The documentary DINOSAUR 13 certainly starts on a joyful enough note. Then it descends into frustration, absurdity and the realm of just plain bloody annoying. Annoying as in the ridiculous stream of events that took place in the early life of a dinosaur fossil named Sue, in this most definitely David vs. Goliath-type tale that will have you shaking your fist at the tele before you know it.
Described by the esteemed Roger Ebert as “’Kramer vs. Kramer’ for paleontologists”, it is an absorbing documentary that recounts a torturous, decade-long “custody battle” over the amazingly well-preserved skeletal remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that were discovered along a remote stretch of the South Dakota prairie.
The documentary DINOSAUR 13 certainly starts on a joyful enough note. Then it descends into frustration, absurdity and the realm of just plain bloody annoying. Annoying as in the ridiculous stream of events that took place in the early life of a dinosaur fossil named Sue, in this most definitely David vs. Goliath-type tale that will have you shaking your fist at the tele before you know it.
Described by the esteemed Roger Ebert as “’Kramer vs. Kramer’ for paleontologists”, it is an absorbing documentary that recounts a torturous, decade-long “custody battle” over the amazingly well-preserved skeletal remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that were discovered along a remote stretch of the South Dakota prairie.
It begins with the back-story of brothers Peter and Neal Larson, who grew up fascinated by fossils and finding them in their backyard. The pair pursued the relevant higher education and eventually opened South Dakota’s Black Hills Institute of Geological Research to excavate, prepare and sell artefacts that they unearthed alongside museum-quality replicas. It shows lots of footage of the pair on digs and discovering some pretty cool things, then in 1990 there is much excitement as one of their volunteers, Susan Hendrickson, comes upon apparent sections of T-Rex vertebrae emerging from a cliffside.
To the joy of the Larsons and their team, what they gradually uncovered over the next 17 days was so impressive and substantial that it is still considered by some to be “the greatest paleontological find in history.” It was big news for the team and for the tiny community of Hill City, where they were based. As they began to plan the build of a natural history museum that would draw visitors from afar with the lure of “Sue” - as the dinosaur was named in Hendrickson’s honour – it seemed like it was a win-win for all concerned.
Then two years into the process of painstakingly preparing the remains for eventual assembly and display, the Institute was invaded out of the blue by dozens of aggressive FBI and National Guard personnel, bearing search warrants and bad attitudes. Claiming “Sue” was stolen from federal land – despite the fact that the Larsons had bought her outright from the owner of the property she was found on - the officials set about packing up the various parts of Sue for storage at a university 30 miles away. The townfolk were naturally as incensed as the Larsons, and set about protesting and drawing media attention from all over the US. Media attention focused on the “custody battle,” and a ten-year long battle begins to reclaim Sue. This includes baffling and complicated run ins with Native American land laws, the FBI’s controlling policies, and Maurice Williams – the man whose land the Rex was discovered on – and his dodgy motives.
Criminal charges are also laid, and while the majority of these charges were eventually dismissed, a judge with an apparent grudge handed Peter Larson a stiff sentence - to be served at a federal prison alongside the likes of Timothy McVeigh and John Gotti - for failure to fill out customs forms in instances where people rarely do. Absolutely absurd and utterly heartbreaking, really.
It really is a feature where “Law & Order” meets “Jurassic Park”, and compelling to the end.
DINOSAUR 13 has been brought to Rialto Channel’s screen in association with the New Zealand Listener, so pick up the latest issue for more about this extraordinary tale.
