Gattaca (1997)

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

Director:

Andrew Niccol

Writer:

Andrew Niccol

Stars:

Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Gore Vidal

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ethan Hawke	...	Vincent Freeman
Uma Thurman	...	Irene Cassini
Gore Vidal	...	Director Josef
Xander Berkeley	...	Dr. Lamar
Jayne Brook	...	Marie Freeman
Elias Koteas	...	Antonio Freeman
Maya Rudolph	...	Delivery Nurse
Una Damon	...	Head Nurse
Elizabeth Dennehy	...	Preschool Teacher
Blair Underwood	...	Geneticist
Mason Gamble	...	Vincent Freeman - Boy
Vincent Nielson	...	Anton Freeman - Boy
Chad Christ	...	Vincent Freeman - Teen
William Lee Scott	...	Anton Freeman - Teen
Clarence Graham	...	Personnel Officer

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.

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Plot Keywords:

dream | police | genetics | space travel | future | 

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Taglines:

Only one criterion : genetic perfection

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief violent images, language, and some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Esperanto

Release Date:

24 October 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Eighth Day

Filming Locations:

Sepulveda Dam, Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA

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

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Jersey Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Public address announcements in the Gattaca Corporation headquarters building are in Esperanto, an artificial language invented in the 19th century.

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Goofs

When the detective shows the picture of Vincent to the director, the power cable to his "hand-held display" (prop) is clearly visible running around his hand and up his sleeve.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

All instances of the letters A, C, G, and T (representing the four nucleotides of DNA -- see trivia entry) are emphasized in almost all names of people and companies credited in the film. These letters appear in a different typeface from the rest of the name; also, in the opening credits they appear onscreen a little before the rest of the name, while in the closing credits they appear in blue instead of white.

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Connections

Referenced in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.16 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"First Song (for Ruth)"
Written by Charlie Haden
Performed by Stan Getz
Courtesy of Verve Records
By Arrangement with PolyGram Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Thoughtful Science Fiction

Gattaca is in many ways the best film I have seen about prejudice. Just as people have been judged for centuries by the color of their skin, Gattaca predicts that in the future there will be a more subtle discrimination. It being a science fiction film helps make it more effective by allowing us to feel the emotions of the characters with little of our own history getting in the way. A haunting musical score goes well with the feeling of the film.

Ethan Hawke as Vincent does a fine job showing the pain of someone whose life is limited before he even tries. But just as interesting were the supposedly superior characters; Vincent's girlfriend, brother and double who suffer from the lie that genetics can perfectly predict a person's life.

The film that Gattaca most reminds me of is Blade Runner. They are both about genetic engineering gone very wrong but Gattaca takes a very different approach. The problems are more subtle in Gattaca involving our own desires for success for ourselves and through our children. Amazingly, Gattaca is a good science fiction film with a small budget, few special effects and mostly filmed in existing modern buildings.

After seeing this film for a second time I liked it even better as the plot seemed more plausible. If you would like to see a sci-fi film that is based on interesting characters and situations and not explosions or special effects, try Gattaca.