Alan Grant (Jurassic Park)
Dr. Alan Grant is a fictional character in the Jurassic Park franchise. He is a paleontologist and is introduced in Michael Crichton's 1990 novel Jurassic Park, which began the franchise. Crichton based Grant on the paleontologist Jack Horner. Director Steven Spielberg helmed the 1993 film adaptation, and several actors were considered for the role of Grant. It ultimately went to Sam Neill, becoming one of his most popular roles. Spielberg gave the character a dislike of children, and put him in a relationship with Dr. Ellie Sattler, a paleobotanist who is Grant's student in the novel. Sattler, portrayed by Laura Dern, wants to start a family with Grant, who is resistant to the idea.
Alan Grant
Jurassic Park (novel; 1990)
Jurassic World Evolution 2 (video game; 2022)
Fred Young (Jurassic Park Pinball)
Brian Hanan (Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis)
Sam Neil (Jurassic World Evolution, Jurassic World Evolution 2)
Adrian Hough (Lego Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar)
Keith Ferguson (Animaniacs)
Neill reprised the character in 2001's Jurassic Park III, which also saw a cameo by Dern. In the film, Sattler has married someone else and started a family, although she and Grant remain friends. Director Joe Johnston chose to break-up Grant and Sattler, believing that Dern looked too young to be in such a relationship; Neill is 20 years older than her. Neill was dissatisfied with his performance in the first film, which factored into his return for Jurassic Park III, marking the first time he reprised one of his roles.
Neill and Dern would return again for major roles in Jurassic World Dominion, released in 2022. In the film, Sattler has divorced her husband; she and Grant eventually rekindle their romantic relationship. Colin Trevorrow, the film's director and co-writer, was in agreement with Neill and Dern on reuniting their characters romantically.
Neill and Dern also reprised their roles for the video games Jurassic World Evolution and Jurassic World Evolution 2, lending their voices to downloadable content packs released in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
Reception[edit]
Reviewing the first film, Adam Mars-Jones of The Independent wrote that Grant's mistrust of technology is "the sort of quirk that a computer might come up with in a doomed attempt to give a flat character a glimmer of dimensionality".[62] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times also criticized the film, writing that "the sole point of all the carnage appears to be to increase Dr. Grant's appreciation for young people, turning him from a gruff curmudgeon into someone who has the makings of a considerate parent".[63] Peter Travers, writing for Rolling Stone, considered Neill a skilled actor but felt that he lacked the "star presence" needed to portray Grant.[64] TV Guide wrote that the film's action elements "are not matched by its characters, acting, or dialogue. Neill and Dern fail to achieve the larger-than-life stylization needed to register amid the effects".[65]
Anthony Quinn of The Independent called Jurassic Park III a "hack work carried out with precision and performed with a heart", stating that Neill's "anchoring presence is always reassuring".[66] Derek Elley of Variety wrote that Grant in the third film "is largely reduced to looking worried and uttering apocalyptic warnings".[67] Jeff Vice of Deseret News found that Neill "manages to make us care about his life-or-death battle, despite his part being underwritten".[68] William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote that Neill "is something like a movie star, and he provides a sage, comfortable, sympathetic human focus to all the mayhem".[69]
Mashable's Kristy Puchko, in her review of Jurassic World Dominion, wrote that Grant is treated "like a loser who never made a life for himself out of the excavation pits".[70] Zoe Jordan of Screen Rant wrote that Dominion makes "the barest of efforts" to show character development in Grant.[71] Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com wrote that Neill "seems embarrassed to be onscreen, or at least confused as to what he's doing in the story", further stating that the film does not justify his involvement "other than that he's from the earlier movies and needed to be here for nostalgia-marketing reasons".[72] Nick Bartlett of /Film found Grant to be more comedic compared to the previous films.[73] Writing for Observer, Oliver Jones stated that Neill "spends much of this movie looking like a weekend warrior searching for the right aisle at Home Depot".[74]
Some fans were disappointed by Grant and Sattler's break-up in Jurassic Park III, viewing it as a mistake.[75][76][77] David Crow, writing for Den of Geek, praised Dominion for reuniting the two romantically,[75] while Todd Gilchrist of The A.V. Club found this aspect to be clumsily handled.[78] Bartlett called the reconciliation "a lovely moment for the two characters — even if it reeks of fan service".[73]
The character is sometimes compared to Indiana Jones,[79][80] in part because they wear similar hats.[81][82][83] Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph referred to Grant as "palaeontology's answer to Indiana Jones, but with a geekier hat",[84] while Tom Chapman of Screen Rant wrote, "With his Harrison Ford-esque chiseled jaw, Neill forged Grant as his very own Indiana Jones, but with an added layer of sass".[85]
Legacy[edit]
Alan Grant became one of Neill's most popular roles.[86][87] He said, "What has lodged Alan Grant into people's affections is his extreme reluctance to have anything to do with children. He always ends up having to look after one or even two sometimes, and he does a pretty decent job. People often say to me, 'I wish Alan Grant would rescue me right now.'"[52]
In 2022, Shawn Van Horn of Collider ranked Jurassic Park as Neill's most famous role, writing that while Goldblum "threatens to steal the movie in every scene he appears in, it's Neill who is the focus and the solid footing who keeps the movie feeling real, despite its unbelievable plot".[79] MovieWeb's Michael Heiskell ranked the original film as Neill's best performance,[88] and wrote that Grant's bravery throughout the series "is what makes him such an interesting character and a fan favorite".[80]
A shot in the first film shows Grant taking off his sunglasses, in astonishment at his first sight of a living dinosaur. To Neill's surprise, the shot has since become an Internet meme.[52] Jurassic Park III includes a scene in which Grant dreams he is on an airplane with a raptor, which then speaks his name. Grant awakens to find it is Billy calling his name as their plane approaches Isla Sorna. The talking raptor scene has also become an Internet meme.[89][90][8]