Screenplay-Gattaca.pdf

8/12/2019 Screenplay-Gattaca.pdf

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UNTITLE

Screen layy ndrew M iccol


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A ~ h l t e t i t l e appears on a black screen.As n i g h t f a l ~ does not come at once n e ~ t ~ e rdoes oppression C in such twi l ight chatwe al l must be aware o f change in the air- however s1i..ght - lest we become vict ims o fthe darkness.

~ u s t l ~ e William O. Douglas

The t i t l e fades off, replaced by a second t i t l e1 noC only t h ~ k that we will tamper wichMother Nature, : t h ~ n k Mocher wanes us to .

'tlilliam GaylinThe second t i t l e fades off, leavlng a dark screen.The darkness gradually gives way to a dawning l ight:We are confronted wlth sight of a barren, empty landscape. Awlde expanse of wasteland.Suddenly, without warnlng, an elephant tusk fal ls from the skand crashes onto the parched ground. The earth-shudderingimpact causes the tusk to rebound once in slow motion beforef inally se t t l ing to the desert floor in a cloud of dust.The f i r s t tusk is quickly followed by a second, also dropplngfrom the heavens. I t lands near the f i r s t Another tusksmashes to earth several yards away. Yet another comes crashinto the foreground,

Finally the dust se t t les upon a graveyard of tusks.DISSOLVE TOA BARREN EMPTY LANDSCAPEIn another region of the wasteland, a forest of t ree trunkssuddenly rains down from the sky. The trunks thump to the haground, also rebounding In slow motion. Cleanly sawn,branchless, palm-like trunks, they come to rest in the dust oto be followed by a second cascade of lumber.

CONTINUED I


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CONTINUED~ ~ n the dust f inally clears, the fel led t ree trunks l ie 1n ahuge log-Jam in the desert .D:SSOL ;E TOA BARREN, EMPTY LANDSCAPENext to descend from the sky, a torrent of firewood. One showeafter another, crashing to the plain. Enough chopped lumber tofuel a thousand hearths.DISSOLVE TO

A BARREN, EMPTY LANDSCAPEJoining the res t of the debris is a deluge of s la te - sheetsof shale from a great unseen quarry in the sky come slamming toearth. Some of the pieces shat tering. s ~ rebounding into theair unti l the granite l i t t e r s acres of, landscape as far as t heeye can see.TITLES ARE SPACED APPROPRIATELY THROUGHOUT THE PRECEDINGSEQUENCE. THE FINAL TITLE READS:

TH O T TOO DIST NT FUTURThe camera commences a long. slow pull-back from the pi le ofelephant tusks. Gradually they are revealed as humanfingernails magnified many hundreds of times.The t ree trunks are mere hair fol l icles . The firewood.,whiskers. The slate . flakes of skin.INT. INCINERATOR. EARLY MORNING.A naked MAN. th i r t ies . seen in profile. is crouched upon a metfloor inside a small. brushed stain less s tee l tank. rubbing hisskin raw with a wire brush. JEROME MORROW.Having completed his scrupulous ablutions. Jerome arches hislean. frame through the small. oval door of the metal roomwith practised ease.

(CONTINUED)


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JCCNTINUEDSecuring tl ,e I:hick, fireproof ~ n d o w e d door behu .d h ~ m s e l E :-:eI:urns a S W ~ l c h 1:0 release gas ~ n l o I:he vacal:ed chamber. 7he gas

~ n s l a n l ~ y ignJ..l:es in hal: 1S now revealed 1:0 be a g: eamJ..ng .modern sl:ainless sl:eel cusl:om-made incineral:or.We refocus on a MAGNIFIED CLOSE UP of his exfolial:ed fleshthe incinerator as i t blackens, curls and burns.Jerome covers himself with a s i lk robe and steps into a p a ~ r ofbackless sl ippers.INT. EUGENE'S CONDOMINIUM. EARLY MORNING.JEROME emerges from the incinerator room into a large, luxurioulof t -s tyle condo containing a bizarre assortment of equipment -arranged somewhat l ike a p r o d u c t ~ o n l ine.Long, scrupulously clean metal work benches are arranged alongone ent ire wall. Laid out on the benches in neat rows aredozens of plas t ic bags - some f i l led some unfil led. Instrumenton trays - various types of t weezers, scissors and other lessfamiliar utensi ls . Round, s ta inless steel containers f i l ledwith hairs of differ ing lengths and other body matter.JEROME approaches another man slumped over one of the benches.EUGENE. He clutches an empty vodka bott le . He is snoringl ight ly - sleeping off I:he night before. As JEROME gentlyprises the bot t le out of hlS hand, we are struck by theslmilar i ty of Eugene s face to Jerome s.Jerome pulls Eugene s chair back from the desk with surprisingease. A wheelchair - a modern, ergonomic design. Jerome whee. ,Eugene to a bedroom and, with some diff icul ty , hauls the larger. man onto the bed, Through his alcoholic fog, Eugene feebly cooperates - his paralyzed legs a par t icular dead weight.After covering Eugene with a blanket, Jerome enters a bathroomcontaining a surgically-clean stain less s teel basin, sink,shower and to i le t .Beside the to i le t stands a large, industr ia l-s ty le s ta lnlesssteel refr igerator .Donning protective gloves, Jerome opens the l iquid-nitrogencooled refr igera tor . A cloud of condensed water vapor bil.lowsout. Revealed inside the fridge are racks of label led ja rs ans i l icon pouches - some containing a yellowish l iquid, some adeep, red l iquid. (CONTINUED)


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CONTlNUEOIn f r ~ n t of one of the ja rs is a handwritten shopping l i s t - TRUFFLES, CIGS VOCKA . Jerome smiles to himself as heretr :eves the note along with one of the Jars. He checks theJar s label . Satisf ied with the date written there, he breaksthe seal and pours the contents into the clear, si l icon pouch ofan IV-like device lying on the steel bathroom counter.He seals the pouch and checks the apparatus by o p e n ~ n g the val'/eon i t s fine tube and squirting a small quantity of the l i q u ~into the nearby to i le t bowl, as one would t es t a syringe. Weremain on Jerome's face as he reaches between his legs andinser ts the pouch.Reopening the refr igerator , Jerome sl ides out a tray contai'ningneat rows of slim, f inger t ip-s ized plast ic sachets f i l l ed with adeep, red-colored l iquid. He removes his gloves, selects one ofthe sachets and carefully adheres the sachet to the pad a t theend of his index finger. He prepares a second sachet for nismiddle finger. Jerome then applies skin-colored cover-up makeupto the sachets, blending them in with the color of his fingersJEROME, s t i l l dressed in hl.S robe, climbs a large, . spiralstaircase to the floor above.INT. JEROME S CONDOMINIUM. EARLY MORNING.He emerges at the top of the staircase into a similarly farge,lof t -s ty le condominium. Through the floor to ceil ing windowthat opens onto a balcony we see that dawn is only jus t star t ingto leak into the night sky.In the bedroom JEROME removes a shi r t from a drycleaning bag.Printed on the bag - Confident ial i ty Guaranteed . He emerges .from his bedroom, dressed in a smart albei t unconventionally cut su i t . He adjusts h ~ s t ~ ln the mirror, careful not to disturbthe sachets attached to his fingertips.

IN' '. INVESTIGATOR S POOL. MORNING.A lone M N swims a ferocious lap of freestyle in what appears tobe a pool of enormous length - yet he never reaches the pool 'send. We pull wider to reveal that the man is swimming againstan a r t i f i c i a l current in a pool barely larger than himself .Abruptly, the man stops and stands up - the fast-flowing currerinstant ly s t i l led . We glimpse the face of INVESTIGATOR LUCASThir t ies , he has a youthful yet r ig id face. We have the

i r n p r s s ~ o n that he does not swim for pleasure.


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EXT. C0NDCMINIUM CC::1E.EX. MORNI}IG.: t is s t i l l early as ~ E R M E exits the building s undergroundparking garage in an irrrnaculate Studebaker Avanti and proceedsdown the long s t ra ight drlveway. He exchanges a wave i th aGARDENER triImling a lawn.The whir of the ca r s electr ic powered engine belies i t sconventional appearance.EXT. GATTACA AEROSPACE CORPORATION. DAY.JEROME s car exi ts a highway and turns up the sweeping r ~ a dleading to the parking lot of GATTACA AEROSPACE CORPORATION .A sleek, modern, low-rise industr ial compound boasting perfectlmanicured landscaped gardens.INT. GATTACA AEROSPACE CORPORATION. DAY.JEROME s t r ides purposefully up to the entranceway wloth hundredof other GATTACA EMPLOYEES. He carries himself wi th a certalonarrogance, a cool detachment. All employees wear similarly .unconventionally-cut suits , short coiffed hair and robust tansThe Gattaca employees are a seemingly equal spl i t of men andwomen and a diverse range of ethnic i t ies .They f i l t e r through a row of channels supervised y SECURITYGUARDS. Each channel contalons a computerized securi ty device,featuring a sl im groove in which the employee places a fingerunder the watchful eye of a Security Guard.Jeromefinger. f inest

gives a pol i tein the groove.of needles andnod to a GuardHis fingert ipa minute blood

as he places his indexis jabbed with thesample taken.The blood specimen confirms Jerome s ident i ty - an ID photograappearing on a computer screen.Out of the corner of his eye, Jerome spies a young womanentering through the adjacent channel. She is also sneaking aglance in his direct ion - IRENE. Catching each other looking,they both quickly avert thelor eyes.As Jerome enters the computer fac i l i ty of Gattaca AerospaceCorporatloon he fur t ively glances a t the pin-prick puncture inhis f ingert ip sachet .


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SCME'IIHERE IN CEEP SP.;CE.A GATTACA spacecraft s k ~ = ~ s an asteroid.the rock's g r a v ~ t a t i o n a l pull, the craf tthe black void. Then act -,;:t ly the craftin mid-space, suddenly reverse d ~ r e c t i o nagain - the spacecraft t a k ~ n g a s l ight ly

o

Taking advantage cfslingshots deeper lntoand the a s t e r o ~ d f = e e ~ eand proceed fO.Hardadjusted course.We pull back to reveal that the journey is merely a highlyreal is t ic graphic representatlon on a GATTACA computer screenoperated by JEROME.Appearing simultaneously alongside the computer animation is aseemingly n e v e r - e n d ~ n g coL;.mn of computer instruct ions for t h ~ scelest ial n a v i g a t ~ o n - the lncomprehensible language of thecomputer programmer.140 *x20x08xSSx20x08xS$x20x08x$$x20{150 *xOOxOOxOOxOOxOOxOOxOOxOOxOOxOO160 .xfexfexfexfexfexfexfexfexfexfeJerome. is transported - p l o t t ~ n g a path thr'ough the heavens.As his fingers fly across the keys he does not once. t a k e h ~ s .eyes from the s c r e e ~ .His is one of hundreds of ergonomically-designed work stations,arranged in e v e r - w ~ d e n l n g clrcles in a huge, circular, wellappointed i f antiseptic room. Each curved desk c o n t a ~ n s acomputer terminal consist ing of a keyboard and a slim,transparent screen behind w h ~ c h is seated a PROGRAMMER,deSigning software for the aerospace agency. At the center ofthe room is a donut-shaped command console, chairs facingoutwards, from which operations are monitored.Floor to ceil ing smoked-glass curved walls offer the only' .concession to nature - a t ln ted view of a man-made, m e t ~ c u l o u s l ylandscaped garden.Jerome tears himself away from his screen and picks up adiscreet mini-vac. He vacuums between the keys of his keyboard.DIRECTOR JOSEF, 50's , a shorter, off ic ia l - looking manapproaches. His assis tant IRENE stands a t his shoulder,

DIREC roR JOSEFYou keep your work stat ion so clean, Jerome.JEROME--Next to Godliness, i sn t that what they say?

