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IMDbPro

Gattaca

  • 19971997
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 46m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
302K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,363
18
Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman in Gattaca (1997)
Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaSci-FiThriller
A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.A genetically inferior man assumes the identity of a superior one in order to pursue his lifelong dream of space travel.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
302K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,363
18
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Andrew Niccol
    • Writer
      • Andrew Niccol
    • Stars
      • Ethan Hawke
      • Uma Thurman
      • Jude Law
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Andrew Niccol
    • Writer
      • Andrew Niccol
    • Stars
      • Ethan Hawke
      • Uma Thurman
      • Jude Law
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 824User reviews
    • 181Critic reviews
    • 64Metascore
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 6 wins & 16 nominations total

    Videos1

    Gattaca
    Trailer 0:31
    Gattaca

    Photos149

    Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman in Gattaca (1997)
    Uma Thurman in Gattaca (1997)
    Ethan Hawke in Gattaca (1997)
    Ethan Hawke in Gattaca (1997)
    Uma Thurman in Gattaca (1997)
    Jude Law in Gattaca (1997)
    Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman in Gattaca (1997)
    Ethan Hawke in Gattaca (1997)
    Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman in Gattaca (1997)
    Jude Law in Gattaca (1997)
    Alan Arkin in Gattaca (1997)
    Loren Dean in Gattaca (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ethan Hawke
    Ethan Hawke
    • Vincent…
    Uma Thurman
    Uma Thurman
    • Irene
    Jude Law
    Jude Law
    • Jerome…
    Gore Vidal
    Gore Vidal
    • Director Josef
    Xander Berkeley
    Xander Berkeley
    • Lamar
    Jayne Brook
    Jayne Brook
    • Marie
    Elias Koteas
    Elias Koteas
    • Antonio
    Maya Rudolph
    Maya Rudolph
    • Delivery Nurse
    Una Damon
    Una Damon
    • Head Nurse
    Elizabeth Dennehy
    Elizabeth Dennehy
    • Pre-School Teacher
    Blair Underwood
    Blair Underwood
    • Geneticist
    Mason Gamble
    Mason Gamble
    • Younger Vincent
    Vincent Nielson
    • Younger Anton
    Chad Christ
    Chad Christ
    • Young Vincent
    William Lee Scott
    William Lee Scott
    • Young Anton
    Clarence Graham
    • Personnel Officer
    Ernest Borgnine
    Ernest Borgnine
    • Caesar
    Tony Shalhoub
    Tony Shalhoub
    • German
    • Director
      • Andrew Niccol
    • Writer
      • Andrew Niccol
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Gattaca was first released, as part of a marketing campaign there were adverts for people to call and have their children genetically engineered. Thousands of people called, wanting to have their offspring genetically engineered.
    • Goofs
      When Vincent is confessing to Irene, he tells her he doesn't have 20 or 30 years, his heart is already 10,000 beats overdue. In an average male this would only be about 2 1/2 hours, not several years as the story suggests.
    • Quotes

      Vincent: You want to know how I did it? This is how I did it, Anton: I never saved anything for the swim back.

    • 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.
    • Alternate versions
      The DVD contains deleted footage not included in the the theatrical release:
      • The original version of the "Eight Day Center" scene. Here the doctor offers Vincent's parents the possibility to further enhance the future Anton, charging $5,000. This is refused by both of them.
      • A briefing about the upcoming mission done by Director Josef. He is interrupted by Irene who tells him that the investigators wish to start their testing on all members of Gattaca.
      • Detective Hugo exposes Anton to be Vincent's brother.
      • Caesar tells Vincent to put the books away and accept his life.
      • Shortly before Vincent leaves for Titan, he visits Caesar and gives him a telescope.
      • A short sequence which shows some famous people who may had not been born if science had decrypted the human DNA sooner: Abraham Lincoln (Marfan's Syndrome), Emily Dickinson (Manic Depression), Vincent van Gogh (Epilepsy), Albert Einstein (Dyslexia), John F. Kennedy (Addison's Disease), Rita Hayworth (Alzheimer's Disease), Ray Charles (Primary Glaucoma), Stephen Hawking (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), and Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Asthma). The last sentence is: "Of course, the other birth that may never have taken place is your own."
      • Also included is an outtake where Xander Berkeley drinks one of the "urine" samples.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Gattaca/The House of Yes/A Life Less Ordinary/FairyTale: A True Story/Sunday (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      Nuages
      Music by Django Reinhardt

    User reviews824

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    We now have discrimination down to a science.
    Gattaca is written and directed by Andrew Niccol. It stars Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal, Loren Dean, Xander Berkeley and Alan Arkin. Music is by Michael Nyman and cinematography by Slawomir Idziak.

    It's the near future and eugenics dominate a society where children are either "valids" (reproductive through eugenics) or "in-valids" (naturally birthed with inherent genetic flaws). One such "in-valid" is Vincent Anton Freeman (Hawke), who plots an intricate scheme to assume a "valid" person's identification so as to reach his dreams of being an astronaut.

    There is no gene for fate.

    Biopunk future meets tech-noir in this thought provoking and intelligent piece of sci-fi. There is a decent argument to suggest that Gattaca is more style over character substance, especially given that visually Niccol's movie is stunning. It's a near future world of genetic engineering where although discrimination is illegal, perfection rules the day and the "in-valids" are passed over for high grade employment. Identity, inferiority and bigotry are fused together to offer up moral quandaries and ethical conundrums, all set to an oppressive tech-noir backdrop painted by Idziak's deft choice of colour filters. There's a striking difference between the look of the Gattaca corporation compared to the rest of the outside world, this helps to keep the thematics at work rich and potent.

    As a thriller it barely raises the pulse, but this is deliberate, as is the pacing by Niccol. This is an emotionally stunted world and the ethereal atmosphere hovers continually over proceedings. There's a romance in the mix between Hawke and Thurman, which on the surface seems a token sub-plot and devoid of passion, but again this feels deliberate, lack of passion is actually the order of the day. Cast performances are well up to scratch, with Law stealing the film as a one time "valid" ironically invalidated by an incident. And while we could have done with more from top performers Arkin (as a copper attired like a classical film noir gumshoe) and Elias Koteas (as Vincent's father), it rounds out as an impressively constructed picture.

    Provocative and brainy, with visual pleasures unbound, Gattaca has many attributes that reward still further on repeat viewings. 8/10
    helpful•41
    4
    • hitchcockthelegend
    • Mar 13, 2013

    FAQ3

    • What is Gattaca about?
    • How did Irene cross the highway that easily? Isn't that extremely dangerous?
    • Is in fact that song only playable if you have twelve fingers?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 24, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Esperanto
    • Also known as
      • The Eighth Day
    • Filming locations
      • Marin County Civic Center, San Rafael, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Jersey Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $36,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $12,532,777
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,320,202
      • Oct 26, 1997
    • Gross worldwide
      • $12,532,777
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 46 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
      • DTS
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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