Steven Spielberg's 1993 CGI triumph Jurassic Park will go down in history as one of the greatest fantasy/science fiction films of our generation.
But aside from questioning the ethics of cloning, animal captivity, and man's reversal of natural selection, little did we know the film also championed a feminist message, amid the dinosaurs, action scenes and high-pitched scream.
In a new interview with WWD, actress Laura Dern revealed the importance of making sure Jurassic Park wouldn't be remembered solely as a 'boys' film'.
Discussing the need for injecting storylines with feminist messages, Dern - who will soon star in Star Wars: The Last Jedi - explained:
'We did it on Jurassic Park —there was a rather feminist line in response to something Jeff Goldblum says about "man creates dinosaurs, and dinosaurs eat man". Something like that,' she says.
'And then I look back and say the line, "Yeah—and woman inherits the earth" and that was such a big deal. It was like here it is, we're in this formulaic, big movie and it's this fabulous, fun, feminist moment.
'Then there are 12-year-old girls watching the movie and they hear that, and it's one line. For years it was "Oh, well that's more for boys, because it's a dinosaur movie" and that's what they used to say about Star Wars and now because there are female icons in it, all the girls want to see it as much as boys.
'So yeah, it's really exciting to consider with every story that you tell. Every film I get to be part of, [I consider] how we can make it truly relatable, to all of us,' she added.
With previous roles in Big Little Lies, Wild and Certain Women, it's clear Dern is using her platform as an A-list actress to ensure films are full of richly diverse and independent women.
Discussing the moment she recently sat down with her daughter to watch Patty Jenkins' box office hit Wonder Woman, Dern touched on the power of film to educate.
'I loved seeing it — and I really loved seeing it with my 12-year-old daughter,' Dern said.
'People are like, "Well, you can't turn this kind of film into a statement". It's like, "no". You infiltrate every story that you tell. It can be a traditional movie, but you respond to something different,' she added.
Laura Dern - delivering feminist messaging as far back as 1993. Respect.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