The Director smlles a t the notion and places a computer dlSCon Jerome's desk. (CONTINUED I


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CONTINUEDDIREC:DR JOSEFI reviewed your f l ight plan. Not one errorIn a hundred thousand keystrokes. Phenomenal.(placing a hand on Jerome s shoulder)I t s right tha t someone l ike you is taking usto the Belt.

7

(glancing to notificat ion on Jerome s screen)You have a substance tes t .The Director briskly departs , Irene in tow. At a nearby workstat ion, a painfully th in programmer, NAPOLEON, perks up a tthe mention of the t es t .Jerome merely shrugs and pretends to reach down and scratch hisankle. However he surrept i t iously produces one of Eugene st ransparent specimen bags from his sock. An EXTREME CLOSE UPreveals the bag S contents - flakes of skin, hai r fo l l ic les ,eyelashes, a f ingernail . Cupping the bag in his hand to avoiddetection, Jerome sprinkles the fraudulent body matter over hiskeyboard, desk surfaces and the floor around his work s ta t ion.He opens his desk drawer and casual ly sc att ers the remainder ofthe bag. Finally he inspects a comb already laced with twohair fo l l ic les .Jerome r ises from his work s ta t ion and makes his way towards thetes t lng lab.INT. GATTACA AEROSPACE CORPORATION - TESTING LABORATORY. DAY.White-coated LAMAR, for t ies , buzzcut, a man s man, checksJEROME s eyes with an instrument. Sat isf ied with his. ,examination, he passes a transparent plas t ic container to. ,JEROME. Standing di rec t ly in front of the technician with hisback to camera, Jerome opens his fly. A steady stream of urlnebegins to flow into the container from Jerome s hidden pouch.

LAMAR(s tar ing admiringly a t the discharge)Jerome . . . never shy. Pisses on command.You ve got a beaut i ful cock. I ever to ldyou that , Jerome?

CONTINUED)


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CONTINUE )JERCME

(deadpan as he continues to urinate)Only every time I m in here.

a

Jerome hands the container to Lamar who seals and labels i tJerome refastens his trousers.LAMARI see a lot of cocks. I speak from experience.Yours is a beautiful example. Why didn t myfolks order a cock l ike that for me?

L M R pours the urine sample into a high-tech device where i tis instantly analyzed. The urine ident if ies Jerome while alsoregistering a negative drug reading. The computer readsVALID

LAMAR(walking Jerome to the door)If everything goes to plan, th is could be thelast time I see you for a while. 9ne week togo. Please t e l l me you re the least bi t exci ted.JEROME

I ll t e l l you at the end of the week.Jerome departs.INT. GATTACA - RESTROOM. DAY.JEROME enters the restroom and glances a t the to i le t s ta l l s .Only three in the bank of twenty i s occupied. He t a r r ies at t

,mir ror above the uniform l ine of basins, unnecessarilyreknotting his t ie .A to i l e t flushes and a COLLEAGUE exi ts one of the s ta l l s . Heand Jerome exhange a nod. When the man has exited the restrooJerome enters the man s vacated s ta l l .INT. GATTACA - TOILET STALL. DAY.JEROME immediately feels around the back of the to i l e t bowl adetaches a secreted s ta inless s teel container.

(CONTINUED)


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CONTINUE):)~ i t h surprising swiftness and dexteri ty, Jerome removes anextremely fine contact lens from each eye and drops the p a ~ rinto the to i le t bowl. He inserts two replacement lenses fromthe container and reattaches i t in i t s hiding place.Jerome flushes the t o ~ l e t and exits the s ta l l He checks ln themirror that his new contact lenses are properly inserted.INT. GATTACA - CORRIDOR. DAY.Walking back along one of the long, glass-walled corridors,JEROME becomes aware of a peculiar n o ~ s e in the complex -or to be more precise, a lack of noise. The incessant tappingof computer keys has s t ~ l l e dAs Jerome gazes through the glass walled corridor, we see theref lect ion of his face, deep in thought.

JEROME VO)The most u n r e ~ r k a b l e of events. JeromeMorrow Navigator First Class, is only daysaway from a one year ~ n n e d mission to 95Gaspra in che Oucer Asteroid Belt . . Nothing sounique in chaco Last year over one thousandcicizens from every walk of l i f e embarked onsome space mission or ocher. Besides,select ion for Jerome was vircual ly guaranteedat birch. He i s blessed with l l che physicaland intelleccual gi f ts required for such anarduous undercaking, a genetic quotient secondto none.

Jerome s gaze dr i f t s to the sky.JERONE VO)No, there i s cruly nothing remarkable aboucthe progress of Jerome Morrow except thac Iam not Jerome Morrow.

EXT BEACH. DUSK - THIRTY-ODD YEARS EARLIER.A s tar ry sky. The camera t i l t s down to find palm t reesswaying against a set t ing sun.

JERCME VO)I was conceived in the Riviera:. Not theFrench Riviera. CONTINUED)


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CONTINUEDThe camera c . l t s down further to find a Buick Riviera parked lna deserced b e a c h f r ~ n t p a r k ~ n g lot on a polluted s t r e t ~ hbeach.

-ERCME Va)he Detroit / a r ~ e c y .

Through the car s steamed windows we see Jerome s motherfather, MARIA and ANTONIO, early twenties, making love.J ROM Va)They used co say :hat a chi ld conceived in lovehas a greater chance of happiness They don tsay chat any mere

INT. FAMILY PLANNING C ~ : N I C . DAY.MARIA, wearing a medical gown l ies on an examining table, feetin st i r rups. A NURSE, fort ies, wheels an instrument t raytowards her. Maria suddenly disengages her feet from t ~ e. s t i r rups and sWlng:; her legs of f the table.

NURSE~ ~ a t are you d o ~ n g ?

MARIA(shaking her head)I can t do th ls .NURSE(misinterpreting the problem)I to ld you, the government pays. I t s a l ltaken care f .t- .ARIANo you don t understand. I can C.

The nurse places a comfortlng hand on Maria s shoulder.NURSE(reassuring)The doctor wil l give you something.1-A>I.I A(removlng the hand, adamant)I m not dOlng It

(CONTINUED I


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'

,:8NTIN 'JED

I t ~ / l g :0 ~ e her see reasen)oney you le : :',ace ~ n e m ~ s t a k e - -

:'1

The remark st ings ~ a r 1 a .NURSEIsoftenl"g her tone)- - I ve read your profi le . I don'tknow about the father but you carryenough hereditary factors on your own.Ipausel

You can have other :hi ldren.Y.ARIAIholclr.g her swollen stomach protectively)Not l ike t h ~ s ene.NURSEItry1ng to be diplomatic)Honey, look around you. ThE: world doesn' t"want one Eke that one.

Maria gets off the table and reaches for her clothes layingacross a chai r .M RIl i ra te)

You don' t know what 1t will beThe nurse watches Maria as she dresses, genuinely bewildered.

NURSE(cal l ing out to Maria as she disappearsout of the door)The chi ld won't :hank you.INT. DELIVERY ROOM DAY' e focus on a cruc i f ix dangling on a rosary. Til t ing up we findthe rosary clasped between MARIA and ANTONIO's intertw1nedhands.

JEROME (VOThose were early days--days when a priestcould s t l l persuade someone to put theirfaith in God's hands ra ther than those ofthe local geneci =lst CONTIUUED)


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CONTINUEDBatr.ed 1:1 s eat. M a r ~ a g ~ J e s a f inal push on the deli Jery ~ a b ~ e

~ ~ l e s t i l l attached to his u m b i l i c a ~ cord. the heel o the~ ~ O R B BY SOY i ~ m e d i a t e l y pricked by a masked ~ r u ~ S E .minute drop of blood is inserted into an a n a l y z ~ n g m a c h ~ n e . Even as the baby is put into Maria's arms. page af ter page odata begins to appear on a monitor. pulsing w a r n ~ n g signalsthroughout the spreadsheets.Two assis t ing NURSES exchange a look. Antonio senses s o m e t h ~ n gamiss.

AtlTONIO;./hats wrong?JEROME (VO)Of course, there was nothing wrong with me.Noe so long ago I would have been considereda p.erfectly normal, healehy baby. Ten f ingers,te,; toes. Thae was all ehae used-co maeeer.Bue now my immediate well-bei'rig .was not t hesale concern.

Antonio turns his at tent :on from his baby to the data appearinon the monitor. We see individual items highlighted amongst tdata NERVE CONDITION PROBABILITY 60t , :MANIC DEPRESSION 42t , OBESITY 66t . ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER 89t --

JEROME (VO)Y destiny was mapped out before me-- ll my flaws, predisposit ions andsusceptibi l i t ies most untreatable toth is day. Only minutes old, the date andcause of my death was alreadY known.

Antonio focuses on a f inal highlighted item on the monitor 'sscreen, HEART DISORDER 99t EARLY FATAL POTENTIAL. .LIFE EXPECTANCY 33 YEARS .NURSEThe name?(typing detai ls in bir th cer t i f ica teFor the c e r t ~ f i c a t e .M RIAntonio--

(CONTINUED)


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~ - E . C , ' 1 E VO)~ h e y put orr having any more childrenu n t ~ l they could afford not to gamble -to bring a c h ~ ~ d into the world in whathas become the natural way.

EXT. HOME. DAY.ANTONIO re luctant ly shows off his spotless Buick Riviera to aprospective BUYER.

JEROME VO)I t meant se l l ing the beloved Buick.

The two men haggle over the price while MARIA, holding VINCENTin her arms, looks on. Final ly money and a pink s l ip areexchanged.JEROME VO)

Y father got a good price.the only accident he'd evercar was me.After al lhad in chat

As the BUYER drives away, Antonio shrugs to Maria to hide hisdisappointment.EXT. GENETIC O U N S E L L I ~ G OFFICE BUILDING. DAY.ANTONIO, MARIA and 2-YEAR-OLD VINCENT exi t a packed commuterbus and enter a Genetic Counselling office building bearingthe sign - PRO-CREATION .INT. GENETIC COUNSELLING OFFICE. DAY.A GENETICIST s tares lnto a high-powered microscope as ANTONIO,MARIA and 2-YEAR-OLD VINCENT are shown into the off ice by aNURSE. On the counter beside the Geneticist is a glass-dooredindustr ial refr iger tor containing petri dishes arranged onracks several feet high.

GENETICISTto the nurse, without takinghis eyes from his binocular microscope)Put up the dish.CONTINUED)


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C O N ' ' I ~ r u E D

' l l i le . ~ . n t o n 1 o and Mar1a :;;l


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. oJ'::": N I 0more j ~ P : : : l M t ~ c i'lie ' ,ere w o n d e r ~ : . g ''''e should leave somethir,gs to char.ce.SE ,,"E7ICIST(reassur:ngi'{ou want to -;:'/e your child the best possibles ta r t . Bel:eve rne we have enough irnperfectlcnbui l t - ln already. '{our child doesn ' t needany addit lonal burdens. And keep in mind,th is chlld is s t : l l you simply the best of you.'{ou could concel'Je naturally a thousand times

and never get such a resul t ..N Tt.1N 0(squeeClr.g Marla's handiHe's r lght , Marla. That 's rlght .

