In Andrew Niccol's science fiction film "Gattaca" (1997), "one of the more interesting scripts" Hawke said he had read in "a number of years", he played the role of a man who infiltrates a society of genetically perfect humans by assuming another man's identity. Although "Gattaca" was not a success at the box office, it drew generally favorable reviews from critics. The "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" reviewer wrote that "Hawke, building on the sympathetic-but-edgy presence that has served him well since his kid-actor days, is most impressive". In 1998, Hawke appeared alongside Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert De Niro in "Great Expectations", a contemporary film adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. During the same year, Hawke collaborated with Linklater again on "The Newton Boys", based on the true story of the Newton Gang. Critical reviews for each film were mixed. The following year, Hawke starred in "Snow Falling on Cedars", based on David Guterson's novel of the same title. Set in the Pacific Northwest and featuring a love affair between a European-American man and Japanese-American woman, the film met with an unenthusiastic reception;" Entertainment Weekly" noted, "Hawke scrunches himself into such a dark knot that we have no idea who Ishmael is or why he acts as he does."