MovieChat Forums > Jurassic Park (1993) Discussion > Ellie’s leaf

Ellie’s leaf

posted 2 years ago by Who (5146)
7 replies | jump to latest

After Ellie, Alan and all the others get off the helicopters and hop into jeeps, they take a short ride thru the park gates and stop in the brachiosaurus paddock. Just before they turn their heads to see the dinosaurs, Ellie is holding this giant leaf and muttering something about it being an extinct species of veriforman. Questions!!!!

1. Where did she get the leaf? Was it sitting in the jeep? Did it fall from a tree into the jeep?

2. Were Jurassic Park scientists cloning extinct plants too? How did they do that? Where did they get the extinct plant DNA?

3. Why bring back extinct plant life? It is not like hoards of tourists are going to shell out big bucks to see plants. Maybe the dinos need it for nutrients? But that one dino looked like he was dying from the cloned plants in his paddock.

[–] Otter (24464) 2 years ago

I thought Ellie reached up and pulled the leaf off of a random tree.

And the movie totally glossed over the time and money it'd take to restore, clone, and extinct species of plant so they could make the right kind of ecosystem for the dinosaurs, effort that would be totally unimpressive to investors. So really, I betcha the island was mostly native jungle, with a few authentic plants from the dinosaur era thrown in for show.

[–] Who (5146) 2 years ago

I thought Ellie reached up and pulled the leaf off of a random tree.

Maybe in the original cut, but every rewatch I’ve seen never shows that happening.

[–] Otter (24464) 2 years ago

I admit it's been a while since I saw the film.

But really, that is the most plausible way for her to have acquired the leaf, to see a tree that looks like something extinct and int we resting, and to grab a leaf for a closer look.

[–] Kowalski (76274) 2 years ago

HERE YOU GO...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPNedoz_-vw

[–] Who (5146) 2 years ago

Thank you! It’s a lost cut scene. Why they cut it?

[–] Kowalski (76274) 2 years ago

I HAVE BEEN WONDERING THAT MYSELF.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7734) 2 years ago

It's been a while since I read the book but I'm pretty sure they didn't clone plants in it. However there was a plot point there that was in the movie where Ellie tells Hammond later that some of the plants they have in the park are poisonous and should be gotten rid of and replaced with non poisonous plants. Though in the grand scheme of things it's forgotten.