Gattaca (1997)
86%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
6 wins & 16 nominations total
Intelligent and scientifically provocative, Gattaca is an absorbing sci fi drama that poses important interesting ethical questions about the nature of science
Gattaca is a sci-fi thriller that will make you question the ethics of genetic engineering. With a talented cast and a thought-provoking premise, this movie is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good dystopian story. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman on screen together? Just be prepared for a few illogical plot contrivances and a bit of a downer ending. Overall, Gattaca is a stylish and intelligent film that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Tristar, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Marin County Civic Center, San Rafael, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief violent images, language, and some sexuality
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS DTS Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 52m
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Language(s):English, Esperanto
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 1997 Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2001
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law, Gore Vidal, Alan Arkin, Loren Dean, directed by Andrew Niccol, written by Andrew Niccol, produced by Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Duane Byrge, Mike Clark, Jason Bailey, Lisa Alspector, Emanuel Levy, Rick Groen, Jan Stuart, PG-13, genetic engineering, space travel, genetically inferior, genetically superior, laboratory-engineered, investigation, DNA identity, Gattaca space program, Ecclesiastes 7:13, Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Tristar, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Worldwide gross: $12,532,777
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $23,362,110
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,656
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,547,667
US/Canada gross: $12,532,777
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $23,362,110
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,357
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,320,202
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $8,053,206
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,010
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $36,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $67,106,911
Production budget ranking: 624
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $36,137,072
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$79,881,873
ROI to date (est.): -77%
ROI ranking: 1,861
Uma Thurman – Irene Cassini
Jude Law – Jerome Eugene Morrow
Gore Vidal – Director Josef
Alan Arkin – Det. Hugo
Loren Dean – Anton Freeman
Director(s)
Andrew Niccol
Writer(s)
Andrew Niccol
Producer(s)
Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
6 wins & 16 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (64) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (52) | Rotten (12)
Stylishly scoped with ice-blue hues and smartly visualized with a forbiddingly cold design, Gattaca is an intelligently-conceived sci-fi chiller starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
October 25, 2019
Duane Byrge
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
An institutional hush envelops the compelling cautionary fable Gattaca as if it were muffled by a velvet lab coat.
January 10, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Mike Clark
USA Today
TOP CRITIC
A thoughtful hybrid of sci-fi, thriller, and character drama; to give you some idea of its high-mindedness, it not only opens with a relevant Bible verse (Ecclesiastes 7:13), but in the opening credits that follow, Gore Vidal is fifth-billed.
November 14, 2017
Jason Bailey
Vice
TOP CRITIC
I didn’t care enough about Hawke’s character to ignore a big problem in the story’s logic: if this future has such incredible biotechnology, why can’t Law just get his damaged body parts fixed?
June 5, 2007
Lisa Alspector
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
One of first Hollywood films about the effects of genetic engineering on human conduct, Andrew Niccol’s directing debut is an intelligent and timely sci-fi that, despite some illogical plot contrivances, is emotionally engaging almost up to the end.
July 5, 2006 | Rating: 3/4
Emanuel Levy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Designer babies rule dystopia in stylish SF thriller filled with recycled plot devices.
April 12, 2002 | Rating: 2.5/4
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
You have to admire Niccol’s humanizing agenda in movie terrain usually crowded with numbing technology and digital stereo explosions. But jeez, what a downer.
June 1, 2022
Jan Stuart
The Advocate
Gattaca relies on solid storytelling rather than lazily hoping to distract you with great visuals and special effects.
March 29, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Carey-Ann Pawsey
Orca Sound
Gattaca boasts an excellent cast full of talented actors.
March 23, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Allison Rose
FlickDirect
The fixating premise and the commentary on conviction defeating arbitrary inequities make for an unconventional and wholly entertaining experience.
September 13, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A clever and sly slab of sci-fi, depicting a future where the superior race will be people genetically assembled from the edited highlights of their parents.
July 15, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
…a deliberately-paced yet mostly spellbinding sci-fi drama…
June 25, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews…
Plot
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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Gattaca.
Andrew-Niccol.jpg
