Story of the movie (spoiler)
In a fictional world where genetic engineering of humans is common and DNA plays the primary role in determining social class, Vincent (Hawke) is conceived and born without the aid of this technology. Suffering from the nearly eradicated physical dysfunctions of nearsightedness and a congenital heart defect, as well as being given a life expectancy of 30 years, Vincent faces extreme discrimination and prejudice. The only way he can achieve his life-long dream of becoming an astronaut is to impersonate someone else.
He assumes the identity of paraplegic swimming star Jerome Eugene Morrow (Law) and, using DNA and tissue samples provided by Jerome, gains admittance to the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, the most prestigious space-flight conglomerate of the day. The plan works perfectly until an agency director is murdered and evidence of Vincent's own DNA is found at the crime scene in the form of an eyelash. Vincent must evade ever-increasing security as his mission launch date approaches and he pursues a relationship with his co-worker Irene Cassini (Thurman).
The story is centered around the irony of the "perfect" Jerome failing to realise the potential of his perfect genes due to his lack of ambition and drive while the "imperfect" Vincent transcends his own because of his ambition and drive. Jerome won only a second place medal in a swimming competition and his paralysing "accident" was the result of a botched suicide attempt. A milder version of the disorder which afflicts Vincent prevents Irene from taking part in space flight. This dichotomy shows how the eugenics policy in Gattaca and the world it is set in adversely affect the humanity of both Vincent and Jerome, as well as the "in-valid" and "valid" humans they represent.
The film's themes include personal identity, courage, friendship, love, hope, the burden of perfection, faith, sibling rivalry, fate, genetic determinism, and whether humanity and the human spirit can be defined or limited by our DNA. |
