Hi, I’m Michael. This is Lessons from the Screenplay. "There it is!" For a kid growing up in the 90s, Jurassic
Park was everything. It’s hard to imagine anything cooler than
a dinosaur, and this film brought dinosaurs to life in
a way never before possible. But as time has shown, simply including dinosaurs
is not enough to make a movie good… “Alan.” …and in revisiting the film as an adult, it’s clear that one of the most impressive
aspects of Jurassic Park is its screenplay. While the film is filled with exciting action
sequences and amazing visual effects, it is also populated by interesting characters who are used to explore an important, modern theme. So today I want to examine how the theme’s
origins inspired the creation of two very specific central characters… To look at how both the plot and supporting
characters challenge their beliefs… And dissect how every single choice made by
the writers fed the theme until it became a full-grown, unstoppable
monster. Welcome to Jurassic Park In the early 1980’s, author Michael Crichton
was working on a script about a graduate student using technology
to recreate a dinosaur. As he was writing, Crichton arrived at a problem,
explaining: “This kind of research is tremendously expensive.” “And the question arises: who will pay for
it?” “The only thing that I could think of was
that it would come from a desire for entertainment.” So the idea of a dinosaur theme park became
the foundation of Crichton’s premise, and buried inside this premise he found what
would become the DNA of the story—its theme. In his book, Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey
Into Story, John Yorke discusses the importance of theme: “A theory is posited, an argument explored
and a conclusion reached.” “That, in a nutshell, is what theme is.” “Subject matter is a static given.” “Theme, on the other hand, is an active
exploration of an idea, it’s a premise to be explored, it’s a question.” Is it a good idea to bring back dangerous,
extinct creatures? Just because we have the technology to do
something, does it mean that we should? And, more broadly, is everything we call “progress”
actually progress? This is the theme of Jurassic Park, but Michael Crichton didn’t think the question had a simple answer. So he and screenwriter David Koepp used the
theme as a blueprint for creating two characters with opposing
viewpoints. When we first meet Dr. Alan Grant, he is anti-progress
in two distinct ways. “I hate computers.” “The feeling is mutual.” We see that Grant is completely mistrusting
of technology. “Look at the extraordinary—“ “What'd you do?” “He touched it. Dr. Grant is not machine compatible.” “They've got it in for me.” We also see that he is not compatible with
a more symbolic representation of the future. “He slashes at you here…or here.” “Oh Alan.” “You are alive when they start to eat you.” Grant doesn’t like kids and doesn’t want
to have them. “I mean, what’s so wrong with kids?” “Oh, Ellie, look. They're noisy, they're messy, they're expensive.” “Cheap, cheap.” “They smell.” Throughout the first act we see examples of
Grant’s dislike of children and his contentious relationship with technology
again… And again… And again. Grant clearly represents the anti-progress
side of the theme, but soon, someone with an opposing viewpoint
comes barging into his world… John Hammond. Hammond is so pro-technology and progress, he doesn’t even consider that genetically
engineering dinosaurs might be dangerous. (yelling) When a worker is killed by a velociraptor, Hammond’s only concern is that it might
delay the park’s opening. In fact, Hammond’s favorite catchphrase… “Spared no expense.” “Spared no expense.” “Spared no expense.” …is an expression of this mindset: forward
at all costs. “How could we stand in the light of discovery
and not act?” The first act of Jurassic Park establishes
Grant and Hammond’s opposing takes on the theme of progress. But just having characters embody different
perspectives isn’t enough. To truly explore a theme, you must find ways
of testing the characters’ beliefs. In act two, the screenplays Grant and Hammond
up, putting an entire island and a 10,000 volt
fence between them. This separation allows each of them to encounter situations uniquely designed to attack their beliefs. When power goes out all over the island, Grant is suddenly forced to get along without
the help of any technology… “Hey what'd I touch?” “You didn’t touch anything. We've stopped.” …while at the same time finding himself
responsible for the lives of Hammond’s grandchildren. “He left us!" "He left us!” “But that's not what I'm going to do.” Throughout the second act of the film, every single moment in Grant’s story is
about one of these two things. “Good boy.” Eventually, Grant even acknowledges that he
has been resisting progress in his own life, and that he might be ready to change. “What are you gonna do now if you don't
have to pick up dinosaur bones any more?” “I don’t know, I guess we'll just have
to evolve too.” Meanwhile, Hammond is dealing with the fact
that the dinosaurs he decided to bring back to life are destroying everything he has built. But even worse, they’re now threatening
