Things I Like about Jurassic Park - Dr Grant's "What am I Doing" Moment

As some of you may know, my degree is in palaeobiology, and although I became interested in dinosaurs from an early age, it was the movie Jurassic Park that really brought them to life for me. These were 'realistic' (more on this in a future blog) dinosaurs, plus there was a main character who actually had a job working with dinosaurs. While I may have stalled somewhat in my palaeontological career, Dr Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill, was one of my idols.

Which is one of the reasons I'm doing this blog series, Things I Like about Jurassic Park

Dr Grant's "What am I Doing" Moment

So, we're at the point of the film where everything is starting to go wrong, Nedry has turned off the fences, and the T. rex has figured out that there's nothing to stop her ripping down the electric fence separating her from the road. After being abandoned by Gennaro, Lex, the older of the two Murphy kids, decides the best ting to do with a giant carnivorous dinosaur is to turn on a torch ad wave it around, which surprisingly attracts the T. rex's attention. Realising that there are potential snack in the car, the T. rex attacks, smashing in the roof of the car, and then tippig it over, all to the horror of Dr Grant and Dr Malcolm. At this point, Dr Grant decides that they need to do something. He retrieves a flare, gets out of the car, and stars waving it to attract the T. rex's attention

He gets it.

 

This is the bit I like. For about a second, having drawn the attention of a several tonne megapredator, Dr Grant basically has second thoughts.

Which, to be honest, is a pretty realistic response. In most other films, the hero would just carry on with the plan, but Dr Grant isn't a Hollywood hero; he's just a bloke trying to do the right thing, and when a T. rex roars at you, you'd be scared.