Top 100 Movies Of The 1990's: #40 Gattaca
Box Office: $12.5 Million
Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction
Oscar Wins: None
MovieRankings.Net: 85/100
Available To Stream: YouTube (free), Amazon Prime ($4)
Like any science-fiction story with big themes, Gattaca's actual story has a million holes. But that's not what Gattaca is. I know it becomes a murder mystery for a chunk of the latter half (also SPOILERS AHEAD) but that's a necessary evil to have some sort of story construct. What Gattaca should be judged on is how well it handles themes like destiny, fate and the overreliance of science.
It's interesting watching this movie that speaks of a future that is likely what we consider present day. The 2020's (or so) imagined here is very different than our current life but the bigger issues still remain. I do like how this doesn't make the future this horrific and bleak world. The future is a character in this movie but very much a side one. It's like the great After Yang with Colin Farrell that came out last year. That movie also tackled big themes (family, soul, love, memories) and never used the future as a lame crutch.
This is beautifully directed by Andrew Niccol. It's the first movie he ever helmed and is probably his best. He did also write The Truman Show but we'll get to that movie eventually. He did have a fantastic cast to work with here: Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, Jude Law and Alan Arkin. This was such a great time for cinema. You had so many young, talented actors and much fewer IP-led movies. This of course, didn't stop Uma Thurman from being in the terrible Batman And Robin this same year but you get my point.
This was also a period of time where Jude Law was playing perfect men who other people were trying to be. You have this and (#62) The Talented Mr. Ripley where Matt Damon wanted to be Jude Law so bad, he killed his character. Here, the partnership between Hawke's character and Law's is much more complimentary. I applaud Law for being able to pivot from roles like this to parts like he played in Road To Perdition.
Gattaca does look perfect. The shots are incredibly clean and the style of late 1940's noir works so well with Niccol's future look. What doesn't play as well is the ending. The idea that Hawke's character wouldn't recognize his own brother after a little over a decade is ridiculous. It's a needless tie to a story that already had enough. The dream of going up to space when society doesn't want you to is enough.
40. Gattaca
41. Misery
42. Tombstone
43. Ransom
44. Wayne's World
45. The Insider
46. Back To The Future Part III
47. A Bronx Tale
48. The People Vs. Larry Flynt
49. Eyes Wide Shut
50. The Sandlot
51. Happy Gilmore
52. Contact
53. The Green Mile
54. Man On The Moon
55. Boyz N The Hood
56. Grosse Pointe Blank
57. Independence Day
58. The Rainmaker
59. Go
60. The Firm
61. Magnolia
62. The Talented Mr. Ripley
63. Tommy Boy
64. The Usual Suspects
65. In The Line Of Fire
66. My Cousin Vinny
67. Awakenings
68. JFK
69. Toy Story
70. Home Alone
71. Jerry Maguire
72. Titanic
73. Billy Madison
74. Apollo 13
75. Braveheart
76. Edward Scissorhands
77. Cape Fear
78. The River Wild
79. What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
80. 12 Monkeys
81. Stir Of Echoes
82. Mission: Impossible
83. Total Recall
84. Quiz Show
85. For Love Of The Game
86. Being John Malkovich
87. Men In Black
88. Scream
89. Alive
90. Three Kings
91. Glengarry Glen Ross
92. Die Hard With A Vengeance
93. The Blair Witch Project
94. Twister
95. Dirty Work
96. Election
97. Tremors
98. Any Given Sunday
99. The Wedding Singer
100. Clerks