Maria is only half-convlnced but the Geneticist swiftly.moveson.GENETICISTIs there any reason you'd want a left-handedchild?ANTJNIO

(blank)Er, no . . . .GE. JE':'IGST(explalnlng)Some believe l t : s associated with creat ivi ty ,although the re s no evidence. Also forsports l ike baseball l t can be an advantage.ANTONIO(shrugs)I l ike footbal l .GENETICIST( inJecting a note of levity)I have to warn you, Mr Luca, he 's goingto be a t leas t a. head t a l l e r than you.Prepare for a crick in the neck insixteen years tlme.

Antonio beams proudly.(CONTItIUED)


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CONTINUEDGE: rETICIST:scanning the data on the screen)Anything I Ie :crgot ten?l .ARIA(hesitant about broaching the subject)

e want ~ m -we ,.ere hoping he would getmarried and have children. We'd l ikegrandchildren.GENETICIST(ccnspiratorial smile)I understand. 7hat s already been taken

care of. (an afterthought)Now you appreciate I can only work withthe raw mater ial I have at my disposal butfor a l i t t l e extra . . . I could also attempt toinser t sequenceS associated with enhanced:hematical or musical abi l i ty .MAAIA(suddenly enthused)Antonio, the choir . . .GENETICIST

( in ter jec t ing, covering himself)I have to caution you i t s not fool-proof.

-.

With multi-gene t r a i t s there can be no guarantees.ANroNIOHow much extra?GENETICISTI t would be five thousand more.

Antonio s face fa l l s .A.'ITONIOI m sorry, the re s no way w can.GENETICISTDon t worry. You l l probably do jus tas well singing to him in the womb.(r ising to end the appointment)We can implant the most successfulpre-embryo tomorrow afternoon.

CONTINUED)


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CONTINUE :):1aria is star ing at the :our ~ g n l f i e d cl .ll11ps on :he screen.

M RIWhat will happen to the others?G ~ T I I S Tireassur.l.ng)They are not babies, Maria, merelyhuman poss ib i l i t ie s .

Removing the petr i dish from beneath the lens of the m.:.crescohe po.:.nts out the feur minuscule specks.GENETICISTSmaller than a grain of sand .

DISSOLVE TOINT. TRACT HOME. DAY.A red penc.:.l draws a ~ r k on a doorway at the height of achi ld ' s head. The chi ld moves away and the name, ANTON 11wri t ten beside the mark by proud father, ANTONIO.

JEROME (VO)That s how my brother, Anton, came into theworld - d son my father considered worthyof his name.There is l i t t l e physical s imilar i ty between ll-YEAR-OLD ANTONand 13-YEAR-OLD VINCENT standing beside him, apart from the i

_ height . In fact Vincent is mortif ied to see that his younge-brother ' s mark is a fract ion of an inch higher than the markbeside his own name, VINCENT 13 . ' . V.:.ncent runs from the ro

EXT. BEACH. DAY.13-YEAR-OLD VINCENT and ll-YEAR-OLD ANTON s i t together on awindswept beach.Anton picks up a broken shel l and deliberately s l ices the t.:.his thumb with the sharp edge. He hands the shell to Jincenwho hesi tant ly follows sui t .

(CONTINUED)


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ERC . E ~ / O )y che C ~ x e we were plaYlng ac bloodbrochers I ~ n d e r s c o o d chac there was somechlngver/ differenc flowlng chrough my veins.The two brothers press thei r thumbs together, m e r g ~ n g the blood.

_-E. WME (VO)nd I d need an awful loc more chana drop i I was gOing eo gee anywhere.EXT BEACH LATER IN THE DAYWhile ANTONIO and MARIA doze under a beach umbrella, ANTON andVINCENT enter the water, d i v ~ n g through the waves. From abovewe watch the i r two young bodies swimming beside each otherbeyond the breakers.

JEROME (VO)Our favorice game was chicken ; When ourparencs weren'e waeching, w used to swim outsideehe flags, as far oue as we dared. t was aboucwho would gee scared and cum back f irs t .Suddenly VINCENT Stops s w ~ m m i n g , pull ing up sharply in thewater, exhausted and fearf'.ll. e watches ANTON swim on into thedistance.

J EP. CI {E VO)Of course, ic was always me. Anton was y farche stronger s w i ~ e r and he had no excuse to fail .INT. SCHOOL - CLASSROOM DAYA TEACHER gives a p h y s ~ c s lesson.VINCENT has his arm energet ical ly1S never cal led upon. ~ J e n t u a l l y

JEROME (VO)

The bespectacled i3-YEAR-OLDraised a t each opportunity buthe lowers his arm in defeat .

Y genecic scarlet l e t t e r continued to followme from school co school. When you're toldYOLl re prone co learning disabil i t ies , i t ssometimes eaSler not to disappoint anyboqy.


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EXT S7REET NIGHT~ 3 Y E A R G L D VINCENT st3or.ds at a cul-de-sac at t ~ e end of a ~ c ~ . ~ ,

s t r a ~ g h t deserted s t ree t . He places a basketball 1n the ~ ~ d d ~ eof the s tree t to represent the SUN and begins : .0 . m w ~ n d c he r ; ~ ereel of str ing attached to the ball . ll-YEAR-OLD ANTON Nalks apace behind him. Several yards along the t r a i l a bead 15threaded through the s t r ing to represent the planet 1ERC'JRY.ANTON

How many astronauts are there, anyway?Vincent ignores him and continues to reel out the str ing.

ANTONI bet c o ~ l d be one.Vincent stops and regards his younger brother with contempt.

VINCENTYou re standing on Venus .. Anton l i f t s his foot. There is a bead beneath i t

INTI EXT CAR I SATELLITE DISH. DUSKVINCENT has developed into a handsome l7-YEAR-OLD. Hisspectacles hidden, he and a YOUNG WOM N are necking in the frontseat of a beat-up car , parked overlooking a huge s a t e l l ~ t e dish.

JEROME VO)I was popular enough until i t got aroundthat I wasn t a long-term proposit lon..The love-making in tens i f ies . The YOUNG WOM N moves down. . Vincent s chest and unzips his f ly.

JEROME VO)Those who didn t know already could easi lyf ind out for themselves. t was cer ta inlyno problem coaxing the information out of me.We remain on Vincent s face as he climaxes. The YOUNG WOM Nturns her head away from the spent Jerome and, out of hisview, t r ickles semen from her mouth into a clear specimen / lal .

JEROME VO)I didn t blame them. ou need to know i aprospective husband can quali fy for a mortcrageor l i f e insurance or can hold down a dece: ;ob.


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:: :7 HC: 1E. :AY::1 the ~ ~ ' : ~ : : g r ~ e m ~ : : : r . e ~ = :c,edest home, the dark-haired, : - ' e a r - o ~ j , bespectacled ':::;:::::.rr s ~ t s opposl.t:e hl.s PARENTS. -:,r.e

c r e s t : : , , ~ ~ e ' l ':i:1cent r.as bcck en hl.s lap e n t ~ t l e d "-::AREE?S ::1SPACE" .i : r j l : : ; :0 break i t gently)Vlncent, you ~ a v e to be real ist l .c . Aheart c e n d ~ t : ~ c : 1 :ke yours--

:::;CE.'lT--I den' t care. : '11 take the r isk . ~ C 7 ' : i E RI t s net JUSt yeu they have to be concernedabout. Perhaps we could get you one ofthose new p a c e ~ ~ k e r s They're not perfectbut--

F. .TItER( l e t : ~ : 1 g hl.s f rust ra t ion show)Fat' God's sake, ', 'lncent, don' t you understand.The only way ycu l l see the inside of a spaceshl.p l.S If yeu ' re cleaning i t ~

Vincent looks a t hlS f a t ~ e r in disbel ief .On a dinner table on t ~ e ether side of the l iv ing room, is-YEAOLD ANTON, looks up frcm the bl.ological specimen he l.S studYlwl.th a magnifying glass.

~ : . r r . PERSONNEL OFFICE - ~ A I T I N G ROOM. D Y .. i7-YEAR-OLD VINCENT hl.des his glasses in his pocket as he enta WAITING ROOM. He ga=es around a t other APPLICANTS.

~ E R O M E VO)Y fa ther was right. I t didn t matter howmuch I l ied on resume, my real C.V. wasin my cel ls . ~ should anybody invest al lthat money to rain me, when there are athousand other applicants with a far cleanerprofi le? of course, it s i l legal to discriminate - genoism i t s called - but no one takes thelaws seriously.

As Jerome enters the o:::ice,Just touched. we focus on the doorhandle r.e r,(CONTINUED


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CONTINUEDJEP'C.' E (VO)I f you refuse co d ~ s c l o s e chey can alwayscake a sample from a doorhandle . . .

Vincent hesi tates before shaking the PERSONNEL OFFICER'soutstretched hand .JEROME IVO '. . . or a handsl1ake . . .

We focus on Jerome's envelope attached to hls applicat ion for.ns i t t ing on the Manager's desk.~ ~ E ; : < O M E (VO). . even the sal iva o f f your application form.

Sit t ing opposite the manager, Jerome's face fal ls . The managerputs a clear , plas t ic cup In front of Jerome.JEROME {VOlBut for the most: part lYe know who -we are-.And i a l l else fails a legal drug testcan just s easi ly become n i l l egal peekat your future in the company.

Vincent saves the Manager the trouble and exits the office,leaving the cup where i t SltS.EXT. BEACH. DAY.17-YEAR-OLD JEROME walkS up the beach to find lS-YEAR-OLD ANTONs i t t lng with the YOUNG WOM N Vincent had previously dated.

JEROME (VO)I didn t blame Anton for his free ride. Youcan t blame someone for winning the lo t tery .The Young Woman hast l ly departs.LATER the two brothers face each other on the sand. Anton lSthe more statuesque of the two.

ANTON(cocky)You sure you want to do th is?Vincent's answer is to walk towards the water. Anton smilesmockingly a t his brother 's grim game face andfollows. CONTINUED)


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: : - ~ m a:"\ a e r ~ a l 'JleW ''''e wac: ': ' :I ICENT and younger b r : : c ~ . e : - , . - . : ; : V : : ~ l ,3 ~ l m t e y c ~ d the breakers~ E F O M E I .10 )Ie was the l as t time w swam :ogecher.Ouc into che open sea l i ke alwaysknowing each scroke cowards the horizonwas one w had Co make back co theshore. Like always che unspoken concesc.

ile watch the two young men swimming stroke for stroke, The"swim Ear out, beyond the pOlont. Suddenly ANTON s tar t s to 5 _ _ N,his strokes becoming labored unti l he becomes rnotloonless In : ~ ewater. He beglons to sl.nk ~ i k e a stone. VINCENT, :-eall.zl.ngAnton is no longer besl.de him, turns back to lend support.Vincent takes hlom in a l ifeguard hold and begins to nurse himback to shore. Finally the two boys are coughed up into theshallows. They collapse, Just beyond the waterline, exhausted,gasping for air . ANTONIO and MARIA arr ive on the scene. ANTONis the: f i r s t to recover while VINCEN'I' clutches his side, hisface screwed up In pain Maria' kneels down 'and s tar ts toadminster to Vincent but his 'father, Antonio, is unable toconceal his anger and c o n t a ~ p t for Vincent.

AN' 'CNIOVincent, you damn fool You could have ki l ledAnton wloth your rl.diculous contest Why shouldhe r isk his l i fe to save y o u r s ? ~ When are yougoing to get i t :hrough your thick head--youcan t compete with your brother Why t r y ? ~

Maria takes Antonio aside. Anton and Vincent exchange a look.AN roNWhy didn t you say anything?V ~ < C E . ' J TWhy didn t you?

