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 Universal Pictures release directed by Steven Spielberg, adapted from Michael Crichton's novel. Built on groundbreaking computer-generated effects paired with practical animatronics, it redefined what audiences expected from a blockbuster and remains a benchmark in visual effects history. Its success reshaped the modern tentpole model and cemented Spielberg's reputation for merging spectacle with genuine tension, making the film a touchstone of 1990s cinema and a perennial favorite among collectors of film memorabilia.
This cell preserves the title card, the frame where the film's name is first presented to the audience before the story unfolds. Such cells hold particular value for collectors because they mark the very threshold of the viewing experience, the moment anticipation crystallizes into the film proper. As a piece of 35mm history, it represents the physical film stock used in theatrical presentation, a tangible artifact from the reel that introduced millions to Isla Nublar. For enthusiasts of Jurassic Park, owning this specific juncture connects directly to the film's opening identity.
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 each edge, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, with what appears to be a second parallel line consistent with a stereo variable-area pair; Dolby Digital data blocks are not clearly distinguishable at this size.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a slight warm tint; the dye image reads as a strong black with saturated red and yellow in the logo areas, showing no obvious fading.
Projection history
Several fine white horizontal lines are visible across the frame area, consistent with projection scratches on a previously screened print.
Picture
Positive image; all three frames appear to carry the same title-card logo artwork, suggesting this is a title or leader section rather than consecutive action frames; the logo matches the Jurassic Park (1993) branding on record.
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack format, clear safety base, and positive print presentation are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 1990s.
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 000063415
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
