WithJurassic World: Dominioncoming to theaters, we are set to see the return of the heroic trio from the originalJurassic ParkinSam Neill,Laura Dern, andJeff Goldblum. As we welcome Neill back in the role that made him so famous, let’s look back at the half-century career of a man who has captivated audiences in everything from horror, to drama, to action, and yes, to battling giant dinosaurs.
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Mark in Possession (1981)
Possessionwas one of the infamous “video nasties,” a term coined for movies banned for being considered too violent, this Cold War-set psychological horror film sees Neill as a spy named Mark living in Berlin. When his cheating wife asks for a divorce and leaves him, the film breaks down intoRepulsion-like madness as Mark and his wife sink further into insanity. We get death aplenty and a weird tentacled creature sex scene that makesThe Shape of Waterlook tame. The crumbling setting and the strange monster speak to the pain of a disintegrating marriage. Neill is riveting as we watch him fall apart to insane levels throughout the film. His performance will leave you possessed, yourself.
Michael Chamberlain in A Cry in the Dark (1988)
Known asEvil Angelsin Australia, Neill shared the screen with the legendaryMeryl Streepin this drama based on the true story of the Chamberlain family, whose infant daughter disappeared while on vacation in the Outback. The family claimed that a dingo took their baby, but the public was convinced that the parents were complicit in her disappearance. Neill plays the father of the presumed dead baby, holding his own next to Streep, as parents fighting to prove their innocence. While the film was responsible for the popular “A dingo ate my baby” saying, it’s Streep and Neill’s layered performances that you’ll remember long after.
Neill starred alongsideNicole KidmanandBilly Zanein this Australian psychological thriller. Neill and Kidman play a married couple, John and Rae Ingram, who decide to go on vacation in their yacht as a way to deal with the grief resulting from the death of their son. It’s then that they meet Hughie Warriner (Zane), rescuing him from a sinking ship as everyone else on board is dead. As the suspense and horror unfold, John finds himself trapped on the villain’s sinking ship, unable to reach his wife who is now alone on their yacht with Hughie. It’s chilling watching Neill struggle to survive, but in the end, he comes to the rescue just in time.
Captain Vasily Borodin in The Hunt For Red October (1990)
WhileSean ConneryandAlec Baldwinare the leads in this spy thriller that sawTom Clancy’sJack Ryanbrought to the screen for the first time, Neill excels as the second in command to Connery, a Soviet submarine Captain who is looking to defect to the United States with the rest of his officers. His character is the heart of the film. All he longs for is a rabbit farm in Montana. When he is shot dead in a shocking twist, it’s the most heartbreaking moment of the film. Though Neill’s character wouldn’t survive the film, Neill’s career would take off with this huge American hit, pushing him further than he had ever gone before.
Alisdair Stewart in The Piano (1993)
This period piece about a mute woman who travels to New Zealand to take part in an arranged marriage won three Academy Awards. Neill plays the New Zealand frontiersman thatHolly Hunter’s mute Ada McGrath is sold to. Neill gives a performance that at first is subdued, but his facial expressions hint at the potential of something darker brewing underneath. When his new bride falls for another man, and he catches them together, Neill’s Alisdair Stewart reacts with venomous rage, cutting off her finger so that she may never play the piano again. Neill plays to perfection the type of man so many women must overcome to find their true happiness.
Dr. Alan Grant in Jurassic Park (1993)
Here is, of course, Neill’s most famous role. ThisSteven Spielberg-directed film about dinosaurs at a theme park running amok is one of the most successful movies of all time. Underneath the jaw-dropping effects and the edge-of-your-seat action, however, is a film that starts off as a slow burn character study. Neill plays Dr. Alan Grant, a paleontologist brought to an island alongside Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) to observe the dino park before it opens. When the dinosaur escapes, he turns into an Indiana Jones-type hero, battling the deadly dinosaurs, and saving his companions. While Jeff 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.
John Trent in In the Mouth of Madness (1995)
John Carpenterdirected this horror film that salutes the work of author H.P. Lovecraft. Neill is an insurance investigator who arrives at a small town looking for a famous horror writer who has gone missing. When he finds the writer and discovers the supernatural truth, the line between reality and fiction begins to disappear, along with Neill’s mind. The film takes a deep dive into what insanity looks like, with Neill playing an everyman discovering the horrors alongside the audience until he is in a battle for his mind. Dismissed upon its initial release, the film has become a cult favorite over the years, and is now regarded as one of Carpenter and Neill’s best.
Dr. William G. “Billy” Weir in Event Horizon (1997)
Neill traded in the supernatural for science fiction in thisPaul W.S. Andersonhorror flick about astronauts fifty years into the future who go on a mission to rescue the titular spaceship that disappeared years ago and has now suddenly reappeared. Neill plays the ship’s designer, who, along with S.J. Miller (Laurence Fishburne), the captain of the rescue ship, begins to explore the abandoned Event Horizon. Something evil waits there, however, and Neill gives a creepy performance as a man who is possessed by its evil. Just like our last film, this was a box office failure that has since been given new life, making it a cherished 90s gem.
Cliff Buxton in The Dish (2000)
Neill returns to his Australian roots for this story of radio telescope observatory’s involvement in relaying images of man’s first trip to the moon in 1969. Based on actual events, what could have been a serious film has moments of great comedy as we witness the clash between NASA and Australian technicians on a middle-of-nowhere sheep farm. Neill’s character, the head of the observatory, is a fictional creation. He and the rest of the cast come together to give us a heartwarming look at the power of achievement.
Hector Faulkner in Hunt For The Wilderpeople (2016)
Taika Waititidirected this quirky New Zealand comedyabout a foster father (Neill) and an orphaned boy (Julian Dennison) who flee into the wilderness to escape their past and the pursuing authorities. Neill’s character is an illiterate grump who once served time for manslaughter, and his ward—an odd delinquent who never shuts up—made thirteen-year-old Julian Dennison a star. Together, the two begin to learn from each other on their journey. Neill does what he always does best, giving an understated performance that allows the story and his teenage co-star to take the limelight.