(starlong back at his father knowingly)I t s okay. I t S the way they want i t .JEROME IVO)t confirmed everything in the minds ofmy parents - that they had taken the rightcourse with my younger brother and thewrong course with me Ie would have been somuch eas ier for everyone i f I had sl ipped away- a t day. I decided to grant them that wish.


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:::::r HeME JIGHT.~ V T N stands a t t ~ e ~ n t l e p i e c e the dimly-l i t l lvlng room.He ga::es at a framed :amlly portrai t : - hncent: s face has ~ e e nt8r: out of It :i.e suddenly spi s \tIN ENT xi t ing :he E:: or.tgat:e, carrying a su:.:case. M.ton goes to shout /lnCent s namebut: the words don t get out.EXT. GATTACA. DAWN.A pick-up t ruck, packed i th a C: EANING CREW, pul ls lnto therear of the bUllding. They are no longer s t r i c t ly the mlgrantworkers we have come to expect but rather a mixture ofethnlci t ies - a l l m ~ ~ e r s of a genetic underclass that does notdiscriminate by race.As VINCENT exi ts the t ruck and turns towards the camera, ediscover that he has now matured into the man we have come toknow as JEROME. The only vis lble differences are the glasses hewears and his hair s t i l l naturally dark.

JEROME VO)Like many others inaround a lo t in thework where I could.half the tOlletsy s i tuat ion I movednext few years, get t ingI must have cleanedthe s ta te .

We follow VINCENT through the course of a day. Cleaningrest rooms , to i l e t s plcking up l l t t e r sweeping, washingwindows - gazing a t the AEROSPACE WORKERS below. The buildingis part of the Gattaca fac l l l ty located near a shut t le launchs i te . Throughout the day, wlth the regular i ty of 747 s, Vincentspies rocket ships In the distance, launching in to the sky.Jerome s is the only head that turns and looks up. Long after. the sun has se t Vincent is s t i l l working. Another rocket ship. : l ights up the darkness. Vlncent gazes forlornly into theheavens.EXT. GATTACA - GLASS WALL. DAY.VINCENT cleans a window from t r ~ outside, s tar ing in a t thearrogant GATTACA EMPLOYEES enter ing the securi ty channelS -a sample taken from t he i r f ingert ips . Jerome, in a trance,constantly cleans the same spot of glass . He f a i l s to notlCe anOlder Jani tor CAESAR, appear beside him.

CAESARdhen you clean the glass,clean i t teo well . Vincent, don t(CONTINUED)


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confused)' nat do you mean?

CAESARg l a n c ~ n g co the Gatcaca workers)You mighc get ideas.

VDICENTBut i f the glass clean, i c l l be easierfor you to see me when I m on the otherside of iC.Caesar smiles aC Vincenc s cockiness.INT. GATTACA. DAY.

:5

VINCENT empties garbage into a dumpster adjacenc Co Gattaca.His at tent ion is drawn co something in the t rash . A discarded.manual on Celescial M e c ~ . a n l c s and Navigation. He .wipes.f::lodresidue off the corner. 'INT. ASTRONOMY TELESCQPE SHOP. DAY.A forest of telescopes on cn.pods In an astronomy shop. J I N C E ~enters the store wich a bucket and squeegee and immediately goco clean the s torefront window. The STORE OWNER looks up fromhis tabloid - 'STAR magaz1ne.

OWNERWhere s Earl?JEROMEHe fe l l . Lucky 1C was only che second floor.

The owner nods and returns to his magazine. When he looks upagain one of his tripods 1S missing ics telescope and Jerome 1nowhere to be seen.INT. IN-VALID HOUSING PROJECT. NIGHT.JEROME returns to his bare apartment. He removes the clothcovering the bucket to reveal a dumpy-shaped telescope snuglywedged inside. He s tar t s to pour over his col lect ion oftextbooks. Other tact ered space paraphenalia adorns the ,.,;a ,,1.CONTINUED)


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8 cou: se t ~ e t es : e s ~ sccre i: the w rld','y'asn I t g c ~ ~ e : -:-:e :,, 1 t i-;e front deerr...:.nless :: . ~ a d :. :e t : :cd esc : go wic: iJ I t

EXT. GATTACA. NIGH .While his fellow CRKERS 5 ~ t on t.he st.eps a t t.he senl lceentrance to Gattaca, ~ a s s ~ ~ g around an unlabeled bot.tle of ~ i e a rl iquor, VINCENT s i ~ s s c ~ e d ~ s t . a n c e away studying his text book.In the absence of a ~ : : ; : : - . ; : : . . : : e r , he pract ises typl.ng commands cn akeyboard handdrawn : : ; ~ : ~ e : :ap of a cardboard box.A t iny seedy-looking ::-.an, GEP.MAN, fort ies, appears fromnowhere and takes a sea: = e s ~ d e him.

GE:?_'W'Jlofferlng his hand)Vincent, I 'm German--lant iclpat log Vincent 's response)That ' s my name. .He looks the apprehens 1 Ie ' lncent up and down,

l : ~ C E ~;oJhat do yeu t.hlnk?

: ? ~ v A .Jshru.gs)I think I could do something(glanclng to t.he t.ext book)provided you knew what you're doingand you can meet :he terms.

'hncent pulls a plas t ic e-meney card from his overal ls .GEru .AN

You got a photo of yourself?' lnCent produces a snapshot of hlmself - torn from the farnl.lyportral . t . German feeds the snapshot into the pocket-sl.zedcomputer he carr ies "he picture is ins tant ly scanned andappears on the computer's small color screen. German returnsthe photograph and hast i ly departs .

I O N T I ~ r u E ~ I


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::NTlNUED: ~ S A R , ~ e elderly ~ a n ~ : = ~ , noti es German s e x ~ t .

:.;.ESAR(to Vlncent)I thought I to ld you not to get any ldeas .EXT. GATTACA. NIGHT.

-

High up the side of a building, washing windows, I I N C E ~ I T ausesoccasional ly to pract ise typing commands on his cardboard keys -viewing a screen in his imagination - or the nlghtsky : tselE.He hears his name belng called.GERM Nincent . . . Vincent . . ./INCENT(staring' through his glasses)

G e r . c ~ n , is that you?GERMANVincent, come down. I ve found hlm.

INT. IN-VALID HOUSING PROJECT. NIGHT.GERMAN leads VINCENT through a maze of corridors.

,-EROME VO)For the genetically superlor, successi s easier to at ta in but is by no meansguaranteed. After all there is no genefor fate . And when for one reason oranother, a member o f the e l i te falls onhard times, the1r genetic ident i ty becomesa valued commodi:y for the unscrupulous.One man s loss 1S another man s gain.He gives a conspira tor la l nod to another passing DNA BROKERboth men carrying the l r palm-top computers.

GERMAN(enthuslast ically reading from data onhis portable screen as he walkslHe has the heart of an ox. He could runthrough a Goddamn wal l - - i f he could s t i l l run.Actually, he was a big college swimming star .(CONTItlUED )


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.

ccmINUE:J. . ...... 1. ::.

I ~ o p e he s ~ c t : ~ S t a bcdy,\ 3 E R ~ ~

No problem. Before he dropped out he ,.,asan honor student, the ~ ~ g h t majors--

I INCEN:How do I square the accident?

GER. lANs t i l l reading data from hispalm-top computer)I t happened ~ n Australas4a. He checked4n yesterday. No family complications, norecord he ever broke his neck. As far asanybody s concerned, he s s t i l l a walking,talking, fully-productive member of sOC4ety.You Just have to get him off the pipe andf i l l in the las t two years of his l i fe .(correcting h i ~ s e l fExcuse me, your 14fe.

German has stopped walking as i f they have arrived.' l I N EN'

(looking around for a l ikelycandidate but finding none).-Jhere is he?

:3

German reaches towards a PARAPLEGIC s i t t ing in his wheelchairin the stairwell dlrect ly 4n front of them, his head slumped, anincriminating bong nestled in his lap. German pulls the man s. head up by the hair . E U G ~ ~ . Despite the patchy, unkempt:beard and thick glaze over his eyes he bears a str ik ingsimilar i ty to Vincent. 14ncent holds a mirror beside the faceof the lethargic Eugene to compare his own ref lect ion .GERMAN(smiling confidently)What did I t e l l you? Which one s the mirror?VINCE:N'I'( s t i l l not fully convinced)That s the ha ir color in his profi le?

German checks an entry in his computer: HAIR: BLONDE ,( CONTI NUED I


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'{eah.t o u c h ~ ~ g h ~ s own dark strands)I d have to bleach my hair.

GERHANi r r ~ t a t e d , impatient)Why are you inventing problems? You t'


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INT ACKS7REET ,S'\..,,?,GERY. ~ : : G H TI: a p::-i:nit; le operatir-.g t ~ e a t r e V ~ N C E N T l i s on ,:able. [ :':'.5cower ~ e g s masked off for surgery. The SURGEON s w ~ ~ c h e s

s u r g ~ : : ~ l saw and l :nes 1: W l ~ h handdrawn inc:slon :narks.Metal s ~ r u t s are =eady to e:ongate h ~ s legs .INT. IN-VAID HOUSING PROJECT - APARTMENT. DAY.

G ~ ~ wheels the dazed EUGENE into the apartment, c ~ u t : e r e dw ~ t h space parapnenalia. One wheel of his rusting wheelcna:r :5f l imsily held on ..Jlth wire. VINCENT follows behind on crut:::--.es.both lower legs casts and cross-braces. Vincent signs checontract German puts in front of him.EXT. STREET O U T S I ~ E A BAR. DAY.EUGENE, glassy-eyed, s t r ~ d e s out of a bar, past camera and intothe s t ree t e hear a squeal of brakes and a sickening thud.INT. HOUSING PROJECT - APARTMENT. DAY.EUGENE awakens with a scream, bathed in sweat, arms bound to abed - the only real piece of furnHure in the room. '1INCE. IT.s i t t ing on a crate beside h ~ m soaking a towel in a bowl ofwater, is taken y surpise. Eugene continues to scream andthrash, fighting a g a ~ n s t h ~ s bindings. Vincent s tuffs the t o w e ~

~ n t o Eugene s mouth and holds onto his arms.JEROME VO)I confess ac : i rsc I wondered i I had rescueda man w o was already dead.

INT. HOUSING PROJECT - APARTMENT - BATHROOM. NIGHT.VINCENT holds EUGENE s head over the to i le t bowl as he vomitsviolent ly. Eugene s paralysis and Vincent s broken legs makethe operation doubly d i f f icu l tF:nally Eugene has nothlng l e f t in his stomach to vomit. Hedrops to the f loor in exhaustion. Vincent, also exhausted fremthe effor t of holding Eugene over the bowl, joins hlm on thebroken linoleum. Both men s ta re up at the cei l ing that carr iesa map of the conste l la t lon.

\ INCENTYou okay, Jerome? (CONTINt:E: 1


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thel:::- ::-,ut a l l:r.mobill.ty)Yeah. You ~ a ~ ~ :0 ~ o danclng tonight?hncent smiles.INT. H O U S I ~ i G P?O :EC: . . . : : . ' . R ~ E l ' I T . NIGHTEUGENE turns his nose a t :he plate of boi led meat andpotatoes that V : ; : ~ J C E ~ : : - ~ . . : : s 1n : ront of him. Vincent catches ::look.

