Michael Crichton, 1942-2008

Posted at 1:00 PM Nov 06, 2008

By Kenny Herzog

Sometimes Michael Crichton, who passed away this Election Day from cancer at age 66, got a bad rap. He wrote novels that got spun into silly sci-fi flicks like the Sharon Stone/Dustin Hoffman vehicle Sphere (and in hindsight, underground spaceships, Hoffman and Stone were probably an ill-conceived cinematic concept), and his work as a screenwriter was often evidenced in absurd blockbusters like the Jan De Bont tornado thriller Twister.

But Crichton was also the brains behind deserved cult curiosities like Westworld and The Andromeda Strain, and of course the author and screenwriter for Jurassic Park and creator of ER. And while the latter may have ultimately been harmless primetime entertainment, it did help launch the career of George Clooney who, like him or not, has gone on to make some fairly important work in Hollywood (not including Leatherheads of course).

Through his work, Crichton permeated theatrical masses as an early and constant critic of technology, science and the unbridled, self-destructive pursuits of the human ego. And with some apparent exceptions, gave filmmakers a platform to spin it into hugely entertaining cinema. And in many ways, that's an intensely more subversive act than merely espousing your views like another self-righteous talking head.

It's just too bad he passed away on the very day that a man was sworn into office who might actually harness some of our modern-day advances toward the purposes of helping humanity, and not benefiting individuals at the expense of millions.

Come back tomorrow morning for a list of the best films written by Michael Crichton or inspired by one of his novels.