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 from Universal Pictures in the summer of 1993, directed by Steven Spielberg and adapted from Michael Crichton's novel of the same name. It redefined what visual effects could achieve, blending groundbreaking computer animation with practical creature work to bring dinosaurs to life on screen in a way audiences had never witnessed. The film became a cultural touchstone, spawning a franchise that continues decades later, and remains a benchmark for blockbuster filmmaking, marrying spectacle with genuine wonder and tension.
This cell centers on Tim Murphy, the younger of the two Murphy grandchildren whose journey through the park anchors much of the film's tension and awe. Tim's character, a dinosaur enthusiast thrust into a genuine encounter with the creatures he idolizes, resonates with collectors as an entry point into the film's core themes of curiosity and survival. Paired with his sister Lex, this moment reflects the siblings' shared experience navigating the unfolding chaos, a dynamic central to the film's emotional throughline. As a 35mm keepsake, it offers a tactile piece of that cinematic milestone.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Jurassic Park (1993).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched corners are rounded, consistent with standard 35mm pitch.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible as a white waveform band running the full length of the strip between the picture area and the lower perforation row; a second narrower line beside it suggests a twin-track (stereo) variable-area configuration.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at the resolution provided; no legible key numbers or manufacturer text can be read.
Base & colour
Base appears warm-neutral with a slight yellow-green cast typical of colour print stock; dye image shows no obvious fading or heavy red shift.
Projection history
Light vertical scratches are visible running through all three frames, consistent with repeated projection through a gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the subject matter is consistent with a live-action feature matching the film on record.
Era check
The twin variable-area optical track alongside a colour positive print on what appears to be safety base is consistent with a 1990s theatrical release print of Jurassic Park (1993).
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 000063418
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