' : :: CENTiJhat s wrong ;l:h i t::: :3E:IEI think I d betcer choose the menu, After a l l ,you re l e a r n ~ n g how to be me, I m not learnlnghow to be yeu.

/ : ~ J C E N T(shrugs)Sui t yourself .EUGENE

c ~ / . n g :0 be more diplomatic)Llsten, I den : ant you to th ink I m ungrateful- - I know you and :ha t l l t t l e broker--what do youca l l him?German,

EUGENEYou re both go.ng to a lo t of t rouble--( t rylng to be tact ful )Maybe you can con somebody in to bel ievingyou re me to get your foot 1n the door--butonce you re ~ n s 1 d e , you re on your own, I msure you re Slncere . . ,Iglanc1ng to the space paraphenalla). . . but was being groomed for something l ikth i s myself. Even without the accident I don tthink I would have made i t . My point is--how thehel l do you expect to pul l th i s off?

C O N T : ~ r C E D I


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.

,-C:)NTINUEDJer::me merely s ta res back as lof the thought of Eal.L.:re r:as :'.e:ersc=ur=ed to him.

V : ~ l C = : ~(shrugs and s ta tes i t simply)I don' t know exactly, Jerome.EUGE.-rEIlaughlong)

t l e s t you re honest .(a thought occurs)Call me y my mloddle name--Eugene--If you'regOing to be Jerome, you may as well s t a r tgett ing used to i t .

NB: FOR THE REMAIllDER OF :-HE SCREENPLAY VINCENT IS REFERREDTO AS JEROME .INT. HOUSING PROJECT - APARTMENT. NIGHT.JEROME 100;', through Eugene' s p e r s o n ~ l . ef fects, . including aphotograph album. He is drawn to a swimming medal lnside thealbum a t a page displaYlng a photo of a wealthY, austereMOTHER - Eugene eVldently comes from money.Even as he wheels lnto tr-.e room in his r ickety wheelchair . e seethat EUGENE has the bearl.ng of someone of good breeding. He hasa bag of blood on his lap. More blood loS being drawn from hisarm through an IV. Eugene catches Jerome looking at the a l b ~

J:::ROMEguil t i ly closing the book)I have to know where you come from.E:JGENEI f anybody asks, t e l l them the t ru th-your family disowns you. You are adisappointment, Jerome.JEROMEIreferrlng to Eugene's medal, impressed)What about th i s :EUGENEWrong color. :t s s i lve r .

(CONTINUED)


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Et:GE: rE(tosSlng ~ ~ bag of blood to Jerome: t s not easy l lv:ng up to th is .Eugene heels a ay.INT. HOUSING PROJECT APARTMENT. DAY.JEROME pract ises r i t ing i th his r ight hand, t rying torepl icate Eugene's slgnature.

EUGENEheellng by, looklng over Jerome'sshoulder a t the signature)I t needs ork.

JERCME(rueful)You had to be a right-hander.EUGENENoone orders southpa s anymore,

INT. HOUSING PROJECT APARTMENT. DAY.A pair of spectacles l i e on the bed. JEROME s t i l l wear:ng hlstWln casts , s i t s behind an optometrist 's portable examiningdevice. GERMAN hovering ln the background, an OPTOMETRISTcustom-fits JEROME wlth gossamer th in contact lenses,

JE. lOME Va)MYopia i s a dead glveaway one of the earl iestand most jus t i f iable of the qual i ty o f l i fecorrections. Anybody with impaired vision iscertain to be suffering from al l the otherdeficiencies of a nonadvantaged birthGERMAN(inspecting the lens in Jerome's eye)I t s no good. I can see all edge. He may aswell walk in there with a cane.


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: ~ I T . H C U S : ~ ; G PF.C ;:::C :' A ? : . F . ~ E ~ I T . CAY;::RCME is d c ~ n g a l a s ; : - m ~ : - . u t e cram on a geria tr ic ccmpu:er r I

: ~ e ~ a t e 1990's. C::ecki:-.g ::-.e tlme, ';ercme hurr iedly Pl::KS- P~ ~ e s ~ ~ r t th t E U G : : : ~ ~ t s been i = o n ~ ~ g f ~ o m prone p c s ~ : : = ~the f loorJEROMEI t s not too l a te to back out.EUGENEYou don' t know ' ,hat a r e l i e f i t is not tobe me. Are you sure you want the Job?

Jerome contemplates the question for a moment.JEROMEWhat about you? ~ ~ a t s ~ n this for you, Eugene?ElJGENE(referr ing to the bladderListen, I bag th is s tuff anyway.. as well pay. my rent.

bag he wears)I t mayJerome hurries to the bathroom where, with some dif f icu l ty , ::einser ts his urine device for the f i r s t time. The new improvedJerome emerges into the l iving room ready for his i n t e r v ~ e w .INT. GATTACA CORPORATION - TESTING LAB. DAY.JEROME emerges from a bathroom and hands a TECHNICIAN hisplas t ic cup fu l l of fraudulent u r ~ n e and inserts into theanalyzer.

TECHNICIAN(reading off the profi le)Congratulations.JEROME(perplexed)

What about the interview?TECHNICIAN(referr ing to the cup)That ' ,as ~ t .


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::6

:E:ROME. SC3. "cely ab2..e : : : j:3-;;":':'Se h ~ s d e l i g h t ex: ts , '::iattaca,' :: /:r.g i.ot t.o st.a:-e a t :he sl.;.per b spec:.:nens ..,.rho re r.OnI : : 3.::Q 1:' eagues

. . . ~ = R ' : ' . ' - E ; /C)7 he : n a j c r ~ : y c: people are now made-co-crder.;./hat began as a :r.eans co rId society of

i n h e r i c a b ~ e i ~ s e a s e s has become a way co d e s l ~ nyour o f f s p r l ; ; ~ - - : . : e :':':1e between healch andenhancemenc t 1 ~ r r e d forever. EYes can always bebrighter, a VOIce purer, a mind sharper, a bodystronger, a ~ : : e ~ o n g e r . ~ J e r y o n e seeks co glvecheir C h l ~ d :,':e besc c. lance but the most s k i ~ l e dgenetiCIscS are cnly accessible to the p r ~ v e l e g e d few.In a nearby park MODES ~ ~ I L D R E N from MODEL PARENTS playtogether,

~ = : H C M E Va)Anyone who IS the product of an al.teredDNA is proud :y r e f e ~ r e d co as a 'DAN',s e l f -made ::-..3:1 or :NCirlCIIl', :nan-child ,

INT, HOUS NG ? R O ~ E C 7 - A ? A R ~ E N T . NIGHT,JEROME wheels EUGEtffi out of t ~ e ~ r housing project . He t a k e ~the neighborhood :or che ~ a s t t l ~ e . ~ e focus on a POOR COUPLEcradl ing an INFANT.

, : ERCME (VO)Those parents who, for moral or, more l i ke lyeconomic reascns, refraIn from tampering wichtheir of fsprIng s genetic makeup or who fai lto abort a deprIved fetus condemn their childrento a l i f e of rcut ine discrimination,We glimpse other PEOPSE 1n the neighborhood. They appear poorbut, for the most part , physically normal. However a pall ofgloom hangs over them.

,, HCME IVaiOff ic ia l ly they are called In -Val ids , AlsoKnown as ~ o d d l l l d r e n , men-of-god , f a i th bir ths ,blackjack bIrt . s , def ic ien ts , de fec t ives ,genojunk , ge-gncmes , the fucked-up people .[ . " N-vALIO' pronounced as ~ n "an inval id license"](CONTINUED)


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E ; C IvfE ' ~ / O71'Jey are the .'leal thy i l l . They den' tactually have anything yet - they . ~ y never.But since few of the pre-conditicns can becured or reversed, i t i s easier to t reat themas i they were already sick.

As they enter a car, driven byyoung GIRL, 11, s i t t ing on thestaring forlornly into space.any deficiency, she is somehowGERMAN, Jerome spl.es a beaut 1. :".11steps of the houslng proJecc.While there is no outward slgn sEaware that she is damaged goods.

Jerome glances in the r e a ~ i e w mlrror.JEROME (VO)I am a member of a relat ively new andparticularly detested segment of society.- one of those who refuses to accept mygenetic destiny. I am most commonly knownas a de-gene-erate or a borrowed ladder .

Jerome looks to Eugene, also lost ,in hi's ,own thoughts.JEROME (VOlBy means of a donor I have cheated thesystem for the last four years to open doorsthat would otherwise be closed to me.

Jerome wheels Eugene into the p l t i l condominium complex wherethe two men now resl.de.INT. GATTACA. PRESENT DAY.

':We return to JEROME's ref lect ion in the glass. Other GATTACAEMPLOYEES are gradually gathering behind him.JEROME {VOlIn the guise of Jerome Morrow I have r isen

quickly through the ranks of Gattaca. Only oneof the Mission Directors has ever come closeto discovering my t rue identity.e now see what Jerome has been gazing t through the windowthe whole time - the sight that has brought a hush to thecomplex. Through an open off ice door l i es the body of a largeman - the MURDERED DIRECTOR, lying where he has jus t beendlscovered. in a pool of his own blood. (CONT NUED)


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CONTINUE:),,-ERC. fE , 0)

Strange to c:unk he :nay have :nore successxposing . TIe de th han h d ~ d in ~ i f e .Jerome wipes his eye and also goes to ~ n v e s t i g a t e . tie foc'.ls enan extreme close up of h ~ s EYELASH. Loosened by Jerome's ~ a n d .i t breaks free and f loats gently down to the floor where tcomes to res t .INT. GAT' 'ACA AEROSPACE CORPORATION. MORNING.DETECTIVE HUGO, l a tefor t ies , wearing a c r ~ m e s c e n e h y g e n ~ c s u ~and gloves and a fu l l clear mask - looklng more l ike a surgeonor a toxic waste worker than a detective - places a bloodspat tered computer keyboard alongside the Director 's shat teredskull . The indentations match the blunt corner of the keyboardHugo detaches the dangling keyboard from i t s parent computer anseals the l ikely murder ' eapon in a marked, t ransparent plast lcbag.A CREW of similar ly-sui ted homicide detectives s y s t e m t ~ c l l yvacuum the surrounding office area with metal l ic, industr la l looking mini-vacs. Once each work space has been vacuumed, thetransparent plas t ic vacuum bag detached, sealed and labelledOTHER DETECTIVES video the scene with camcorders. Video printsspi t out of the cameras for instant inspection,EXT. GAT' 'ACA - LANDSCAPED GARDENS. DAY.A si l icon police tape cordons off the crime scene. From the. landscaped garden, a crowd of GAT' 'ACA EMPLOYEES view the' :proceedings through the glass walls.

EMPLOYEE 1(staring a t the Director 's body)Awful.EMPLOYEE 2Yeah, awful i t didn ' t happen sooner,

Nervous smirks from nearby employees. We focus on JEROME.Standing s l ight ly apart from the others, he does not appear toshare the joke, or perhaps even hear i t . Jerome watches, wldeeyed, as a DETECTIVE approaches his work s ta t ion with a minlvac. A chi l l goes through Jerome as the detec t ive s cleaner~ s s e s over his desk. (CONTINUED)


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Jerome dist racted by a smear on ~ h e window, obstructing h ~ sv ~ e w . ~ ~ t h o u t t h i ~ k i n g he breathes on the glass and rubs chesmear 3. ay ,,: th h:s elbow. Nearby, elderly : a n ~ tor , : ~ S A : ~~ o t l c e s Jerome s f a s t ~ d i o u s act and reads the panlc ln Jerome seyes. DIREC7VR JOSEF suddenly appears a t Jerome s shoulder.Standing a pace beh:nd the Director, computer notepad hand,is IRENE.

