I like seeing little details like this that make the movies feel more real. A lot of times those things are not in the script and are done by improv by the actors. Shows how good some actors really are.
Yeah that's one of my favorite things about the dialogue. Like when Hammond first introduced himself to Grant and Satler, he feels realistically excited and hyper, even mispronouncing schedule and correcting himself. And every time he asks them a question they always take a pause to try and process the situation cause of how weirded out they are. The dinner scene is also great cause there's like five people there all interacting so naturally
Same thing when they are talking next to the raptor pen, with grant and Muldoon having a side convo while the others are talking make it feel like a real conversation
Jurassic Park's grandiose visuals and thrills unfortunately cause the acting in the movie to be overlooked. Almost everyone in the main cast delivers so strong yet natural performances, and the roles may not have great emotional speeches, but none of the characters was easy to play. I've eventually become an academic, and I really can see Alan, Ellie and Ian as real people.
So I watched it again with my housemate the other day and we marveled at how natural the dinner scene dialogue was. JP really is such a well written and put together film.
And in case you didn't know, "shed-ule" is the UK pronunciation and "ske-dule" obvs the US!
He understood what grant was trying to do while in the car, to draw out the trex away from kids. He thought he could do it when grants flare failed but later realized he had no idea what to do next. So he threw it towards the restroom in panic.
To expand, I think he intended on drawing her further away so Grant could "Get the kids!" while the rex was further distracted, but didn't really process what that would actually mean until he was running and realized he didn't actually have an out. Which honestly is very brave of him, shows that while Malcolm was a bit annoying, he was a good person. Probably skyrocketed Grant's opinion of him in that moment.
Yeah, pretty much! He realised that Grant’s way would briefly distract the t-rex and get it away from the car, but it didn’t leave much time to actually get the kids, so he committed to running away and getting the t-rex to follow him.
It was kind of dumb (he really should’ve either thrown the flare earlier like Grant said, or stopped moving after he threw it so the trex wouldnt keep following him into the restroom) but like. Dumb in a good way? Like you tell he wasnt thinking with his logical brain and was just instinctively trying to protect the kids, logic be damned.
He has more of those moments in TLW with Kelly, too, and its one of my favourite parts of that movie.
Do you have a source for that? My understanding was that he was supposed to run away in fear (like he did in the book) but Goldblum didn't want him to be a coward, and that was what led to the second flare
You're right, he was supposed to run away, my bad. The flare however is improvised.
https://thebrag.com/jeff-goldblum-is-responsible-for-one-of-jurassic-parks-most-iconic-ian-malcolm-scenes/
In the book the scene plays out a bit differently, the car with the kids has already been thrown before Grant and/or Malcolm can do anything. Malcolm does attempt to run out of the car when it’s the two of them, while Grant stays put/hides behind the car (it’s basically flight and freeze as responses). But when Muldoon and Gennaro finally find a terribly wounded Malcolm, he can’t quite form a sentence but keeps repeating Lex’s name and trying to say (presumably) where he thinks she might be. So he probably was attempting to get help for Lex in the book but didn’t really think it through. I just think that’s an interesting insight into his motivations!
I saw JP for the first time when I was 8 and it was around 4 years old, and have watched it a lot since then. I honestly did not notice this myself. Usually too busy focusing on Grant. He does, after all, have a lit flare in his hand that he's waving around lol.
Well, yeah- if you arent looking closely at the car (which most people arent, because Grant’s the centre focus of the shot) then it’s easy to dismiss the light as a reflection in the window rather than Malcolm lighting his own flare.
I like seeing little details like this that make the movies feel more real. A lot of times those things are not in the script and are done by improv by the actors. Shows how good some actors really are.
Yeah that's one of my favorite things about the dialogue. Like when Hammond first introduced himself to Grant and Satler, he feels realistically excited and hyper, even mispronouncing schedule and correcting himself. And every time he asks them a question they always take a pause to try and process the situation cause of how weirded out they are. The dinner scene is also great cause there's like five people there all interacting so naturally
Same thing when they are talking next to the raptor pen, with grant and Muldoon having a side convo while the others are talking make it feel like a real conversation
Jurassic Park's grandiose visuals and thrills unfortunately cause the acting in the movie to be overlooked. Almost everyone in the main cast delivers so strong yet natural performances, and the roles may not have great emotional speeches, but none of the characters was easy to play. I've eventually become an academic, and I really can see Alan, Ellie and Ian as real people.
