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Gattaca (1997)

PG  -  Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller  -  24 October 1997 (USA)
7.8
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Ratings: 7.8/10 from 183,675 users   Metascore: 64/100
Reviews: 603 user | 176 critic | 20 from Metacritic.com

A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.

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Title: Gattaca (1997)

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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Una Damon ...
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Vincent Nielson ...
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Clarence Graham ...
Personnel Officer
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Storyline

In the not-too-distant future, a less-than-perfect man wants to travel to the stars. Society has categorized Vincent Freeman as less than suitable given his genetic make-up and he has become one of the underclass of humans that are only useful for menial jobs. To move ahead, he assumes the identity of Jerome Morrow, a perfect genetic specimen who is a paraplegic as a result of a car accident. With professional advice, Vincent learns to deceive DNA and urine sample testing. Just when he is finally scheduled for a space mission, his program director is killed and the police begin an investigation, jeopardizing his secret. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The Prisoner. Her Cell. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

24 October 1997 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Bienvenue à Gattaca  »

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

DEM 380,629 (Germany) (24 July 1998)

Gross:

DEM 2,357,799 (Germany) (24 July 1998)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The car that Uma Thurman's character drives is a Citroen DS Cabriolet. See more »

Goofs

Jerome rips his jacket sleeve seam while punching out the police officer, yet soon after it is intact. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Director Josef: You keep your work station so clean, Jerome.
Vincent: It's next to godliness. Isn't that what they say?
Director Josef: Godliness. I reviewed your flight plan. Not one error in a million keystrokes. Phenomenal. It's right that someone like you is taking us to Titan.
Vincent: Has the committee approved the mission? There's been talk of delay.
Director Josef: You shouldn't listen to talk. You leave in a week. You've got a substance test.
See more »

Crazy Credits

After the credits complete, there is slow-motion footage, tinted blue, of the fingernails from the first scene hitting the pavement. See more »

Connections

Referenced in NewsRadio: Jail (1998) See more »

Soundtracks

Nuages
Written by Django Reinhardt & Jacques Larue
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

It's the little things that tell you you've found quality!
12 October 2004 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

I rented this film cold at the video store -- and was very pleasantly surprised with a very well done movie. If you don't know anything else about Gattaca, the less you know, the better. Stop reading this review right now, go watch it, and come back when you're done!

It was after my first viewing of the film that several little details dawned on me:

1) The term "borrowed ladder" is a utterly-brilliantly-conceived bit of future slang that carries a *double meaning*. I'm still amazed that the producers didn't make more of this. Instead, they were content to leave this gem to be discovered by the thinking and missed by the vast masses. I was very definitely impressed.

2) As I was explaining the film to my wife, it occurred to me in mid-explanation that this is really a film that has to do with what is properly called =eugenics=; one of the things the Nazis were about. Then my mind wandered to word etymologies: I recalled that the name "Eugene" = "well born." And then I realized...

!!!

3) It's interesting the extent to which so many of the characters in the film *didn't* live up to their genetic destiny, one way or another.

4) Because I hadn't seen any previews, I had no immediate reference for where the name "Gattaca" had come from. And then I suddenly realized...

!!!

5) It wasn't until I watched the movie the second time that I caught the effects with the title sequence letters...

Now I had figured out by this time that there were likely to be other intriguing little details I've missed, so I was fascinated to read from another reviewer here about the boy Vincent falling with a toy rocket in his hand.

I wonder what else is in there?

All in all, this is a very well written, tightly woven movie. Seen cold, with no real prior knowledge of the film, it came off as a tremendous science-fiction SUSPENSE THRILLER. There were several scenes that just had me climbing the walls with tension. Fabulous job!

And I'm not the only one who thinks so. When my WIFE says she wants to see a SCIENCE FICTION movie for the SECOND TIME... well, I don't think THAT has EVER happened before!


45 of 55 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
One question. If everyone likes it so much then why is the rating so low cherik_mcfassy
Jude Law's accent denham
OMG! Best Sci-Fi has been filmed 17 years ago! a-tammuzkhah
Advanced technology, but no cure for paralysis? mebeyer1
Am i the only one that thought the romance was unnecessary? terestrife
Dr. Lamar = Vincent's Father Mosheva
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