
are expressed through close-ups. He also manages to give the various dinosaurs,
who are the story’s most spectacular and important aspect, plenty of memorable
moments, which allow them to stand out as characters in their own right. As a
result of the changes made to the screenplay, Jurassic Park is an example of a
summer blockbuster that can be enjoyed for both the spectacle and the
characters.
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