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Some time before the current timeline of the movie, David Gale was the head of the philosophy department at the (fictional) University of Austin and the author of several well-regarded books; he was also an active and visible member of Deathwatch, an anti-capital punishment activist group. One night at a graduation party, an inebriated David was seduced by Berlin, an attractive student from his class; earlier he had refused her advances to raise her failing grade, resulting in her expulsion from school. She then used the physical evidence of their sexual encounter to falsely accuse Gale of rape in revenge. While Berlin dropped the charges and fled town shortly afterwards, the negative publicity cost him his career as an educator and activist, and his marriage; with no wife and no job, Gale turned to drinking.

One of Gale’s best friends was Constance Harraway, a fellow Deathwatch activist with whom he became particularly close, especially after Gale’s wife, Sharon, left with their son to Spain; the custody laws there favor the mother and her father was the American ambassador, effectively shutting Gale out of his child’s life. When Harraway was found raped and murdered a few years later, Gale was charged with the crime, and convicted despite the best efforts of his well-meaning but ineffectual lawyer Braxton Belyeu. Now Gale awaits execution, and less than a week before the date of his fatal injection, Gale agrees – for a substantial fee – to tell his story to Bitsy Bloom, a nervy journalist from a major news magazine who arrives with the office intern, Zack Stemmons. As Bloom discusses the facts of the Harraway murder with Gale, it becomes clear to her that the details simply do not add up. A mysterious stranger slips evidence to her that suggest Gale has been framed-leaving Bloom and Stemmons only a few days to solve the mystery and save Gale from execution.

As their investigation proceeds, the implication that the rapist videotaped the assault is replaced by the revelation that Harraway recorded herself committing suicide, since she was going to die soon regardless from an ongoing battle with leukemia. The video showing the suicide isn’t found until moments before Gale’s death; in a frenzy, Bloom struggles by car, and then by foot to present the evidence to stop the execution. Unfortunately, she doesn’t reach the courthouse in time, and Gale dies an innocent man. The tape is released after his death, resulting in a media and political uproar. In an epilogue, the mysterious stranger delivers Gale’s interview fee from the magazine to Gale’s wife in Spain, along with a postcard from Berlin confessing to and apologizing for the rape accusation (his ex-wife looks distraught, knowing he told the truth and that she effectively stole their child away from him). Another videotape is delivered to Bloom, labeled “Off the Record”: the tape shows Dusty Wright-the mysterious stranger, who once also belonged to Deathwatch but was asked to leave the organization due to his extremist beliefs-confirming Harraway’s death, and then stepping aside to allow Gale, also present, to leave his thumb print on the plastic bag which Harraway used to suffocate herself. This way he could be executed and then proven innocent (according to the first tape), giving evidence of the injustices in capital punishment. It appears that the three – and is implied that even Gale’s “ineffectual” attorney – meticulously planned everything.

Starring – Kevin Spacey, Kate Winslet, Laura Linney, Gabriel Mann, Matt Craven
Director – Alan Parker.
Screenplay – Charles Randolph.
Official Site – http://www.thelifeofdavidgale.com/
IMDB – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289992/
Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_of_David_Gale

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