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, a Steven Spielberg production that redefined what a blockbuster could look like on screen. Built on groundbreaking creature effects blending animatronics with early computer animation, it became a cultural touchstone, proving that a summer tentacle release could carry both spectacle and genuine tension. Its success reshaped the industry's approach to visual effects and launched a franchise that continues decades later, cementing the film's place as one of the defining releases of its decade.
This 35mm cell preserves a pairing of Ian Malcolm and Lex Murphy, two figures whose dynamic represents the film's blend of wit and vulnerability amid chaos. Malcolm's chaos theory musings and dry humor made him an enduring favorite among collectors, while Lex's presence as one of the children caught in the park's unraveling order gives the pairing emotional stakes. A cell naming both suggests a shared scene of consequence, a moment where skepticism and youth intersect. Such pairings are prized for capturing character relationships rather than isolated portraits, offering a tangible piece of the film's narrative fabric.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Jurassic Park (1993).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three full frames on the left portion and one wider frame on the right portion.
Perforations
Four per frame on both top and bottom edges; spacing appears even across the strip; perforation corners are rounded and punches appear clean.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack is visible along the bottom edge, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area track with a DTS timecode stripe also present as a thin dashed line running alongside it.
Edge print
Not fully legible in this capture; faint edge markings are present but cannot be quoted with confidence.
Base & colour
Base appears neutral to very slightly warm; dye image shows rich colour saturation with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or significant scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the left frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single interior shot, and the right frame is from a separate exterior shot; imagery is consistent with Jurassic Park (1993).
Era check
The dual bilateral variable-area optical track combined with a DTS timecode stripe is consistent with a 1993 theatrical release print, as DTS was introduced commercially with Jurassic Park.
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 000063422
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
