There are two kinds of citizens in the designed world of Gattaca Corp.: the Valids, who have been bioengineered, and the In-Valids, those unlucky few who have let nature take its course. Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is a rarity conceived by passion rather than by petri in a culture that enjoys the certainty of doctored babies. Gattaca (the name a play on the amino acids ATCG) follows its impassioned protagonist as he struggles to achieve his dreams in a gene-driven society. Why Vincent's parents have a “faith baby” is never determined, but Vincent's future is: a quick DNA scan tabulates his defects, along with his destiny-bad vision, a frail heart, and a sickly physique. But Vincent has unmappable traits like hope and faith. Determined to rise above his lot, he acquires a bootlegged genetic profile, falsified fingerprints, purloined nails, and all. Gattaca's sleek and antiseptic surface is eventually roiled by a murder, sending ripples of suspicion throughout the gene pool. Darkly moody, Gattaca proposes a biotyranny where a single hair out of place can mean the difference between life and death.