Gattaca is a firm believer in the potential of the human spirit. The society depicted in Gattaca is not unlike the world we live in today. Even though racial and gender discrimination is illegal in the workplace today, this practice is firmly embedded in the hiring policies of human resource departments in companies all across the world. Likewise, Gattaca’s society has an additional glass ceiling based on the genetic fitness of an individual, encompassing traits such as cardiovascular fitness, probability of developing attention-span disorders, and propensity to commit violence. That is where the protagonist Vincent dares to challenge the status quo.

Since a young age, Vincent has been disadvantaged both in society and physically due to being conceived without the aid of genetic selection. He also has big dreams. As he repeatedly looks up at the stars in awe and wonder, he hopes that one day that he will be able to venture into space as a navigator, despite being genetically disadvantaged. Despite his frail disposition, Vincent believes that he is more than his genetic makeup. And so he struggles against the unfair system, impersonating the disabled ex-swimmer Jerome until he can realize his dreams of navigating the stars.

Gattaca presents a moral dilemma through contrasting Jerome and Vincent’s situations. On one hand, the genetically flawed Vincent has had to try harder than all his genetically superior peers for the sake of even having a chance to become an astronaut. On the other hand, Vincent, practically flawless from birth, suffers from his own insecurities of not being a star athlete, despite being in top physical condition. In a society that unflinchingly categorizes the perfect from the flawed, how should people go about living their lives when the perfect ones fails obtain perfection while the flawed struggle to overcome barriers to even be on the same level playing field? And so Vincent eventually reaches for the stars, despite having struggled far more than his peers have while Jerome self immolates, unable to deal with the cruel fate he has been dealt with.

Gattaca does not offer any simple solutions. As parents, one would want their child to have the best traits possible to survive in an increasingly competitive world. But if everyone has that mindset, then what will society do with the children who have been dealt a bad hand of genetic cards? And what happens to the children who were told from birth that they were perfect but who eventually encounter obstacles that tell them otherwise? And so Gattaca looks to the source of inspiration that has led to greatness for the entirety of human history: perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds.