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449. Frame Rate: Gattaca (Feat. Sarah Griffith)
🕑 Added 2022-01-07 14:01:03 +0000 UTC
It is the near-future and genetic manipulation has polarized the rich/poor gap to an even more extreme extent. Michael and Abe along with Small Bean Sarah Griffith take a look at the prescient social commentary in this 1997 sci-fi starring Ethan Hawke, Jude Law, and Uma Thurman. Also Dean Norris. Michael reminds us that we cannot forget Dean Norris, the star of Gattaca!
This episode is brought to you by Peter Jones through the Pick the Flick patreon tier, which we are bringing back! You too can choose a movie for us to cover on Frame Rate! Find more information about it on our tiers page!
Features:
Sarah Griffith: https://twitter.com/sk_griffith
Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP
Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty
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Comments
Peter Jones
Pushing all my chips in on a big budget miniseries remake/continuation. Something I never considered, I'd love to see it. Spoilers ahead: I loved getting Sarah's fresh take (I was one of those people who saw it first in my 7th grade science class). I'd just like to go to bat for Ethan Hawke's uncharacteristic resignation at the last moment—it may be clunky, but it's there to set up the reveal: that Xander Berkeley was tacitly in on it the whole time. Michael says that the main conceit as a viewer is believing that Hawke could actually get away with this scheme, ever. But we get this mini twist to show that there's still power in a bit of solidarity among little people suffering under a discriminatory society. It seems ridiculous that his brother, doctor, girlfriend, or former boss wouldn't immediately catch onto the ploy—but I think we're shown that they obviously must, and they just don't sell him out. Everyone that actually understands him and his situation help him succeed.
Philip Reinhardt
Also a psychiatric hospital patient.
Drew Mancini
My last rewatch of this I noticed that Danny DeVito produced this movie. I then realized that Danny DeVito played a science experiment, lab created, lesser twin in Twins; he played a genetically undesirable, and abandoned first born in Batman Returns; and he felt compelled enough by this screenplay that he decided to produce the dystopian future of a genetically enhanced civilization.
Tue HL
As I was listening to this, the moment it ended I was sitting in a train, looked out the window, and saw an advertisement with the words: "can my blood tell me how long I'm going to live?" That seemed weirdly serendipitous.
Murphthemurph
Yes! Griffisodes are the best!
Poseylock Jimmismits
Love Gattaca, one of my favourite movies. I don't think ya'll are on point on everything you said, but I enjoyed the episode. May elaborate on my thoughts at some point, though. But I gotta say this: Dude, Abe - it's pronounced "Lightmotief" not "Li-et-motief". XD I've commented on this before and it just bugs me every time as a native german speaker. ^^
Adam by the Birch
The real question is, if Jude Law's character was so destroyed over coming in second when he was genetically breed to be the best, how does the rest of society function? If everyone is made to be perfect, how do they cope with someone else being better? The driving force in the movie was a competition for a spot on the rocket to space, but if everyone is perfect why are they competing? What about the rest of the perfect people who, I guess, not perfect enough?