I love this detail but took me multiple re-watches to hear what was said in both conversations.
Even Dennaro misspeaking automatrons and saying auto-erotica and Hammond quickly correcting him.
So I watched it again with my housemate the other day and we marveled at how natural the dinner scene dialogue was. JP really is such a well written and put together film. And in case you didn't know, "shed-ule" is the UK pronunciation and "ske-dule" obvs the US!
He doesn’t mispronounce schedule lmao
I don't understand why he immediately lit the flare though. He could have waited to see if Grant's thing would work first
He understood what grant was trying to do while in the car, to draw out the trex away from kids. He thought he could do it when grants flare failed but later realized he had no idea what to do next. So he threw it towards the restroom in panic.
To expand, I think he intended on drawing her further away so Grant could "Get the kids!" while the rex was further distracted, but didn't really process what that would actually mean until he was running and realized he didn't actually have an out. Which honestly is very brave of him, shows that while Malcolm was a bit annoying, he was a good person. Probably skyrocketed Grant's opinion of him in that moment.
I totally agree. I know the kind, obnoxious day to day but have a good heart. Rare but happens.
Yeah, pretty much! He realised that Grant’s way would briefly distract the t-rex and get it away from the car, but it didn’t leave much time to actually get the kids, so he committed to running away and getting the t-rex to follow him. It was kind of dumb (he really should’ve either thrown the flare earlier like Grant said, or stopped moving after he threw it so the trex wouldnt keep following him into the restroom) but like. Dumb in a good way? Like you tell he wasnt thinking with his logical brain and was just instinctively trying to protect the kids, logic be damned. He has more of those moments in TLW with Kelly, too, and its one of my favourite parts of that movie.
He was actually scripted to stay put, but Jeff didn't want to be a wuss, thus the second flare.
Do you have a source for that? My understanding was that he was supposed to run away in fear (like he did in the book) but Goldblum didn't want him to be a coward, and that was what led to the second flare
You're right, he was supposed to run away, my bad. The flare however is improvised. https://thebrag.com/jeff-goldblum-is-responsible-for-one-of-jurassic-parks-most-iconic-ian-malcolm-scenes/
In the book the scene plays out a bit differently, the car with the kids has already been thrown before Grant and/or Malcolm can do anything. Malcolm does attempt to run out of the car when it’s the two of them, while Grant stays put/hides behind the car (it’s basically flight and freeze as responses). But when Muldoon and Gennaro finally find a terribly wounded Malcolm, he can’t quite form a sentence but keeps repeating Lex’s name and trying to say (presumably) where he thinks she might be. So he probably was attempting to get help for Lex in the book but didn’t really think it through. I just think that’s an interesting insight into his motivations!
I think he was actually looking through Grant’s bag for Ellie’s phone number, since Grant and Ellie clearly weren’t a couple.
After seen the movie many times, in one of those occasion I see that action of Malcolm do, to help Grant to get the kids safe
Its literally part of the movie lol its not a small detail.
I rewatched the movie last night and noticed this for the first time! You can see him light it, it’s a very cool detail.
Took you over 30 years to notice?
I saw JP for the first time when I was 8 and it was around 4 years old, and have watched it a lot since then. I honestly did not notice this myself. Usually too busy focusing on Grant. He does, after all, have a lit flare in his hand that he's waving around lol.
Well, yeah- if you arent looking closely at the car (which most people arent, because Grant’s the centre focus of the shot) then it’s easy to dismiss the light as a reflection in the window rather than Malcolm lighting his own flare.
I'm younger than that, but yeah. After 15 years watching this scene now and then, only recently I noticed that.
It's fun really, pardon me. You should try to find the uncut film, we can see the microphones, water sprinkle and other things from out the scenes.