10 Best Dr Alan Grant Jurassic Park Moments
In 1993, Jurassic Park stampeded its way into cinemas and became an instant classic. The effects were brilliant, the screenwriting and direction top notch, and the cast were a bona fide triumph. When Richard Attenborough, Wayne Knight and Samuel L. Jackson are amongst the supporting cast, you know you’re in for a treat. The main trio became global phenomena: Dr Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), botanist and every feminist’s first idol; Dr Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), expert in chaos theory and one of the most giffable characters of all time; and Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill), the voice of reason. No one gives better Disappointed Dad than Dr Alan Grant.
It was no surprise to anybody that Jurassic Park spawned an entire franchise, the original Jurassic Park Trilogy and the rebooted Jurassic World Trilogy, spearheaded by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Steven Spielberg, then Colin Trevorrow, created worlds in which, not only do dinosaurs exist, but they also have a level of cunning usually saved for Marvel villains, and are often smarter than the humans trying to control them – though only the bad guys, obviously. It’s a world in which marketing executives with no prior parkour experience can outrun an Atrociraptor, whereas a man on a motorcycle can barely make it past their gnashing teeth; a world in which parenting is put through the most rigorous boot camp and sunglasses need to be removed dramatically at regular intervals.
Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill) appears in three films in the franchise: Jurassic Park (1993), Jurassic Park III (2001), and Jurassic World Dominion (2022). In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we look at the loveable curmudgeon’s best moments. These are the 10 Best Dr Alan Grant Jurassic Park Moments.
10. Billy
Jurassic Park III
Unfortunately for Sam Neill, Jurassic Park III is probably the weakest film of the two trilogies, so the best Alan Grant moments are more plentiful in the two more successful films. There is, however, one scene that effectively reminds us why we love our courageous palaeontologist so much.
Billy (Alessandro Nivola), Grant’s student, and raptor-egg-stealing silly sausage, is being attacked by Pteranodons while Paul (Willaim H. Macy) and Alan run towards him, Alan leading the charge. The reluctant adventurer spends most of his screen time telling people they’ve gone too far, that they should never have fiddled with nature, that their actions have consequences. But when human life is in danger, he runs headfirst into it.
Recommended for you: Jurassic Park / World Movies Ranked
9. “I got ya.”
Jurassic World Dominion
Jurassic World Dominion sees the old crew thrust back together as Biosyn (headed up by Campbell Scott’s Lewis Dodgson) seem to be preparing for global domination. Alan is less than pleased to be back with Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) – from the moment these two alpha males met, back in 1993, they clashed, enjoyed one-upmanship, and took pleasure in each other’s discomfort or incorrectness.
This small moment – an assured “I got ya” – as Malcolm hangs perilously close to the jaws of a giganotosaurus and Grant’s hand reaches out to save him, shows how far they’ve come. They’ve been through so much, and however contentiously they began, they are now friends.
Alan Grant is MY dad