History Fridge / TheLifeOfDavidGale

** I beg to disagree about the "finding the right reporter" part. The only thing that really matters is the tape. All that's really needed is to get the tape published - if there's no other option, than the full version with Gale on it to make sure that it ''will'' make news, regardless of the reporter. Bitsey's involvement makes everything so much easier for Deathwatch, but the scheme would presumably still have worked even without her.

** I beg to disagree. The only thing that really matters is the tape. Even without her all that's really needed is to get the tape published - if there's no other option, than the full version with Gale on it to make sure that it ''will'' make news. Bitsey's involvement makes everything so much easier for Deathwatch, but the scheme would still have worked.

** There's also always the risk that the reporters get pulled off by some other story and move on. What if no (credible) network is willing to cough up the money, or Bitsey just decides that the evidence against him is sufficient and doesn't go chasing the story?

*** That's what the film makers are trying to promote. In truth, a journalist's ethics would oblige her to reveal the actual story, thus destroying Gale's argument against capital punishment (i.e. Gale had to commit fraud to break the system, so his argument that the system is inherently wrong loses all credibility. You can't claim something doesn't work if you intentionally break it). Journalists aren't lawyers - their ethics are to the truth of the story, not to promulgate a fraud in the name of keeping a confidence. Journalism 101.

* As a rather dark example of FridgeBrilliance, the plot of the movie makes more sense if you look at it as a pair of lonely, deeply depressed friends-one dying of an incurable illness, one ruined by false accusations and a divorce-agreeing to kill themselves in a suicide pact, and using a protest against capital punishment as an excuse for their decision. Especially when you consider that if and when Constance dies of leukemia, David will lose his only real friend and have even less to live for.

*** That's what the film makers are trying to promote. In truth, a journalist's ethics would oblige her to reveal the actual story, thus destroying Gale's argument against capital punishment (i.e. Gale had to commit fraud to break the system, so his argument that the system is inherently wrong loses all credibility. You can't claim something doesn't work if you intentionally break it). Journalists aren't lawyers or priests - their ethics are to the truth of the story, not to promulgate a fraud in the name of keeping a confidence. Journalism 101.

** Remember, that Gale and associates have committed multiple crimes. From as trivial as filing a false police report, to perjury, fraud, criminal libel, and conspiracy to commit murder (as assisted suicide was definitely not legal when this film was made), everyone involved in the scheme is a multiple felon. No journalist, regardless of their political feelings, is going to pass up reporting on that kind of story.

* On the more meta level, this film did a massive disservice to the anti-death-penalty position, as it presented adherents as being so deranged as to require a completely contrived fantasy situation to justify their stance against it.

** More to the point, what's to say that his lawyer wouldn't voir dire the "right" jury and land him a sentence of life without parole?

* On the more meta level, this film did a massive disservice to the anti-death-penalty position, as it presented adherents as being so deranged as to require a completely contrived situation to justify their stance against it.

* As a rather dark example of FridgeBrilliance, the plot of the movie makes more sense if you look at it as a pair of lonely, deeply depressed friends-one dying of an incurable illness, one ruined by false accusations and an unhappy marriage-agreeing to kill themselves in a suicide pact, and using a protest against capital punishment as an excuse for their decision. Especially when you consider that if and when Constance dies of leukemia, David will lose his only real friend and have even less to live for.

* As a rather dark example of FridgeBrilliance, the plot of the movie makes more sense if you look at it as a pair of lonely, deeply depressed friends- one dying of an incurable illness, one ruined by false accusations and an unhappy marriage- agreeing to kill themselves in a suicide pact, and using a protest against capital punishment as an excuse for their decision. Especially when you consider that if and when Constance dies of leukaemia, David will lose his only real friend and have even less to live for.

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* Gale's entire scheme depends on finding just the right reporter and a whole set of far-from-certain events to occur in order for his story to come out. It's more than a BatmanGambit or even a ThanosGambit, but really a ContrivedCoincidence.

* Gale and his co-conspirators intentionally involve and unwilling Bitsy and Zack in a conspiracy to commit judicial fraud, then ask them to cover it up.

*** That's what the film makers are trying to promote. In truth, a journalist's ethics would oblige her to reveal the actual story, thus destroying any argument against capital punishment (i.e. Gale had to commit fraud to break the system, so his argument that the system is inherently wrong loses all credibility. You can't claim something doesn't work if intentionally break it). Journalists aren't lawyers or priests - their ethics are to the truth of the story, not to promulgate a fraud in the name of keeping a confidence. Journalism 101.

** She can't, due to her obligation as a journalist to David to keep it off the record. So, she'll have to take it to the grave.

* So two people commit suicide to prove a point. What happens when Bitsy exposes the fact that it was a setup?

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