Michael Crichton makes complicated work gripping by showing how quickly people can lose control of it. We rate his storytelling highly, though he sometimes gives his characters too little to do beyond keeping the plot moving.
Fi1m perspective
In ER (1994), the staff have to make decisions before they are ready, and their own troubles cannot be allowed to stop the work. Michael Crichton gets suspense out of the difficulty of paying attention when several things need doing at once. We were gripped because even capable staff could struggle to give each problem the attention it needed. That leaves room for sympathy when their judgement is imperfect.
The scientific thrillers established his method. His novel The Andromeda Strain (1969) made researched science the basis of a fast-moving plot; writing and directing Westworld (1973) took his concern with technology escaping control onto the screen. Then the novel Jurassic Park (1990) became the basis of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park (1993). His recurring subject is the confidence of people who think they have understood enough to take charge.
In that film, the confidence is especially persuasive because Richard Attenborough makes Hammond’s enthusiasm so appealing. The screenplay, co-written by Crichton and David Koepp, gives Spielberg room for wonder as well as suspense, and we recommend the result with little hesitation. It also exposes a persistent weakness in Crichton’s storytelling: the characters can be organised too neatly around what the plot needs. Sam Neill’s Grant and Laura Dern’s Ellie provide steadiness, while Jeff Goldblum’s Malcolm punctures the certainty around him. They are good company, but the writing too often settles for their most obvious response.
ER, developed with Spielberg from an earlier screenplay, gives the people more room. John Wells served as showrunner and producer on a series that draws much of its strength from an ensemble whose fallibility matters to the drama. Its pace follows from the demands of the job, rather than an arbitrary need to keep everyone running. The crowding can wear us down, though: sometimes we want to stay with one person while the programme is already attending to another.
Start with Jurassic Park if the evening calls for wonder and scares. Choose ER when there is time to get to know an ensemble and tolerate the occasional wish that fewer of them needed attention at once. Crichton’s hospital is not likely to clear its schedule for a quiet conversation.
Biography
Michael Crichton was an American writer. He wrote the novel Jurassic Park (1990) and co-wrote the screenplay for the 1993 film adaptation with David Koepp.
Born in Chicago, he studied at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School, qualifying as a doctor in 1969 but choosing to write instead. He published early novels under the pseudonym John Lange. His other works include The Andromeda Strain (1969) and The Lost World (1995). He also wrote and directed the film Westworld (1973) and created the television series ER.
