A truly great movie makes you think about it long after the credits have scrolled.  It stays with you and affects your opinions.  It delivers its message clearly and convincingly, but doesn’t preach.  It makes you want to watch it again and again, and each time you do watch it, the same message rings true.  Gattaca is such a movie.

Although technically a futuristic science fiction movie, Gattaca builds upon current technologies so realistically that the sci-fi label seems a little unfair.  It’s easy to believe that the near future portrayed in the movie is not only capable, but eventual.  It is for this reason that I feel the movie should appeal to more viewers than would a fantastical science fiction adventure.  In Gattaca, the future isn’t used to create a universe where the impossible can happen, but one that is merely the result of the decisions we make today.  It is the story of perseverance and the triumph of the human spirit against overwhelming odds.

In this near future setting, human gene manipulation and DNA sequencing has become commonplace.  Gene manipulation is a standard tool in reproduction, as common as using an ultrasound to determine a baby’s gender. And, like ultrasound, it is not required, but is a choice available for parents who want to conceive a child.  As a geneticist at a fertility clinic explains, “You want to give your child the best possible start. Believe me; we have enough imperfections built in already. The child doesn’t need any additional burdens. Keep in mind this child is still you, simply the best of you.”

The result of gene manipulation and selective breeding is that the world is separated into two distinct classes: the valids and the in-valids.  Valids are the result of in manipulation and vitro fertilization whereas in-valids are the result of “faith births.” Valids tend to be taller, stronger, have better eyesight, longer life spans, and higher IQs.  Although illegal to discriminate against in-valids, people nonetheless do since DNA analysis is widely available and a sample can be taken from a handshake, a doorknob, a coffee cup, the glue from an envelope, or a mandatory drug test.

Ethan Hawke, recently in Training Day, stars as Vincent, a boy born of a faith birth.  During the post-partum checkup, the doctors determine that Vincent is saddled with genetic material that is less than desirable and predict that he will most likely die of heart failure at only thirty years old.  It is for this reason that his father, Antonio, chooses to preserve his namesake for his next son, who they elect to be man-made.  Anton is born a progeny worthy of his father’s name.

Vincent grows up to be a bright, energetic boy, but it is clear from an early age that his younger brother, Anton, is the chosen favorite.  Anton grows faster and stronger than Vincent, easily surpassing his older brother.  However, despite the advantages that Anton has been given, and the recommendation from his parents to accept his fate, Vincent continues to try to prove himself against his brother and reach for the stars, literally.  Vincent dreams of traveling to space and joining the space program at Gattaca.  However, it soon becomes apparent to Vincent that he can not get hired with a short life expectancy and sub-par DNA.  The closest Vincent can get to his dream is to accept a job as a janitor at Gattaca.  Vincent explains: “I belong to a new underclass, no longer determined by social status or the color of your skin. We now have discrimination down to a science.”

Refusing to accept his fate, Vincent continues to study and dream of space.  When it appears that his dream can never be realized, Vincent tries something more extreme.  Through an advertisement, Vincent contacts German who deals in black market DNA, played by Tony Shalhoub who played Antonio on Wings and currently stars in Monk on USA Network.  For a percentage of the salary, German will help Vincent get a job by borrowing DNA samples from a donor.  He introduces Vincent to Jerome, played by Jude Law, a valid who has suffered an accident and is wheelchair bound.  Vincent will dress like Jerome, act like Jerome, look like Jerome, and become Jerome.  For this, he will wear colored prescription contact lenses, scrub his body to remove loose hair and excess skin cells and plant Jerome’s skin cells and hair instead, apply synthetic finger tips containing Jerome’s blood to fool DNA testing machines, and use a prosthetic containing Jerome’s urine for regular drug tests.  Then, Vincent has to undergo a painful operation to his legs to be able to achieve Jerome’s height.  It is only after this operation that Vincent shows his determination and earns Jerome’s respect.

Living as a “borrowed ladder,” Vincent is amazed at how quickly doors are opened for him and he is ushered into the program at Gattaca.  As easy as it was to get there, though, Vincent has to work twice as hard as everyone else to keep his place.  His hard work pays off and Vincent advances to Navigator First Class and is scheduled for a one-year mission to Titan, the fourteenth moon of Saturn.  He also meets Irene, played by Uma Thurman, a beautiful, young valid in the space program.  Everything seems to be going in Vincent’s favor when a gruesome murder takes place at Gattaca and after a police search, a single eyelash of Vincent’s is discovered in the building.  Without an explanation for this eyelash, the police immediately focus their attention on locating this in-valid as the prime suspect in the murder, jeopardizing Vincent’s future.

WARNING: SPOILER. If you have not seen this movie and are interested in it, do not read further.