DIRECTOR JOSEFYou re lucky to be gett ing out of th isJEROMEWe re s t l l l g o ~ n g ahead as planned?DIRECTOR JOSEFThe launch window is only open unt1l week send. Trag1c though th is event may be, 1thasn t stopped the planets turning.

He glances towards a group of Detectives headed by HUGO.DIRECTOR JOSEFYou ll have to excuse me, Jerome. I have tomeet with the author1t ies--natural ly, we reco-operating :n any way, although I won tto lerate a ~ a J o r disruption.

(as he departs)I wish I was gOlng w1th you, Jerome.As the pai r depart, Jerome and Irene exchange a glance. Irene1S also aware of Jerome s unease.INT. GATTACA - CORRIDOR. DAY.We focus on JEROME s eyelash, s t i l l lying on the floor.A huge crescent-shaped hai r that f i l l s the screen. Suddenlythere is a roar of a m1n1-vac and the eyelash is sucked up. Wfollow the eyelash s Journey, down the throat of the cleanerinto the specimen bag where i t is sucked against the bag sclear, plas t ic wall.INT. GATTACA - COMPUTER COMPLEX. DAY.The DIRECTOR s corpse is sealed in a plas t ic bodybag and wheeaway on a gurney. The blood and other body matter from themurder scene is sucked up by a portable wet-vac and the samplbag appropriately labeled.


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A chime sounds over the ? . ; . :ollowed y an :lnnouncement.; ' l ~ ' : C t r N C E R (OC)Thank you :or your co-operat1on. Pleasereturn to your ork sta t ions lmmediately.

The PROGRAMMERS get to t 1eir feet en masse and begin f i l lr .g l : . ~the work room.EMPLOYEE 3(sarcast1c aside)What, no counselling?

INT. GATIACA COMPUTER C8MPLEX - DIRECTOR S OFFICE. DAY.A WOM N ASSISTANT whose keyboard was used in the attack has topause as a MAINTENANCE ~ O R K R gives her work stat ion a f inalspray to re turn i t to i t s former pr is t lne condition. A newkeyboard is plugged into her mon1tor to replace the one taken aevidence.INT. GATIACA COMPUTER COMPLEX. DAY.JEROME opens his desk drawer to check his comb, now pluckedcompletely clean. He careful ly places two of Eugene's hai rs t:the comb and scat ters another bag of fraudulent matter aroundh1s work s ta t ion .INT. GATIACA - SIMULATOR ROOM. DAY.In a large, bare room a simulator does a slow dance back and: fo r th on i t s hydralic legs, miming the path of the spacecra f t Jerome wil l soon be aboard. The simulation ends andJEROME exits the simulator through a small door. IRENEhesi tant ly approaches, carrying a slim electronic tablet .

IRENEExcuse me, Jerome. I 'm sorry to bother you.Jerome turns, not displeased by the interrupt ion.

JEROMENo bother.CONTINUED)


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CSNTnlt:ED~ e f e ~ ~ : ~ q to her ~ o t e p a d )I ve been aSKed :::: ::::::r+Jlle a :og for the

i n v e s t i g a t o ~ s - -::-.ey ant to know everyone swhereabouts las t ~ l q h t .JERCXELast night? as at home.

Irene makes a note wlth her stylus.Can that be, e ~ . 1erlf::.ed? :-Jere you alone?

JERCMENo i t can t be I e ~ l f i e d . Yes I was alone.Irene makes another ~ o t e .

JEROMEry smile)Looks bad, doesn t l :t , Irene? What aboutyou? Where were i OU las t night?I was at home.

JERCMEWere you alone

Yes.IR N(hesitant)JEROME(teasl.ng)So we don t know for sure about you, ei ther .

No.IRE.. 'lE

(wary, wondering where theconversatl.on is headed)

JERCMEWhy don t we say we were together?IRENE(confused)Why would we do that? CONTINUED)


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CONTINUED- ::::?,Cr1EI have be t te r ~ h l n g s to do thlS week thananswer the f O O : ~ h questions of som f lat:Qct,don t you?

Irene contemplates the question .JEROME(gently pressing)Well, shal l we say we spent the evening together

Irene 1S s t i l l unsure whether or not Jerome is serious.IRENETo be convinc1ng, Jerome, I would have to knowwhat that was l ike.

Irene turns and departs: Jerome watches her go.INT. E U G E ~ ~ S CONDOMINIUM. NIGHT.The paraplegic EUGENE. seated y the window, meticulously cutsa long f ingernail lnto n ~ ~ e r o u s clippings. He places theclippings in small plas t ic bags and seals them. He then beginto f i l l t iny sachets with blood. He turns as he hears. JEROMEenter down the spi ra l stalrcase wlth the groceries.

E:JGENEYou didn t forget the t ruff les?JEROME places the items In the refr igerator in the bathroom anretr ieves a bot t le of vodka - the vodka incongruous-lookingbeside the blood and urine specimens. Joining Eugene at his' :workbench, he pours them both a drink.

EUGENE(senslng something amiss, t ryingto keep his humorWho died?JEROMEThe Mission Director.EUGENE(misinterpreting the deadpan remark)You wish.

CONTINUED)


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CONTINUED

,hey f o u ~ d hlID In his office this m o r n ~ n g -beaten so bad :hey had to check his n a m e ~ a g .Eugene takes in the news, a smile broadening across hlS :3ce.

What an actcoImtunl.ty.between youEUGENEof benevolence--a service to theSo t ha t s I t . Now there ' s nothlngand ignit ion.JEROMEHe was s t l l l warm when they confirmed.EUGENE(confused by Jerome's att i tude)This cal ls for a celebrat ion. Doesn't i t?JEROMEThe place is crawling with Hoovers.EUGENESo what? You didn ' t ki l l him, did you?

Jerome shoots hlm a glance for the inappropriate remark.JEROMEThat 's not the point.EUGE.. IEscofflng)Hey, how much of you can be there? Even i f theJ . Edgars do find something, in a week-(glancing up to the night sky)you l l be sl ight ly out of their jur isdict ion .(gently chiding)ome on, we've got to get drunk iImtediately.JEROME

( s t i l l tempering Eugene's enthusiasm)You're going to have to earn your supper. I ve gotmy f inal physical tomorrow.Jerome wheels Eugene's chair to a special ly constructed platfthat allows the wheels to spin in mid-air. Jerome tapes anelectrode to Eugene's chest and attaches the wire to a slimrecording device. Eugene begins to spin the wheel of the ch.faster and faster . Jerome monitors Eugene's steady heartbeatthrough a se t of headphones.


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INT. GA,TI'ACA AERCSPAC::: CJRPCRA"rrCN - CCMPUTER CCMPLEX. ,;IGHTThe complex vi tual ly empty - only a handful of the hund edof PROGRAMMERS w o ~ k i n g l te into the night. IRENE p p ~ o c h e sJEROME's w o ~ k s t t ~ c n on the p ~ e t e x t of d e l i v e ~ ~ n g somedocuments. Trying to act casually, she looks u n d e ~ che paperson h ~ s desk, then opens the top desk drawer.We see an EXTREME CLOSE UP of the comb lying there - the t ohairs t rapped between the teeth of the comb. Irene removes onof the fol l icles and drops i t into an envelope she carryingINT. 24-HOUR SEQUENC NG LAB. NIGHT.SEQUENCING-WHILE-U-WAIT . Similar to a l -hour photo lab, th

store - l i t t l e more than a booth - displays a price l i s t on twall. "FULL SEQUENCE - S80 . IRENE waits in l ine with a crosection of other CUSTOMERS. She checks the contents of theenvelope that c o n t ~ n s the hair .The YOUNG WOM N in l ~ n e ahead of her allows the TECHNICIAN totake a swab from her ful l l ips with a Q-tip.

How old?

Me

TECHNICIAN

YOUNG WOM N(confused)

TECHNICIAN(mustering patience, referr ingto the Q-tl.p)The specimenYOUNG OM N(proudly)I kissed him five minutes ago. A real good one.

Overhearing, several PEOPLE in l ine snicker.':'ECHNICIAN(long-suffering)

I ll see what I can do.The technician hands the swab to an ASSISTANT. The Young Wois handed a number and takes a seat . Irene hands her enveloover the counter. She too is handed a number. We followJerome's fo l l i c le as another TECHNICIAN places i t in ananalyzing machine.


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1NT/EXT. S E Q U E N C ~ ; G L;"3 / E . ; R K : ~ G LOT. NIGHT.The TEC:tNIC:::. u'l returr.s t:-.e envelcpe to IRENE along i :h amlniature compact dlSC.

TECHNICIAN( r ~ ~ a r k i n g on the profi le resul t)9.4 . . . e ~ / nlce.

Irene does not appear to share the technician s enthuslasm.She emerges from the sequencing lab and enters her car. Tak:nga palm-top computer from her purse, she inserts the disc :ntothe computer. Jerome s counterfeit genetic profi le appears onthe screen. The deta i ls confirm her worst fears.

EXT. MICHAEL'S DINNER CLUB. NIGHT.JEROME and EUGENE, dressed to the nines, pull up in the carto a darkened doorway a poorly l i t street . A VALET appearsout of the shadows. Familiar with the car, he goes immediatelto the trunk to retr ieve Eugene s collapsible wheelchair.Jerome t ips the valet - a credit card wiped through a device.INT. MICHAEL'S DINNER CLUB. NIGHTThe chic, elegant establishment inside bel ies i t s dark,enedexterior . JEROME wheels EUGENE into a decadent dinner clubfull of an odd assortment of people. They are immediatelygreeted respectfully by MICHAEL, the owner and maitre d .Jerome and Eugene are obviously regulars.

MICHAELGood evening, gentlemen. Your table is ready.(referring to Jerome s mission)Not long now Sir . You ll be upsta i rsbefore you know i t . We re going to miss you.JEROMENot as much as I l l miss your Stroganoff.

I d l ike to take one of your chefs with me.INT. MICHAEL'S DINNER CLUB. NIGHT.In a secluded booth JEROME and EUGENE toast from a bot t le of1999 vintage Bordeaux. Eugene drinks longer than Jerome.Jerome dabs his mouth with a napkin. He fa i l s to not ice aminute FLAKE OF SKIN dislodged from his chin. We follow theflake as i t comes to : res t beneath the table . (CONTINUED)


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C:JNT 1UED:'ATER, Eugene and Jer::me atch CO(j?LES dancing a samba on : 1e::iance :oor A WAITER '/ac.l\.,r ,s the table with a discreet ,1andheld miniature '/ac.l\.:Il\ w h ~ l e a WAITRESS clears ohe places.She accidentally drops a K n ~ f e onto Eugene's leg.

~ J A I 7 R : : : S S(aghast at the sight of his l i fe less ~ e g s lI 'm so sorry. : ; ~ d : hurt you?( s m ~ l ~ n g , a t race of bit terness)Honey, i f you'd hurt me, I d be cured.

Eugene, the worse for d r ~ n k , gropes for the w a ~ t r e s s s leg butshe easily avoids h ~ s c l ~ ~ y pass.UGE JEYou want to meet a rea l - l i fe spaceman?

