Gattaca (1997)
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In a future where genetic perfection is the standard, a man born with 'inferior' genes must navigate a world of discrimination to achieve his dream of space travel.
The story
In a not-too-distant future, eugenics is common and society is divided between 'valids'—those conceived through genetic selection—and 'in-valids,' who are born naturally and face significant discrimination. Vincent Freeman, an 'in-valid' with a compromised genetic profile, dreams of becoming a space traveler but is constantly reminded of his perceived inferiority. To bypass the genetic barriers of the elite, Vincent begins to pose as a 'valid' by using the stolen genetic material of a former athlete. He secures a position at the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, where he must meticulously hide his true identity while falling in love with a co-worker who also faces medical hurdles to her space ambitions.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In a future where genetic engineering determines social status, Vincent Freeman is an 'in-valid' who uses the stolen genetic material of a paralyzed man, Jerome Eugene Morrow, to pass as a 'valid.' This deception allows him to work for the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation as a navigator for a mission to Saturn's moon, Titan. While hiding his identity, he falls in love with Irene Cassini, a 'valid' with a heart condition. The plot thickens when a murder investigation leads to the discovery of Vincent's presence by his brother, Anton, who is a detective. After a tense confrontation with Anton, Vincent proceeds with the mission. On the day of launch, he faces a final hurdle when a supervisor, Dr. Lamar, realizes his deception but chooses to overlook it. As the rocket launches, Jerome commits suicide, and Vincent finds a lock of Jerome's hair in a note, symbolizing his success in transcending his genetic destiny.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 106
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Esperanto
- Directors
- Andrew Niccol
- Writers
- Andrew Niccol · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ethan Hawke · Vincent Freeman; Uma Thurman · Irene Cassini; Alan Arkin · Detective Hugo; Jude Law · Jerome Eugene Morrow; Loren Dean · Anton Freeman; Gore Vidal · Director Josef
- Genres
- dystopian; science fiction; drama
- Themes
- genetic engineering; destiny; discrimination
- Tone and mood
- serious; provocative
- Setting
- A dystopian future where eugenics is common.
- Premise and plot tags
- biopunk; space travel; identity
- Reception
- Gattaca received positive reviews from critics and is noted for its thought-provoking script and exploration of genetic engineering.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · scale: percentage · review count: 66
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Art Direction · 1997 · nominee; Golden Globe Award · Best Original Score · 1997 · nominee
- Production trivia
- The title is based on the four nucleobases of DNA.; The film was originally titled The Eighth Day.; The production design features retrofuturism with cars based on 1960s models.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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