Dinosaur 13 was the third documentary by Todd Miller, who is now making a name for himself in the festival circuits. This was the first film we would see at Sundance, and was definitely a great opener. Dinosaur 13 is the tale of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever found, and its journey after breaking out of the Earth that it was buried in for millions of years. The fossil would almost immediately be named after the paleontologist who happened upon it, Susan Hendrickson. Hendrickson and another paleontologist that she knew and trusted, Peter Larson, were the main subjects of the film. We followed them through their discovery, excavation, scientific findings, and eventual federal indictment based on the fossil. The cinematography and direction of the film were outstanding, and led to a cohesive and gripping story throughout. The only thing that could have changed it from a really good film to a really great film would have been Todd seeking assistance in the editing room. It seemed that he might have been a little too close to the project, and that he could have benefitted from an outside perspective on how exactly his story was told to an audience. Sue definitely put the Black Hills Institute on the US map, and Dinosaur 13, as an excellent piece of cinema, is doing the same for Todd and his team.
