The 1993 classic,Jurassic Park, has plenty of catchphrases and one-liners that are widely - and fondly - remembered by fans. “Must go faster,” “Clever girl,” and “Spared no expense” are some examples, but another classic is Samuel L. Jackson’s “Hold onto your butts.”
Samuel L. Jackson utters this line while attempting to reboot the park’s security system by restarting the power. But this line almost never existed, according toJurassic Parkscreenwriter David Koepp.
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According to Koepp, the line actually comes from difficulties with an entirely different film. While Koepp was working on the screenplay forJurassic Park, he andRobert Zemeckis ofBack to the Futurefame were also finishing up work on another film, the comedy/horrorDeath Becomes Her.Death Becomes Herwas testing poorly with screening audiences, but there was nothing the team could do, as there wasn’t enough time to significantly retool the film. Effectively bracing for impact, Zemeckis apparently said “Hold onto your butts,” and Koepp liked it so much he added it to theJurassic Parkscreenplay.
Luckily for the duo,Death Becomes Herwould ultimately become a commercial success, even netting anOscar awardfor its visual effects. And of course,Jurassic Parksoared at the box office, spurring the release of several sequels and spin-offs in the years since.
While Samuel L. Jackson’s character Ray Arnold didn’tsurviveJurassic Park, this quip continues to stand out as a classic line in a movie that could have easily taken itself too seriously without the dark humor injected throughout.
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