Review of the film "Gattaca".

Paper Summary:

This paper summarizes and reviews the movie "Gattaca" - a sci-fi thriller that focuses attention on people's determination for genetic perfection. The paper also reviews two articles on genetic engineering and discusses them in relation to the movie. The paper concludes with a brief discussion about genetic engineering as a topic of importance in the practice of medicine and/or mental health.

From the Paper:

"Gattaca is a sci-fi thriller that focuses attention on people's determination for genetic perfection. The Acronym Finder website says that GATTACA stands for: Guanine, Adenine, Thymine, Thymine, Adenine, Cytosine, Adenine (DNA). The word appears as part of the company name: Gattaca Aerospace Corporation, which is the setting for this film. This company accepts only those who by genetic engineering are biologically superior ("valids"), so Jerome, who was born the old-fashioned way (therefore "in-valid"), buys the blood, urine, and identity of a perfect ("valid") but paralyzed athlete (an invalid) named Vincent and in many ways becomes Vincent. Despite their amazing ploys that allow Jerome to pass daily blood and urine tests administered at Gattaca, a murder of a senior company employee attracts the attention of a detective (who turns out to be Vincent's "valid" brother) who threatens to expose Vincent before he can fulfill his dream of space travel. Relationships between Jerome, the Doctor, a girl (adding a romantic element!), and the real Vincent keep this film on a 'human' rather than simply a 'genetically modified human' level."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Acronym Finder. (n.d.) Retrieved September 21, 2007 from http://www.acronymfinder.com
• Counterbalance Foundation. (2007). Retrieved September 24, 2007 from http://www.counterbalance.org
• Gilby, K.L., Thorne, A., Patey, A. & McIntyre, D.C. (2007). Ruling out postnatal origins to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like behaviors in a seizure-prone rat strain. Behavioral Neuroscience, 121(2), 370-379. Retrieved September 20, 2007 from PsycINFO database (10.1037/0735-7044.121.2.370).
• IGN Entertainment, Inc. (2007). Retrieved September 20, 2007 from http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gattaca/about.php
• Phillips, T.J., Broadbent, J., Burkhart-Kasch, S., Henderson, C., Wenger, C.D., McMullin, C., McKinnon, C., & Cunningham, C.L. (2005). Genetic correlational analyses of ethanol reward and aversion phenotypes in short-term selected mouse lines bred for ethanol drinking or ethanol-induced taste aversion. Behavioral Neuroscience, (119)4, 892-910. Retrieved September 20, 2007 from PsycINFO database. (10.1037/0735-7044.119.4.892).

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