Jurassic Park, a more inclusive Indiana Jones

Is Alan Grant trying to tell us something? Is he Indiana Jones’ more modern cousin? The similarities between the two men are striking. With his authoritative professor air and battered fedora and khakis, Alan Grant was giving off serious Indiana Jones vibes. Like Jones, Alan Grant excavates the secrets of history that “belongs in a museum,” like Jones. He is an engaging professor who lands in an unexpectedly dangerous situation. He even has a blonde companion.

However, Jurassic Park shows the viewers that Indiana's story can be different.

Equality among the sexes—Jones’ companion screams and panics rather than contributing to their situation. She has less value than the ten-year-old boy and cannot be trusted with anything, not even sit there and look pretty. While Jones’ companion is a pretty, weight around his neck, Grant and Sattler have a different relationship.

They're frequently shown shoulder to shoulder. He treats his romantic and professional partner, Dr. Sattler, as an equal. He doesn’t override her communication and opinions; instead, he respects her expertise. He doesn’t stake a romantic claim on her when Malcolm flirts with her; instead, he leaves the situation for her to resolve. So, Grant doesn’t look like a Neanderthal. He doesn’t keep her with him or expect her to stay with him; instead, he respects her individual path and accepts her help. They  work together.

This interaction is a refreshing change from the damsel in distress females in adventure movies. She runs, fights, and solves problems without seeking someone saving her. Instead, she is an equal hero, risking herself to save others, and pushing herself beyond her limits. 

Only two sexist moments arose—elderly Dr. Hammond suggests he should venture into the park because he’s the man. And the men receive guns, but Sattler remains weaponless.

And unlike Indiana Jones, Grant doesn't save damsels; instead, he helps the uninformed. The female lead regularly acts. She joins the search for Grant and the kids; she restarts the power. And when she comes face to face with dinosaurs, she escapes the danger without a savior.

But what about the kids? Short Round argues with Jones, gambles, drives, and tells inappropriate jokes. He is a mini adult who tries to save himself; the dangerous situation reminds him he’s still susceptible to adult whims. Lex and Tim need to save and contribute to their situation, but they never act like adults. They’re framed as uninformed rather than incapable. With each danger, Lex and Tim learn something new and how to apply the knowledge. 

The movie makes small but important points.

Don’t stereotype.  People are multi-talented. Malcolm the Mathematician is also atypical. He’s depicted as a popular bad boy of math. Plus, he takes a philosophical view of dinosaur cloning. Malcolm realizes respecting and learning from the process is as important as the results. The audience wonders if this logical mind sees more than the story shares until it proved him right.

Pay well for skills. It’s all fun and games until someone is underpaid. Obviously greedy and slovenly, Dennis causes a dangerous situation because he wants more money. After repeatedly asking for more money, he betrays the park for money.

They are all good lessons for viewers, but as a writer, the best lesson is taking a broader worldview.  The film switches among the three characters’ points of view. However, the movie has moments of omniscient view. The director shifts the view, again and again, to draw the viewers into the antagonist’s perspective.  We experience the dinosaur’s high-tension arrival through water, a banal witness to life-threatening moments.

At pivotal moments, the story moves beyond the three views to show the obstacles’ points of view. The onlookers see through the dinosaurs’ perspective as they stalk their prey. For a moment, the audience shares the anticipation just before the attack. The viewer sees the tire shift as the steering wheel turns, signaling another obstacle to overcome, but telling the audience when the obstacle becomes a problem.

Again and again, the director and scriptwriters increase the tension with shifting perspectives and points of view.