There are many important characters in Gattaca which serve to demonstrate the underlying theme.  Veteran actor, Ernest Borgnine of TV’s Airwolf, plays Caesar, the head janitor at Gattaca who tries to help Vincent accept his lot in life, as he himself had done.  Although a scene later in the film shows a confrontation in the stairwell between Vincent and Caesar where it appears Caesar doesn’t recognize him, deleted scenes available on the DVD appear to make a case that Caesar would definitely have recognized Vincent and instead may have helped him to flee.  However, more important to the theme, the character of Caesar serves as a contrast to Vincent and an example of what he may have become if he had in fact settled for less.

Xander Berkeley, an accomplished actor who has had a recurring role on CSI and played George Mason on the first season of 24, plays Dr. Lamar.  Unbeknownst to Vincent, Dr. Lamar had always seen through Vincent’s fraud, but he secretly hoped for Vincent to succeed and used his example for his own son, who wasn’t “all they had promised.” It is Dr. Lamar who is ultimately responsible for overriding protocol and allowing Vincent to board the ship in the end.  In an earlier scene in the movie, Vincent substitutes a vial of Jerome’s blood for a vial that had been pumped directly from Vincent’s arm.  Although Vincent makes a good effort to conceal the switch, it had seemed improbable for him to have escaped detection.  However, in light of Dr. Lamar knowing the truth, it’s more likely that he didn’t successfully conceal his action, but instead, Dr. Lamar went along with the ploy.

Quentin Tarantino’s femme fatale, Uma Thurman, does a great job as Irene, the valid with a flaw.  Incidentally it was during Gattaca that Ethan Hawke had met Uma Thurman, eventually marrying, having children, and eventually divorcing.  Irene was born with a genetic makeup that sets her above most other people; however, she was also born with an initially undetected heart disorder that she has grown to rely on as a crutch.  While Vincent constantly strives to overcome his imperfections, Irene sees her own as a limitation that prevents her from succeeding.  A scene, in which Vincent follows Irene across a busy street without his prescription contacts, further demonstrates his determination and possibly serves as a comparison to what Vincent will learn about Jerome, using the cars as a metaphor for the difficulties we all face in life.

Jude Law, shining in Artificial Intelligence: AI and riveting in Enemy at the Gates, plays Jerome perfectly.  Jerome is born with everything it takes to be a success.  From birth, he had been raised to expect nothing but the very best from himself.  It is this confidence and supreme standard that ultimately undoes Jerome and cripples him figuratively and literally.  One night, Jerome explains to Vincent that his paralysis was not an accident.  After failing to achieve a gold medal in diving, Jerome despairs of being thought of as second best, and attempts suicide by stepping into the path of a moving vehicle.  From that moment forward, Jerome feels he has no reason to continue living and only lives vicariously through Vincent, delaying the inevitable long enough to see Vincent succeed.

Alan Arkin, who has had a lengthy career and acted brilliantly in the short lived series, 100 Centre Street, plays Detective Hugo, the homicide detective relentlessly pursuing Vincent.  Hugo is the physical manifestation of the prejudice against in-valids.  Although a good detective who ultimately solves the crime, he initially overlooks the circumstantial evidence that suggests a grudge murder and instead focuses on weeding out the in-valid from the rest.  He reveals the subtle prejudices of this society, and our own, through his brute force methods of rounding up in-valids and interrogations without merit.

The younger lieutenant to whom Detective Hugo must answer is later revealed to be none other than Vincent’s brother, Anton.  Anton is played by Loren Dean, who got his first starring role playing Billy Bathgate in the film of the same name, but will always be remembered by me as playing Joe in Say Anything, about whom John Cusack’s female friend, Corey, pens the song, Joe Lies (When He Cries).  It seems unlikely that Anton would have been able to keep the connection between him and the prime murder suspect a secret, but the film doesn’t make any attempt to explain this lapse.  However, since Anton is as aggressive in hunting down Vincent as Detective Hugo, it’s possible that the revelation wouldn’t have mattered much.  Even after the killer is revealed, Anton pursues Vincent until they confront one another.  During this scene, Vincent challenges Anton to a swimming competition that the brothers had used as boys to compete.  It is during this time that Vincent explains to Anton how he had succeeded where Anton failed: “Do you know how I beat you? I didn’t leave anything for the return trip.” Vincent never played it safe.

And of course, no character is more powerful than Vincent himself.  Ethan Hawke plays Vincent with a grace that makes him both special and someone to whom the average viewer can relate.  We sympathize with Vincent because nothing comes easy for him; he has to work hard his whole life.  However, we admire Vincent because despite his disadvantages, he continues to work hard.  This is the underlying theme of the movie.  If we work hard, if we don’t give up, if we continue to reach for the stars no matter how many times we fall, we just might reach them.  And just as Vincent’s example served as a lesson for Dr. Lamar’s son, so should it serve for us all.

"Never underestimate a man who overestimates himself.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt