‘Gattaca’ Fails to Engineer Interest

ANAHEIM — In “Gattaca,” Ethan Hawke plays an astronaut hopeful who must hide his inferior genes to reach his goals. Along the way, he romances the genetically superior Uma Thurman and becomes the target of a murder investigation. Rated PG-13.

*

The notion that “genes cleansing” could eliminate poor vision and crooked teeth appealed to youngsters who sat through “Gattaca.” But that didn’t mean it wasn’t a yawner.

“Gattaca” is a sci-fi parable that tries to stress the importance of making the most of the hand nature deals each of us, but kids seemed more fascinated with the idea of a Brave New World where test-tube babies have far fewer problems.

The hero, played by Ethan Hawke, faces prejudice, low esteem and no career advancement because he was conceived the old-fashioned way: in the back of a car, faulty genes and all.

He has a heart condition and bad eyesight, for starters. Folks at the top of the movie’s pecking order are genetically engineered, almost flawless except for their arrogance.

“Kind of like supermen,” explained Ty Claiborne, 14, if Anaheim. “They were better, so they got more” respect and social advantages.

That intrigued Ty, who wondered what it would be like to know from childhood that you’d be bigger, stronger, smarter than the unlucky few who try to get through life flaws and all.

The movie, however, was boring, he felt, mainly because it stalled once Hawke’s character began passing himself off as a test-tuber.

“Nothing went on after he got in” to the astronaut program following an elaborate deception involving the genes of a superior guy eager to help him, Ty said.

His brother, Scott, 10, found it dull for the same reasons. He loved the idea of starting life in a lab, though.

Scott self-consciously pushed at his glasses, then reflected on the fact that most of the people in “Gattaca” didn’t have to worry about nearsightedness.

“That’s cool,” he said. “These get in the way.”

*

The film only glancingly touches on the ethical questions of genetic tampering, instead trying to entertain as a glitzy combination of science fiction and murder mystery. It failed to work for Jocelyn Engst, 12, even on that level.

The Fullerton resident thought it was stupid that Hawke’s character would try so hard to be like everybody else. “He should just be happy” being himself, she decided.

*

Parents’ Perspective: By most movie standards, “Gattaca” is tame, with little graphic violence (there’s a brief beating scene) and almost no sex (Hawke and Thurman end up in bed, for about half a minute). But that didn’t warrant approval by adults.

Keith Lemmon from Anaheim considered it muddled. “Kids need clear plots that move along,” he explained. “This didn’t. . . . I wouldn’t take my [10-year-old] daughter to it.”

Jennifer Hall from Yorba Linda believed “Gattaca” might be passable had its creators made the science clearer. “That part [about gene purification] is interesting,” she said, “but they couldn’t clarify it enough for me or anyone else.”

* FAMILY FILMGOER, Page 18