Gene

Creator: David Mills
Genre: Drama
Age rating: 13 and older
Sen. Gene Sinclair learns near the end of his presidential campaign in 2044 that he was part of an experiment in 2000 to alter the DNA of embryos to create the future leaders of the country and now the casualties from those experiments are trying to kill him.
Project collaboration: By Permission
Full synopsis
Synopsis: In late October 2044, Sen. Gene Sinclair seems to be coasting toward victory in the presidential election. That is, until he is shot and wounded by a gunman with an unusual glint in his eye.
Gene recovers and continues his campaign, but an enthralling, dark-haired woman named Rachel hands him a photograph during a political rally of a mother, father and daughter. From there, a mystery begins to unravel.
First, Gene's campaign manager, Malcolm, learns the gunman is a man named Eugene Meyers. He orders the Secret Service to take custody of the suspect. Meyers dies while being questioned.
Eugene Walters, a scraggly man in a cabin in Wisconsin, orders another gunman to head to Gene's next campaign stop.
A news reporter uncovers the 2000 experiments and breaks the story that Malcolm was one of the leaders of the project. Gene demands an explanation.
The reporter's next story is about two infants, only identified as "Baby R" and "Baby S," were whisked away from the labs in 2000. Their identities aren't known.
The latest gunman fails to get close to Gene during a campaign stop in San Francisco, so Walters decides to head to New York City, where the final debate of the campaign will be held.
The Secret Service kidnaps Rachel, but she escapes and heads toward Gene's hotel. Walters gets access to the senator's hotel room with the help of an undercover campaign worker. He tells Gene he needs to kill him because he has to once and for all stop this experiment. However, Rachel and a Secret Service agent shoot and kill Walters.
Gene talks with Rachel afterward, learning the dark-haired woman is actually his sister. The senator was part of the 2000 experiments when he was born Gene Roberts. He was taken away from his natural parents because he was the first experimental baby to turn out well. Gene also learns he is the mysterious "Baby R." The identity of "Baby S" is still unknown.
Gene performs well at the debate and on Election Night wins by the narrowest of margins.
On Inauguration Day, more secrets are unveiled, including the identity of "Baby S."
I have left out some of the details of the script to keep this synopsis short, but there are fascinating undercurrents throughout the screenplay.

Latest Work

  • Script 1 - David's Original Draft
    04/13/12
    Creative Notes:
    I once had an option with a Hollywood producer on this script. Although he lost interest in the project, the producer helped make this screenplay significantly better than it originally was. "Gene" has also finished in the quarterfinals of a screenwriting competition. With presidential politics being of such high interest, it is a very marketable script.
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