the lives he values most. By having to witness the disaster unfold, Hammond is forced to realize that he only
loved progress-at-all-costs when he thought he had control over it. But it’s not just the situations that are
designed to attack Grant and Hammond’s beliefs. (Malcolm laughs) The script uses Dr. Ian Malcolm, chaotician, to test the character of Grant by flirting
with Grant’s partner, Dr. Ellie Sattler. “Did I go to fast? I go to fast I did a flyby.” And in his interactions with Grant, we see
that Malcolm might have some of the qualities Dr. Sattler wants that Grant lacks. “You got any kids?” “Me? Oh, hell yeah. Three. I love kids. Anything at all can and does happen.” This hints that if Grant doesn’t figure
out a way to evolve, he could lose Dr. Sattler. Malcolm tests Hammond by spelling out the exact problem with Hammond’s pro-progress obsession. “Our scientists have done things which nobody
has ever done before.” “Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so
preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.” Once Malcolm is injured, Dr. Sattler—another
well-designed supporting character— steps in to test Hammond’s beliefs for weaknesses. “When we have control again—“ “You never had control, that’s the illusion!” “The only thing that matters now are the
people we love.” “Alan, and Lex, and Tim." "John, they're out there where people are dying.” The screenwriter even reminds us of Hammond’s
catchphrase at the end of this scene, highlighting how Hammond’s progress-at-all-costs
viewpoint has failed in the face of disaster and now sits around him, melting. “Ellie reaches out and takes a spoon out
of one of the buckets of ice cream, and licks it.” “It's good.” “He looks up at her, and his face is different, as the unhappy irony of what he's about to say finally hits home.” “Spared no expense.” Ian Malcolm, Ellie Sattler, and even characters
like Dennis Nedry, Muldoon, and Gennaro are fun additions to the story, each with
their own memorable moments. “Clever girl.” But more importantly, these supporting characters
exist to sharpen the film’s focus on theme by challenging the beliefs of Grant and Hammond. And because their beliefs are challenged throughout
the film, by the end they have both learned to evolve. “Ellie! Boot up the door locks! Boot up the door locks!” During the movie’s climax, Lex’s skill
with new computer technology… “It’s a unix system!" …becomes the reason all the characters are
rescued— a fact Grant is forced to acknowledge. “Grant?” “Mr. Hammond. The phones are working.” “It’s going to cut through the glass!” And after the trauma of this ordeal… “GRANT!” …Hammond has realized that sometimes the
cost of progress is simply too high. “Mr. Hammond, after careful consideration
I've decided not to endorse your Park.” “So have I.” That both of them have changed their beliefs suggests that the central question at the
core of a theme doesn’t always have a neat, easy answer. As Michael Crichton said: “It seems to me that we live in a society in which technology is continuously presented
as wonderful. Isn't it fabulous that we all have computers? Well, yes and no is my response.” Yes. And no. Jurassic Park is a great example of how to
use theme to guide the design of a screenplay. It celebrates the marvels that technology
can provide, while also warning of the dangers of irresponsible
progress. And taking it a step further, the filmmakers even found ways to weave in
moments about all kinds of “progress” issues from the early 90s, from legal and bureaucratic red tape… “No!” To feminism… “Dinosaurs eat man… woman inherits the
earth.” To corporate espionage. This commitment to theme elevates the film
above a simple monster movie, helping make it one of our most beloved and
enduring cinematic experiences— (clank) One that may never go extinct. (roar) And it allows a thrilling, meaningful adventure
to await inside the gates of Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park was first released in theaters
in June of 1993, but it didn’t come out on VHS until October
of 1994. As a seven-year-old, having to wait that long
to watch it again was very frustrating, but I filled that time by playing with my
Jurassic Park toys... (tinny roar) ...and by reading the original book. The book has a much darker tone, but is really
great, and if you haven’t read it, you should. Which is why I’m so glad that Audible has
sponsored this video, because you can start a thirty-day trial today
and get your first audiobook for free by going to audible.com/lfts or by texting
“lfts” to 500500. Audible has the largest selection of audiobooks
on the planet, and you can listen to them on all your devices— seamlessly switching between your phone, car,
or tablet— picking up exactly here you left off. So head to audible.com/lfts or text “lfts”
to 500500 to sign up for the free thirty-day trial and
start listening to Jurassic Park today! Thanks to Audible for sponsoring this video. Hey guys, hope you enjoyed the video! Have you seen the new Jurassic Park, and if
so what did you think? Let me know on twitter @michaeltuckerla. Thank you as always to my patrons on Patreon and my supporters here on YouTube for making
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