In the future, most babies are genetically engineered. All babies, modified or not, are screened at birth to find any abnormalities, predict the length of their life, and assign them a future based on their genetics. In such a world, a naturally-born man with a genetic heart problem and bad eyes like Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) would never be able to work at the highly-esteemed Gattaca Corporation. What Freeman lacks in "genetic perfection", however, he more than makes up for with determination. His dream is to go into space with the Gattaca Corporation, and he uses Jerome Morrow's (Jude Law) identity to help him accomplish it. Paralyzed in an accident, Morrow cannot earn on his own the benefits his genetics should afford him, so the two men work together to use Morrow's identity to get Freeman a job with Gattaca. Once inside the company, Freeman meets and falls for the beautiful Irene Cassini, complicating the already complex plan, already threatening to fall apart at every turn.