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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.

Giphy Images.

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. 

Giphy Images.

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

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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