GATTACA
Movie Lesson
"There is No Gene for the Human Spirit"
A perfect world
The 1997 science fiction film GATTACA is set in the ‘not-too-distant future’. This is a world where embryos are
screened before they are implanted in their mothers, to ensure perfect health and wellbeing. Each baby’s life
expectancy and disease likelihood are tested and determined at birth. Society no longer discriminates on the
basis of religion, race or gender, but on your genes. Vincent, however, is a genetically imperfect (‘in-valid’)
person in a genetically perfect world. He was born with a heart defect dooming him to die at about 30, and is
myopic (short-sighted), meaning he can only work as a cleaner. But Vincent dreams of travelling to Jupiter’s
moon, Titan. He assumes the identity of Jerome, a crippled athlete, who has genes that will allow him to
achieve his dream of space travel.
With Jerome’s identity, Vincent can work at the aerospace company GATTACA and pass their daily gene tests
by using samples of Jerome’s hair, blood and urine. Things become more complicated, however, when the Titan
mission controller is found murdered shortly before the launch. Vincent’s own DNA is found at the scene in one
hair – as an in-valid he had no reason to be there, making him the prime suspect. Will Vincent make it to Titan,
or be arrested for murder?
This film explores many important issues in human uses of biotechnology, including the real-world effects of
genetic testing and pre-implantation testing of embryos.
Biology Principles
Nature vs. Nurture
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis
Genetic Screening
DNA profiling
Human rights
Genetic modification (recombinant DNA)
While watching the movie, think about what this film has to say about:
 discrimination and prejudice
 the human desire for perfection and whether perfection makes us happy
 whether genes alone can predict our paths in life
 what happens when someone wants a life other than that determined by their genes
 whether knowing too much about our genes is a good or bad thing.
 How accurate do you think testing at birth for life expectancy and disease susceptibility would be?
Would there be any differences between the prediction and the actual outcomes? Why would they be
different?
 Is it fair to discriminate against people whose genes are not ‘perfect’? Is it already happening?
 Who decides what constitutes perfection in the first place?
Directions: Answer the following questions while watching the video GATTACA.
1. At Vincent's birth, doctors already knew how he would die. A nurse immediately took a sample of his blood
and analyzed it. What was Vincent's life expectancy and what would he likely die from? Would you want to
know this information?
2. Compare how Vincent's brother was brought into the world to how Vincent was brought into the world. Did
the doctor feel that some traits should be left to chance? Why or why not?
3. Scenes of the two brother’s childhood imply certain differences in the physique. List some obvious
differences between Vincent and his brother.
4. How are humans “expected” to reproduce in the movie?
5. "My real resume' was in my cells." What does this statement mean? What kind of job did Vincent end up
with? What was his real goal?
6. GATTACA society is divided. What determines your social position? Do you think that determination is
ethical?
7. What motivates people to use genetic screening in the movie?
8. List two ways that the society portrayed in the movie routinely ‘reads’ a person’s genetic profile.
9. What major surgery did Vincent have to enhance his genetic “imperfections?”
10. What procedures did Vincent go through to prevent his DNA from being discovered (and his ruse being
discovered)? List at least THREE preparations Vincent had to do everyday to pass as Jerome Morrow at
GATTACA.
11. When Jerome (Vincent) and Irene go to a concert, what is unusual about the piano player?
12. Why did the real Jerome go along with Vincent's scheme?
13. How is Vincent finally exposed at the GATTACA spaceport? Why does the doctor let him through anyway?
14. If a couple had a baby who died and could not have any more babies, but had the opportunity to clone their
baby, should they be allowed to clone it? Why or why not?