Jerome, always aware, scanning the club,_ suddenly spiesNAPOLEON, his Gattaca colleague, on the other s ide of theroom. Napoleon is ta)ung -a hi t -from a via l concealed in hishand. Jerome abruptly turns his back to avoid being recognlzedJERCMELet'S get out of here.EUGEI'


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:

CONTINUEDEUGENE is at the wr.eel. ;:::?CHE In : he passenger seat .The hard t -1rn lS repeated with lncreaslng recklessness. : : ~ : ; e r . eflghtlng to control :he b u c k ~ n g car.

EUGEo


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CCNTINUED

11.15-:EROME

(looking acco che porcoEUGENE

his wacch)A maincenance crew.How long do you scay up there before you go?

-:EROMEA day or so.EUGENEbeaml.:lg)I s t i l l can t believe theY re sending you tothe Belt--you of al l people--never meant co beborn, on a ml.ssion to discover the originof l i fe .

i8

Eugene laughs to himself and passes the bot t le to Jerome.JEROMEYou should be going instead of me.

Jerome taps Eugene s l i fe less legs with his foot.JEROMEUp there they wouldn t be a problem.EUGENE(glancing heavenwards, shaking his head)You know I m scared of heights.

INT. CRIME LABORATORY - AUTOPSY ROOM. NIGHT .. : The body and clothing of che MISSION DIRECTOR, lying on a metexamining table i s scanned with a blue-light magnifyinginstrument. Fingernail specimens are taken for analysis. Inanother area of the laboratory, the labelled vacuum bags areattached to analyzers and the contents sucked out and

automatically ident i f ied. ID names and photographs of GATTACEMPLOYEES begin appearing on a computer screen at high speedalong with other personal detai ls - a l l data aucomaticallylogged for la ter review.The photographs and personal detai ls of JEROME and IRENE flaspast, amongst the faces of other employees.

CONTINUED)


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CONTINUEDWe focus on a magnified close up of JEROME S EYELASH, s t i l lclinging stubbornly to the side of i ts specimen bag. Wecontinue to follow i t s journey as i t finally sucked ~ r t o theanalyzer.INT. CRIME LAB - ANALYZER MACHINE. NIGHT.Inside the machine, a minute, cell- thin sl iver s l ~ c e d :romJEROME S EYELASH and analyzed.INT. INVESTIGATOR S CRIME LAB. NIGHT.A severed HUM N TONGUE s i t s on a tray in a s ter i le sealedchamber. Using gloves that protrude through the chamber s glasswall, face buried in a binocular eyepiece, the INVESTIGATORtakes a swab from the tongue.

INVESTIGATOR(to the tongue, as he inser ts thet ip of the swab into an analyzer)Let s see what you vegot to say fO.r yourself.A FEMALE ASSISTANT, looking on, hardly has time to smile at theremark before i n f o r m t ~ o n begins to appear on a nearby computerterminal. The computer gradually builds a por t ra i t of the owneof the tongue using genetic predictors. The Invest igatorwanders over to the w ~ n d o w as his Assistant reads theinformation from the screen.

ASSISTANTThe tongue is male. Mature. Blonde hair .Brown eyes. Light complexion, Between5 11 and 6 1. Pronounced Caucasian nose.Thin l ips . Weak chin. Lobeless ears .Prematurely balding. Slightly bow-legged.Broad shoulders. Barrel chest . . .Blind.

Blind

Ipause)

INVESTIGATOR( interest piqued)(mildly amused, checking themonitor for himself)The tongue is blind

(CONTINUED)


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CONTINUEDASSIS7A. IT(confused)

Who cuts out the tongue of a blind man?INVEST::GATOR(shrugs)Someone who is mindful that the blind

s t i l l speak.The INVESTIGATOR is aler ted by the chime of his nearby computer.On the screen, he discovers the face of 20-YEAR-OLD VINCENTand the accompanying flashing message: TR CKING IN VALID883000181105 10 - NEW D TINT. CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX - PARKING GARAGE. NIGHT.Having plugged his car into an overnight charger, JEROME pushesEUGENE in his wheelchair to the elevator. Bottle in hand,Eugene leans over and vomits on the ground. Jerome shakes hishead resignedly. Eugene looks drunkenly up t Jerome.

EUGENE(sarcast ical ly referring to the pool of vomltlI m sorry. Did you want i t?Jerome meets EUgene s gaze. There is a t race of bi t ternessin Eugene s drunken smile.

EUGENELet me get i t for you.EUgene bends down to scoop up some vomit with his hand but theelevator arr ives and Jerome quickly wheels him away. Eugene s: head flops to the side as he passes out.INT. EUGENE S CONDOMINIUM. NIGHT.JEROME unlocks EUGENE s condo and wheels his chair inside. Wesee the i r re f lec t ion in a full- length mirror as Jerome pushesEUgene to the bedroom. After removing Eugene s soiled clothing,he heaves the t l l man from the chair and onto the bed.

EUGENE(maudlin, gently sobbing l ike a child)I m sorry. I m sorry.(CONTINUED


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C m l T : : : ~ r u E D

JERC)1Elattemptl:-.g to comfort)I t s okay Eugene.

EUGENEYou know I wasn t drWlk--I knew what I wasdoing when I walked in front of that car--JEROME--What car?--Go to sleep.

- - I walked rlght front of i t . I was nevermore sober In my l ~ f eJerome looks a t Eugene s l i feless legs, trying to cover hisshock at the r e v e l a t ~ o n

JEROMEI t s a l l nght .EUGENE .

I g r a b b ~ n g Jerome y the collar)I m proud of you, Vincent.Eugene s head fa l l s back onto the pillow.

JEROME(smiling to himself)You must be drunk to cal l me Vincent.But Eugene does not reply, drif t ing into sleep once a g a ~ nJerome pulls a blanket over him.On the verge of leaving, Jerome s attention is drawn to a wallon the far side of the room. Approaching the wall, nearEugene s mirrored closet , he detects a faint mechanical whircoming from inside the adJacent condominium. Jeromecontemplates investigating but exits the condominium instead

climbing the spi ra l staircase to his own condominium.INT. JEROME S CONDO LIVING ROOM. NIGHT.JEROME fas t id iously vacuums with an upright cleaner. Using ahose attachment he cleans aroWld a picture frame that containsJerome s orig inal computer keyboard handdrawn on the flap ofcardboard box.


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S2

INT. GATTACA COMPUTER CCMPLEX. DAY.In the vast room of COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS we pull-focus todiscover that we have been filming the complex through thetransparent specimen bag containing JEROME S EYELASH.On the mezzanine floor overlooking the scene of the crime,the INVESTIGATOR holds the bag, transfixed y the lash. Thelead homicide detective, DETECTIVE HUGO, finishes i n t e r v ~ e w ~ n ga GATTACA SECURITY GUARD and approaches the Investigator.A large telescope in the background.Although Hugo is deferent ial to his more youthful superior, h ~ sbody language betrays his displeasure. Hugo clearly does notre l ish the Investiga tor s involvement in his case.

DETECTIVE HU OI don t understand why you were dragged outhere, Sir. I t s hardly worth wasting yourtime--a no-nothing case l ike th is .INVESTIGATOR(gently rebuking his subordinate)A ~ n s dead, Detective.DETECTIVE HU OOf course, Sir . We re checking the entry log,al ib is , grudges . . .INVESTIGATORGrudges?DETECTIVE HU O(looking out over the balcony)I look around, I see a lot of dry eyes.The Director was not . . .

s e a r c h ~ n g for the words). . . universal ly loved. He was leading thecut-backs in the program. You re looking a ta room ful l of motives.INVESTIGATOR(shaking his head adamantly,referr ing to the bag in his hand)No, t is is your man.DETECTIVE HUGO(not so convinced)With respect, Si r - - i t may be the onlyunaccountable s p e ~ m e n but the prof i lesuggests-- (CONTINUED)


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CONTINUEDINVESTIGATOR

--Whac about his profi le?

53

Hugo refers to a print-out of 20-YEAR-OLD VINCENT s profl lelncluding his Genetic Quotient. (The fi f teen-year-old photo ofVincent now bears l i t t l e resemblance to his assumed identi ty.DETECTIVE HU OAccording to thlS, he 's a sick man. Congenitalheart condition. Who knows how long the specimenhas been here but the re s an 80 percent chancethe owner of that eyelash has already diedhimself from natural causes.INVESTIGATOR(terse)So there s a 20 percent chance he's not dead.

Detective Hugo goes to comment further, then revises hisremark in his head before speaking.DETECTIVE HU OEven i f this Vincent Luca is al ive, is i tl ikely he could bludgeon a man to death?INVESTIGATORNo. Not l ike ly

The Invest igator ' s tone suggests that the identi ty of theculpr i t i s no longer a matter for debate. There is an awkwardpause before the Detectlve fal ls into step with his superior.DETECTIVE HU OI take i t you're thinking along the l ines of arobbery gone sour--a th ief disturbed in the act?

The Investigator merely shrugs.DETECTIVE HU O

(skeptical)Of course that doesn't j ibe with what wefound. This was an angry ki l l ing.INVESTIGATOR(glancing to the profi le in Hugo's hand)Who knows with these deficients ? His profi leindicates a procl iv i ty for violence.

CONTINUED)


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CONTINUEDCE ECTrJE HU Ot r y i ~ g to appear co-operative)

I ll run a crossover on the eyelash forany E a m ~ l y or assoclate c c n n e c t ~ o n s - -INVESTIGATOR- - I ve already run i t . There s no recordof any l iving relative.:JETECTlVE HU OWhat a pity.It


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.

INT. GATTACA - TESTING LAB. ~ A Yfrom behind we observe JEROME standing in front of LAMAR,issuing forth his steady stream of fraudulent urlne.

55

EXT. GATTACA AEROSPACE CORPORATION - WORKOUT CENTER. D Y .Twenty GATTACA EMPLOYEES, identical ly-outfi t ted men and women,run in a perfectly st raight l ine towards the tranquil lake othe picturesque grounds, never getting any closer to their goal.They run at a steady lOmph on twenty identical state-of- the-ar :treadmill machines sunken into the floor and arranged in auniform row facing a f loor to ceiling window. The s t ra in isbeginning to shaw on many of the faces. The heartrate of eachemployee is monitored via a wireless electrode attached to thechest.Outside 1n the sunshine the next batch of twenty EMPLOYEESlimbers up in readiness for the i r physical. JEROME's onlypreparation consists of dragging thoughtfully on acigaret te while star ing out a t the man-made lake. Hisnonchalant at t i tude disheartens nearby collleagues, includingIRENE who is amongst 'a group of workers exc,used from the runby benevolent, over-protective TRAINERS.

TRAINERYou re excused, Irene. You may resume your duties.On the way into the work-out fac i l i ty Jerome stubs out hiscigaret te in a s ta inless s tee l ashtray. Only we are aware ofthe slim credit card-sized recording device that he furt ivelysl ips out of his cigaret te pack and secrets in his hand. As hetakes his place on one of the treadmills and adheres thecordless electrode to his chest, Jerome surreptit iously attaches. h1S device to the underside of the running machine s control. . panel.INT. GATTACA - WORK-OUT OBSERVATION ROOM. DAY.From a mezzanine floor above the work-out room, LAMAR, themedical officer, monitors computer read-outs displaying thepace and pulse of the runners on each treadmill machlne.INT. GATTACA - WORK-OUT CENTER. DAY.One by one the GATTACA EMPLOYEES drop out unt i l JEROME is thesale remaining runner. Several of the other employees standaround and watch Jerome run as they towel off . CONTINUED)


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56CONTINUEDHe appears under l i t ~ l e stress , staring directly ahead,seemingly in a trance. As oNe focus on his chest, only oNe ~ r eaware of ::.he sound of his : ..:.riously pounding heart making aof his calm exterior .INT. GATTACA - WORK-OUT ~ 3 S E R V A T I O N ROOM. DAY.Jerome s heart registers a far more measured beat on thecomputer in the obserJation room. The DIRECTOR at LAMAR'sshoulder, beaming proudly.

