National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 2018
“The concept of people somehow existing in the age of dinosaurs (or dinosaurs somehow existing in the age of people) has been explored in film and on television numerous times. No treatment, however, has ever been done with more skill, flair or popcorn-chomping excitement than this 1993 blockbuster.”
Selected for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Directed by
Steven Spielberg
Studio
Amblin Entertainment · 127 min
Box office
$1.03B worldwide on a $63M budget
Honors
Academy Awards — 3 wins, 3 nominationsSaturn Award — 2 winsHugo Award — 1 winKids' Choice Award — 1 winAll 7 wins · 3 nominations on record
Academy Awards: Best Sound Editing
Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects
Academy Awards: Best Sound
Saturn Award: Best Science Fiction Film
Saturn Award: Best Director
Hugo Award: Best Dramatic Presentation
Kids' Choice Award: Favorite Movie
Scholarship
Named in the title of 12 peer-reviewed works
Examples
The Making of Jurassic Park — Medical Entomology and Zoology, 1993
Jurassic Park — Liverpool University Press eBooks, 2020
Jurassic Park (franchise) — Alphascript Publishing eBooks, 2011
Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Jurassic Park arrived in the summer of 1993 as a landmark production for Universal Pictures, directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from Michael Crichton's novel. Its blend of practical effects and groundbreaking computer animation reshaped what audiences expected from blockbuster filmmaking, and its box office success cemented it as one of the defining releases of the decade, a film that continues to anchor discussions of Spielberg's career and the evolution of visual effects in cinema.
This cell carries the name Tim Murphy, the young dinosaur enthusiast among the film's central children and grandson of park founder John Hammond. Tim's presence in a collection speaks to his role as an audience surrogate, the wide-eyed believer whose fascination with the creatures mirrors the wonder Spielberg sought to inspire. A 35mm cell bearing his name preserves a physical fragment of that theme, connecting the collector to a character whose innocence and curiosity remain inseparable from the film's enduring appeal.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Jurassic Park (1993)
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges, strip holds three frames
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no visible torn or deformed holes
Soundtrack
A dual variable-area optical track runs along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block strip visible in the inter-perforation gap area on the same edge
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image shows rich colour saturation with no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
Light horizontal scratching visible across the frame area consistent with a projected print; no splices or cue marks seen
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, consistent with a release print of Jurassic Park (1993)
Era check
The dual variable-area optical track combined with a Dolby Digital data strip is consistent with a mid-1990s theatrical release print, matching the 1993 release period of the film on record
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063411
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
