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 Universal Pictures' flagship blockbuster, directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from Michael Crichton's novel. Its groundbreaking blend of animatronics and computer-generated imagery reset audience expectations for visual effects and helped define the modern summer tentpole. The film became one of the highest-grossing releases of its time and remains a touchstone of 1990s studio filmmaking, launching a franchise that continues decades later. For collectors, it stands among the essential must-have properties from that era of cinema.
This cell carries the name Lex Murphy, the younger of the two Murphy grandchildren brought to the island, a character whose presence anchors much of the film's tension around survival and family. Frames bearing her name are sought by collectors interested in the human core of the story, distinct from the dinosaur imagery that dominates most memorabilia. A cell identified simply by character name, without further descriptor, suggests a general appearance rather than a single scripted line or event, making it a straightforward piece for anyone building out a cast-focused collection from this release.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Jurassic Park (1993).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges look clean throughout the strip.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge below the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area pattern consistent with a stereo optical print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye saturation looks full with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or significant scratches are visible; the strip shows no evidence of heavy projection use.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the subject matter is consistent with Jurassic Park (1993).
Era check
The dual bilateral variable-area optical soundtrack and the neutral polyester-base colour print stock are consistent with a 1993 theatrical release print era.
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 000063414
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