LAHARlmarJellng a t Jerome s heartrate)Six miles la te r ~ t s s t i l l beating l ike aGoddamn metronome. I could play piano by thatheartbeat of hls.

The INVESTIGATOR and DETECTIVE HUGO enter the observation room,e s c o r t ~ d by IRENE.

.DETECTIVE HU ODirector Josef, th is is our lead Investigator,The two men exchange a poli te handshake. However theInvest igator is immediately taken with the SOLE RUNNER.with hisback to him, on the treadrrull below.

I}l'IESTIGATORHow often do you tes t Director?Often. DIRECTOR JOSEF

INVESTIGATORintrigued)Surely you know what you have.D RECTOR JOSEFWe have to be certain. Once they re up, wecan hardly turn the baat around.

On the treadmill below, Jerome glances to his watch as he runs,the dist ress s tar t ing to show. Caught up in the conversation,Lamar has forgotten to end the work-out. Remembering, hef inal ly presses the "WARM-DOWN" button, slowing the t readmill .(CONTINUED)


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.

CONTINUED~ 1 A Rs t i l l marveling at Jerome)I swear i f went to lunch and came back, he ds t i l l be there.

7

We focus on Jerome s recording device attached to the bottom ofthe control panel. I t clicks to a stop, indicating that thebogus heartbeat recording has ended before the workout.The heartbeat monitor in the observation room suddenly racesfrom 80 to 250 beats per minute. Lamar catches the d i s c r e p a n ~ 1out of the corner of his eye but before he can take a secondlook, Jerome has whipped the electrode from his chest. Thephysician shrugs i t off as a gl i tch in the machine.The Invest igator has turned his back on Jerome to face theDirector.

INVESTIGATORWe believe we have a suspect.

DIRECTOR JOSEFWhat a re l ie f .INVESTIGATOR(referring to the prof i le of VINCENTon Hugo'S computer notepad)This unaccountable specimen was found inthe south wing corridor.

In the room below, Jerome nonchalantly steps off the treadmill,s tea l th i ly retr ieves the recording device from beneath thecontrol panel and returns i t to his cigaret te pack.He casual ly wipes off drops of sweat from the machine with atowel, brief ly glances to Irene with the Invest igators and x ~ t sto the locker room.The Director id ly regards the image of VINCENT on Hugo Shandheld screen. He does not recognize the face.

DETECTIVE HU OAn age enhancement i s being prepared aswe speak.

DIRECTOR JOSEF(referring to his assis tant)Irene will make i t available to securi ty.


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s

INT. GATTACA LOCKER ROOM. CAY.JEROME ears his assured smile a l l the way along the corrldorand into the now empty locker room. He exchanges a cheerygreetlng with an exit ing COLLEAGUE, enters a shower s ta l l .closes the door behlnd him and promptly collapses on the showers ta l l floor .The effects of the gruelling work-out are only now apparent. Nlonger sucking up the pain, he gulps a i r into his oxygen-starvelungs, his heart looking for a way through his t lghtened chest.He writhes in agony on the white-t i led floor a brutal remlndeof the physical f ra i l ty he seeks to disguise

EXT. GATTACA GARDEN. LUNCHTIME.In Gattaca s perfectly landscaped gardens JEROME, dressed andrecovered from his ordeal, joins his COLLEAGUES for lunch at oof the umbrella-covered tables. While most of the others pickat unappetizing salads and take the i r individualized medicatioJerome carr ies a steak sandwich on his tray.The sight of the juicy steak is greeted with enVlOUS looks frbmhis colleagues. Jerome pretends not to notice and rubs i t inl ibera l ly sprinkl ing sa l t onto the meat.However when Jerome looks over towards IRENE, she avoids eyecontact. When she abruptly gets up and leaves, Jerome followsthinking twice before depositing the napkin in the nearbytrashcan. A jani tor reaches for the napkin. I t is the OldJani tor , CAESAR, from Jerome s former l i fe .

CAESARI ll take care of that for you, Mr Morrow .

The two men exchange a conspiratorial smile.EXT. GATTACA WIND FARM. AFTERNOON.A forest of wind turbines, supplying energy to the aerospacecomplex. However the blades of the turbines are motionless inthe s t i l l afternoon. JEROME f inal ly catches up with IRENE. Sturns, unsurprised by his appearance. Standing beside her, helooks out over the complex as i f he too has come for the view.

We wereJEROME(eyes fixed on the view)looking at each other. You stopped.CONTINUED)


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CONTINUE;DIrene, also keeps her gaze ahead.

: E ~ ' EI m sorry. I didnt ~ e a n anything ..JEROME(shrugging as i f i t makesno dif:erence to himWe were Just l o o k ~ n gIRENEI know about you .

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Jerome turns to her, start led, t rying to read her face. Irentakes a deep breath and abruptly plucks a long, dark hair froher head.IRENE(offering the hair to Jerome)Here, take i t .

Jerome, confused, takes the hair - more in reflex than intenIRENE(a challenge)I f you re s t ~ l l interested, l e t me know.

Jerome contemplates the hair in his fingers for a moment, thdeliberately le ts i t fa l l to the ground.JEROME(never taking his eyes from her)Sorry, the wind caught i t .

Irene meets his gaze. There is not a breath of wind. Thehair l i e s plain ly visible on the ground.

EXT. GATTACA AEROSPACE COMPLEX. AFTERNOON.As JEROME and IRENE walk between the wind turbines, Jeromepretends not to not ice that Irene keeps furtively checking tpulse on her wrist . They pause in the shade.

JEROME(as i f making conversation)Have they found our friend? CONTINUED)


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CONTlNUE'D

Friend? IRENEJEROME(shrugs)I t was a mercy-killing after a l l .IRENEThey found an eyelash.JEROMEWhere?IRENEIn the South wing.JEROMEDoes i t have a name?IRENEJust some In-Valid. Vincent--(trying to come up with the las t name)--somebody.

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Jerome turns away to disguise his alarm. He quickly .recoversJEROMEPerhaps we ought to celebrate, Irene.IRENE(a smile playing around her l ips)You celebrate, Jerome?

INT. EUGENE'S CONDO. NIGHT.EUGENE ta lks i r r i tably on the phone, examining a container fra newly opened case of ha ir bleach.

EUGENE(into phone)- - I know what I ordered. I ordered HoneyDawn and you sent me Summer Wheat .JEROME descends the s ta ircase taking the steps two a t a timHe immediately goes to the refrigerator, removing t rays ofsamples. Eugene abruptly hangs up the phone.

(CONTINUED)


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CONTINUEDJ ERGME lOCICall Gennan.EUGENEAny part icular reason?JEROME

c o l l e c t ~ n g up sample bags fromthe work bench)We can t stay here.Et GENEWhat are you t a l k ~ n g about?:EROMEThey think I offed the Director.

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Eugene wheels himself over to Jerome, unconcerned.EUGENEWhat makes them think that?..JEROMEThey found my eyelash.

UG N(a f l icker of anxiety)Where?

JEROMEIn a corr idor .UG N(blase once again)Could be worse. They could have foundi t in your eye.

Jerome half-smiles despi te the s i tuat ion.JEROME(resuming his col lect ion of samples)Come on--we re taking off .

UG NI m not going anywhere. Less than week to go.Not on your l i f e - -(CONTINUED)


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CONTINUEDJEROME--You don t understand, they l l make theconnection, t h e y ~ ~ hoover a g a ~ n . e shouldcut our losses.EUGENE

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(angrily grabbing a tray from Jerome s hands)Where your head, Jerome? You re actingl ike a guil ty man. They won t marry the eyelashto you. They won t believe that one of thei re l i te navigators could have suckered them for thelas t five years ..JEROMEThey l l recognize me.

UG N(scoffing)How could they recognize you(referring to the torn photo of20-year-old Vincent ot: the wall)don t recognize you. Anyway you don t have achoice. You run, you may as well sign a confession,turn us both in r ight now. No, we st ick th is out-find out what we can but change nothing. This isa minor i n c o n v e n ~ e n c e is a l l i t i s . We ve takenworse heat than this .(angry now)Jesus, i f I d known you were going to gobel ly up on me a t the last fucking gasp, Iwouldn t have bothered. You can t quit on menow. I ve put too much into this .(returning the samples to the fridge)Besides, this stuff i s mine. I had other offers,you know. I could ve have rented myself out tosomebody with a spine. vou want me to wheel inthere and f inish the job myself?(meeting Jerome s gaze)We ll take off a l l r ight , from pad 18 jus t l ikewe planned.

Jerome slumps down in a chair, Eugene s t i rade star t ing to getto him.And keep yourthey belong.

UG Nlashes on your l idsHow could you be so wherecareless?(CONTINUED)


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CONTINUEDJEROMEI 'm sorry.(reluctant admisslonI think I was crying.

Eugene 1S uncomfortable a t the notion.EUGENEWell save those tears .

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Jerome shrugs awkwardly and pours them both a drink.JEROME

You rea l ly had other offers?EUGENEshrugsI 'm sure I could have.

INT. CONDOMINIUM - INClNERATO '.. NIGHT.The naked JEROME scrapes away at his skin with even greaterferocity than usual . After exit ing the incinerator, he deposa l l the incr1minating t rash he has collected during the day ithe furnace and igni tes the gas.INT. EUGENE'S CONDOMINIUM. NIGHT.from outside, a car horn sounds. JEROME, lnspectacles, abruptly enters the condominium.closet and s ta r t s searching through Eugene's

JEROMEMind i f I borrow a t ie?

a formal sui t anHe goes to aclothes.

EUGENE is more in teres ted in the car parked outside thecondominium. IRENE s i t s in a convertible Citroen OS, dresseda classic but provocative black sui t . Unaware that she is beobserved she touches up her l ips t ick in the rearview mirror.EUGENESo i t s not just the Hoovers who've gotyou ra t t led .JEROMEYou're the one who said not to changeShe's my ear to the invest igat ion. anything.(CONTINUED


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CONTlNUF;DUG N(skeptical)Is that a l l?

JEROMEI ve got enough on my m ~ n without that .UG NIf you say so.(referr ing to the t i es in Jerome s hand)The s t r ipe .

JEROME(agreeing with the select ion)Good choice.

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Jerome fumbles with the knot. From his chair , Eugene knotsJerome s t i e for him. Jerome is intr igued that for once Eugeis abstaining he has not touched his drink.JEROME.Not th i rs ty?(referr ing to the fridge)We ve got enough virgin samples to las t us the week.

UG NI don t feel too good. I think I m s t i l ldrunk from la s t night.

JEROMENever stopped you before.(regarding Eugene s head)And for God s sake stop plucking your hair .Someone went to a lo t of trouble to make sureyou wouldn t go bald.UG NI f I were you I d worry about myself.(nodding to Jerome s spectacles)Haven t you forgotten something?

Jerome pockets the spectacles and enters the bathroom for hiscontact lenses. The horn sounds outside the window a secondtime and Jerome has t i ly ex i ts . We stay with Eugene. Irenecatches a glimpse of h ~ m before he moves away from the w ~ n d o wJerome emerges from the building.CONTINUED)


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CONTINUED

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