Why are Lex's and Tim's ages switched in the film adaptation of Jurassic Park?
In the novel, Tim is the older sibling, computer wiz, and dinosaur enthusiast. In the movie, their ages and personalities are swapped (mostly) so that Lex is the older sibling and the computer wiz (while Tim remains the one who knows everything about dinosaurs).
According to IMDb,
After Joseph Mazzello was turned down for a role in Steven Spielberg's Hook for being too young, Spielberg told Mazzello that he was still impressed with his audition and would try to cast him in a future project. Mazzello was then cast as Tim in this movie. His casting led Spielberg to reverse the ages of the children.
Is that the only reason? If so, it seems weird that Spielberg would turn Joseph Mazzello down "for being too young" for one film, but didn't care that he was too young, and actually changed the ages of the characters to cast him for another film.
Best Answer
Joseph was going for the role of Rufio. Dante eventually took the role around the age of 16. This will put Joseph at 7 or 8.
Based on the role Rufio has to play in Hook, leadership of the Lost Boys, it's a fair call. He just was too young. Dante played Rufio well especially in the fight scenes.
Seeing that the casting for Jurassic Park would have happened much later than Hook, I don't think there is much in the reverse he could have did. He basically told Joseph to wait for the next project he had lined up for him. That was Jurassic Park. Just sounds like a simple promise Spielberg wanted to keep because he liked the potential of Joseph.
The first time (Hook) he wasn't so sure about it. The second time he decided to give it a go. Seeing that Lex would have to be around 7 or 8, the switching also allowed for Spielberg to bring in the idea of the crush on Dr.Grant1,2.
So yes it is the only reason (as well as the crush on Dr.Grant), no it doesn't seem weird.
1: The Making of Jurassic Park (Duncan and Shay)
2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Park_(film)#Production
Pictures about "Why are Lex's and Tim's ages switched in the film adaptation of Jurassic Park?"
How old is Tim and Lex in Jurassic Park?
Tim and Lex are around 11 and 8 years old in Jurassic Park. In the novel, Tim is 11 and the oldest of the grandchildren who tour the park with...Is Tim older than Lex?
In the movie, Tim is younger than Lex. He has the same interest in dinosaurs as the novel, but his computer hacking skills are given to his sister. He and Lex come to Jurassic Park while their mother is going through a nasty divorce from their father.Why is Lex older than Tim in the movie?
Bookmark this question. Show activity on this post. In the novel, Tim is the older sibling, computer wiz, and dinosaur enthusiast. In the movie, their ages and personalities are swapped (mostly) so that Lex is the older sibling and the computer wiz (while Tim remains the one who knows everything about dinosaurs).Which character from the book was greatly changed in the film Jurassic Park?
This enduring appeal proves that the original Jurassic Park Malcolm book change really was a smart decision. While there's certainly no guarantee that a Jurassic Park movie in which Malcolm died couldn't have been a success, it's also easy to imagine a negative butterfly effect that could have caused.Andrew Huberman’s Opinion On Lex Fridman
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Jose Mueses, Wallace Chuck, Elina Fairytale, Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz