A man with "bad" genes borrows another man's identity to fly into space. Is his world of gene tests already real?
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These are the new words. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = C (a baby) · 2 = A (blood) · 3 = D (a test) · 4 = G (a rocket)
5 = B (a scientist) · 6 = F (perfect) · 7 = E (a secret) · 8 = H (to dream)
Andrew Niccol's Gattaca (1997). Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one. (There are spoilers — that is fine, we want to talk about it.)
In the future, a baby gets a blood test just after birth. The test can guess many things: future sicknesses, and even how long the baby might live. Babies with "perfect" genes are called valids. Babies born the natural way, like Vincent, are called in-valids.
Vincent's test says he has a weak heart. Doctors think he will not live very long. But Vincent has a big dream: he wants to fly into space. The space company, called Gattaca, will not let him train, because of his test. His brother Anton has "perfect" genes, so he gets every chance that Vincent wants.
1. Why does Gattaca say no to Vincent?
2. What is Vincent's big dream?
1. His blood test shows a weak heart and a short life, because he was born the natural way, not with chosen genes.
2. He wants to fly into space with Gattaca, the space company.
Vincent finds a man called Jerome. Jerome has "perfect" genes, but after an accident, he cannot walk. Jerome agrees to give Vincent his blood and his name. Every day, Vincent hides small bags of Jerome's blood on his body. This helps him pass the daily tests at Gattaca.
Vincent works very hard. Soon, he becomes an important worker at Gattaca, using the name "Jerome." He falls in love with a woman called Irene. She does not know his real secret. Even Irene, who has "good" genes, is secretly worried about a small heart problem of her own.
1. How does Vincent pass the tests every day?
2. What is Irene's secret?
1. He uses blood and other samples from Jerome, hidden on his body, so the machines read "Jerome," not Vincent.
2. She also has a small heart problem, even though her genes are supposed to be "perfect."
Just before Vincent's big trip to space, a manager at Gattaca is killed. The police search for clues. They find one small piece of hair — and it is Vincent's real hair, not Jerome's! Now detectives search Gattaca for the "wrong" kind of person. One detective is Vincent's own brother, Anton.
Irene finds out Vincent's true secret. But she loves him, so she decides to protect him instead of telling anyone. In the end, the real killer is found — it was not Vincent. Vincent gets on the rocket to space at last. His dream comes true. But Jerome, whose name and blood made it all possible, is not needed any more, and he ends his own life.
1. What clue nearly exposes Vincent's secret?
2. What happens to Vincent, and what happens to Jerome, at the end?
1. A piece of his own hair is found at the crime scene, even though he was not the killer.
2. Vincent flies into space at last; Jerome, no longer needed, ends his own life.
This film is full of people arranging for things to be done for them, not doing the job themselves. English has a simple structure for this: get/have + something + past participle.
Read the meaning in brackets and complete the sentence.
1. Before they had a baby, the couple had their embryo (test) for illness. (a doctor did it for them)
2. Vincent got his eyes (check) with special lenses every day. (someone else checked them)
3. He had his blood samples (deliver) to his flat by Jerome. (Jerome delivered them)
1. tested (had + something + past participle)
2. checked (got + something + past participle)
3. delivered (had + something + past participle)
Put the verb into the correct past participle form. Then read it out loud.
1. Vincent had his height (increase) by a difficult operation.
2. Every week, he got fresh blood (prepare) for the tests.
3. Rich parents can have their baby's genes (choose) before birth.
1. increased
2. prepared
3. chosen
Fill each gap with the correct past participle. Read it aloud when you finish.
Every morning, Vincent had a fresh blood sample (bring) to him by Jerome. Before work, he got his contact lenses (check) carefully. And once, he even had his own apartment (clean) of every hair, just to be safe.
brought · checked · cleaned
Remember: have/get + something + past participle means someone else did it for you.
Here is the surprising part: some of the science in this film is already real. But one big idea in the film is not true at all.
The film uses a made-up word, genoism, for discrimination based on genes. But the fear behind it is real. In 2008, the United States made a real law called GINA. This law says companies cannot refuse you a job, and health insurance cannot cost more, just because of your genes.
Doctors today really can test an embryo for serious illness before it is chosen for pregnancy. This is called PGD. But doctors do not normally choose a baby's height, intelligence, or personality — only serious illness. Choosing "perfect" babies, like in the film, is much more limited in real life, and illegal in many places.
Here is the big difference between the film and real science: in Gattaca, one blood test predicts a person's whole future. In real life, genes only give probabilities, not certainties. Scientists agree that environment, upbringing, and luck matter enormously too. In the film itself, Vincent — with "bad" genes — succeeds where his "perfect" brother and the flawless Jerome do not. That is close to the truth: genes are not destiny.
Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of Gattaca in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a world of gene tests at birth → Vincent's dream of space and Gattaca's "no" → borrowing Jerome's blood and name → a murder, a piece of hair, and danger → the launch into space.
Try to use some key words (baby, blood, test, rocket, scientist, perfect, secret, dream) and have/get something done.
Vincent lies and uses a false name to follow his dream. Was this the right thing to do? What would you do in his place — follow the rules, or break them to reach your dream? Say why.
Talk about genes and testing. Use have/get something done where you can.
Not sure what to say? Choose one: