Movie+Summary

GATTACA Summary

In “the not-so-distant future”, where [|liberal eugenics] is common and [|DNA] plays the primary role in determining [|social class], Vincent Freeman ([|Ethan Hawke]) is conceived and born without the aid of this technology. As a result he is born with a high probability of heart disorder and a life expectancy of only 30.2 years. His parents regret this, and his younger brother, Anton, is conceived with the aid of genetic engineering. Growing up, their father clearly favors Anton, the stronger, taller and more perfect son. Vincent dreams of a career in space, but his parents remind him that his imperfections will preclude him from ever achieving this. Vincent and Anton enjoy playing a game that they called "[|chicken]" — both would swim out into the sea, and the first one to give up and swim back to shore would be the loser. Anton always won due to his genetically-enhanced physical stamina. One day when they are older, however, Vincent, for reasons not entirely clear at the time, manages to swim farther out than his brother before turning around. Anton, in fact, runs into trouble and begins to drown. Vincent saves him by pulling him to shore. Vincent then leaves home shortly thereafter. Suffering from the nearly eradicated physical dysfunction of [|myopia], as well as being given a heart disorder probability of 99%, Vincent faces extreme [|genetic discrimination] and [|prejudice]. The only way he can achieve his life-long dream of becoming an [|astronaut] is to break the law and [|impersonate] a "valid", a person with appropriate genetic advantage.[|[2]] He assumes the identity of Jerome Eugene Morrow ([|Jude Law]), a former swimming star who, despite a genetic profile "second to none", won only a [|silver medal] in a high-profile competition. He attempted to commit [|suicide] by jumping in front of a car, but again fell short of his goal in that he only succeeded in [|paralyzing himself from the waist down]. However, as the incident occurred outside the country, no one knows of his newly acquired disability. Thus, Vincent can "buy" his identity with no one the wiser. Though he requires [|limb lengthening] to increase his height, persistent practice to favor his right hand instead of his left, and contact lenses to replace his glasses while matching Jerome's eyes, he can use Jerome's "valid" DNA in blood, hair, tissue and urine samples to pass any genetic test — as long as he takes extreme measures to leave no traces of his identity as an "in-valid". But, where he was once an object of scorn and pity, he is now a perpetrator of an unspeakable fraud. Legally, exposure would only subject him to fines, but socially the consequences would be far more extreme — he is now a heretic against the new order of [|genetic determinism]. Vincent is now a "borrowed ladder" (a play on words referring to both the structure of an un-coiled DNA strand and the idiom of altitude as social status) or in harsher language, a //de-gen[e]-erate//. With Jerome's impressive genetic profile Vincent easily gains access to the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation (his interview consists entirely of a genetic analysis of a urine sample), the most prestigious space-flight conglomerate of the day. With his own equally impressive determination, he quickly becomes the company's top celestial navigator. But a week before Vincent is scheduled to leave on a one-year mission for [|Saturn]'s moon [|Titan], the mission director is found bludgeoned to death with a keyboard in his office, and evidence of Vincent's own "in-valid" DNA is found in the building in the form of an [|eyelash]. The presence of this unexpected DNA attracts the attention of the police, and Vincent must evade ever-increasing security as his mission launch date approaches and he pursues a relationship with his co-worker Irene Cassini ([|Uma Thurman]). After numerous close calls, the investigation eventually comes to a close as Director Josef ([|Gore Vidal]) is arrested for the murder by the detective covering the investigation ([|Alan Arkin]). The Director reveals that he murdered the mission director in order to buy time for the mission to launch, because the window of opportunity for the launch is only open for seven days once every seventy years, and that it is now too late to stop the launch. Just as Vincent appears to be in the clear, however, he is confronted by the youthful chief detective who is revealed to be Vincent's estranged younger brother, Anton ([|Loren Dean]). Anton accuses Vincent of perpetrating a fraud to illegally win a position for which he is not genetically worthy. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Anton is acting more out of personal insecurity than professional duty. Vincent offers to prove his worthiness by once again challenging Anton to a contest of endurance. As he did once before several years ago, Vincent manages to beat Anton who yet again must be rescued by his older brother. When Anton asks him how he did it Vincent reveals that he simply neglected to save any strength for the swim back — he was willing to risk //everything// to succeed. Conversely, Anton always exercised prudence in preserving enough strength to safely return. As the day of the launch finally arrives, Jerome bids Vincent farewell and says that he intends to travel, too. He reveals that he has stored enough genetic samples to last Vincent two lifetimes. Overwhelmed and grateful, Vincent thanks Jerome for "lending" him the identity that has allowed his success at Gattaca, but Jerome replies that it is he who should be grateful, since Vincent lent Jerome his dreams. Jerome then gives Vincent a card but asks him not to open it until he reaches space. As Vincent moves through the Gattaca complex to the launch site, he is stopped for an unexpected urine test. Vincent reluctantly agrees to take the test, even though he has not brought any of Jerome's genetic material to hide his identity. The test result uncovers Vincent's "in-valid" status, but the doctor, Lamar, who had conducted Vincent's initial interview at Gattaca, reveals that he has known Vincent's true identity all along, saying, "For future reference, right-handed men don't hold it with their left. Just one of those things." Lamar then alters the test result to allow Vincent to proceed. He further confesses that his son admires Vincent and wants to be an astronaut just like him despite an unforeseen genetic defect that would automatically rule him out. The shuttle lifts off with Vincent aboard, and he opens the card from Jerome to find a few last hair samples within. Back on Earth, Jerome climbs inside his home incinerator, puts on his silver medal and fires up the flames.