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Gattaca (1997)

PG  -  Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi  -  24 October 1997 (USA)
7.8
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Ratings: 7.8/10 from 178,684 users   Metascore: 64/100
Reviews: 596 user | 174 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:

There Is No Gene For The Human Spirit. See more »


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

When Jerome starts to crawl up the spiral stair, he moves his legs with his hands as he is supposed to be paralyzed. However, a moment later his legs can be seen slightly moving when he is struggling to get upstairs. 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 Cypher (2002) See more »

Soundtracks

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

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
One of the finest movies of the decade.
17 July 1999 | by See all my reviews

Gattaca is a brilliant under-rated piece of cinema that the not-too-distant future will, in retrospect, see it as one of the more outstanding movies of the nineties. It is prolific, stylish, thought-provoking, and one of the few recent science fiction movies that totally foregoes special effects and does it well.

There is nothing about Gattaca that I didn't like. It is a subtle piece of art that reminds of the writing of Ray Bradbury. Technology (the core element of science fiction) is only the backdrop for the story of a man who goes against all odds, including his brother, and overcomes those odds.

Make sure you watch it more than twice. There are many subtle details that you'll miss if you don't (ie, Gattaca's doctor asks, "Have I ever told you about my son?" not even five minutes into the movie, and childhood Vincent falls down holding a toy rocket...) and it's these small details that create a tapestry of cinematic artistry.

The soundtrack is phenomenal. The sets are noir and stylistic, and (thankfully) instead of trying to present a realistic physical future Niccol instead vies for the FEELING of the future: constrained, restricted, and patterned.

Watch it before it's cool to have watched it.


349 of 378 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
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
Cops could have taken hair samples chad-166
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