Jurassic Park Theory: One Thing May Have Saved Dennis Nedry From His Tragic Fate

The "Jurassic Park" franchise is rife with some pretty grim dinosaur-related deaths, many of which have stuck with audience members for years. Just as Steven Spielberg made us question if it was safe to go in the water with "Jaws," he had us terrified of using public toilets with "Jurassic Park." One death that particularly stands out is that of Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), who is killed following a run-in with a Dilophosaurus in the franchise's introductory trip to the ill-fated theme park. However, a fan theory suggests that he could've lived had he given more thought to how he wears the hood of his raincoat.

Redditor u/magecatwitharrows posited that Nedry's hood could've initially kept him out of danger from the Dilophosaurus and explains why things change so quickly for him. "When they first come face to face, Nedry has his hood up and it's spread wide around his face. His poncho is bright yellow, just like the Dilo's hood flaps," they began. Of course, things go south after Nedry crawls back up the muddy hill and lowers his hood, with the Redditor arguing, "Once the female Dilophosaurus realized Nedry's ruse it became aggressive, putting up it's [sic] own hood in a threat display, hissing, and spitting venom in his face."

It's an interesting hypothesis that Nedry's hood leads to his undoing, but it might go even further than that. The smart-mouthed keyboard cowboy often wears garish outfits that reflect his belief that he is the brightest person in every scenario. No wonder, then, that the Dilophosaurus would be drawn to him. The park's most deceitful employee has unknowingly taken the peacock approach (birds did evolve from dinosaurs, after all), cluelessly flashing his colors to a dinosaur that's in the mood for some action.

When you compare it to other deaths in the film, u/magecatwitharrows's theory does hold water. For the most part, the victims of dinosaur attacks wear muted and reserved colors. Bob Peck's Robert Muldoon, for example, might get taken out by some clever girls, but at least his khaki combo and cool hat show he's smart enough not to attract attention. Ultimately, the work-dodging weasel that is Nedry gets what's coming to him and loses a can of shaving cream in the process. Serves the hack(er) right.