The Life of David Gale Page #2

---

My reputation

got us invited here.

I play by the rules

even if my colleagues don't like it.

- It's called... Objectivity.

- Ambition?

- So, what can I get you, ma'am?

- Coffee. Just coffee.

- Don't push me, smart-ass.

You know you're in

the Bible Belt when there are

more churches than Starbucks.

When there are more prisons

than Starbucks.

He should die, die, die.

He's ready to see y'all now.

Yes, I am. I'm listenin'

very patiently.

Ma'am, I'm not gonna

debate with you...

the rights and wrongs

of this situation.

Our job is to run

the state prison system.

Well, ma'am, this is not France.

This is not Germany.

This is Texas,

and we're gonna follow Texas law.

Well, you're very welcome, ma'am.

Good-bye now.

Thank you, Margie.

Correspondents Bloom

and Stevens, I presume.

- Yes. Hello.

- Stemmons.

Stemmons. Sorry.

Won't happen again.

I'm Duke Grover, T.D.C.J.

Community relations.

He's usually

real good with names.

And these days, I always like to ask,

do you prefer Miss, Mrs. Or Ms.?

- Bitsey.

- Bitsey it is.

- Margie, I'm stealin' your guests.

- Okeydokey.

- Bitsey, you ever been in a prison?

- Yes.

- On death row?

- No.

I.D.'s again, please.

All executions in the state of Texas...

occur over at

our Huntsville unit downtown...

but death row is here

for the time being.

This is home to all 442 offenders

prior to their date.

Average stay on row

is nine years.

Now, some get commuted,

but most get put to death.

- Earl. It'll put you off your supper,

But, then, it's supposed to.

Carla, New York guests

for Mr. Gale.

- Can I get your bags?

- We have three concerns here...

- safety, safety and safety.

Visitation area's entirely secure. We

just ask that you don't touch the glass.

- Windex gets expensive.

- Oh, hey.

- You're not carrying a weapon,

are you, Bitsey?

- Bitsey?

- Sorry. No.

- Mr. Stemmons, you packin'?

- No, sir.

- Cell phone?

- They're not working. No service.

Then you won't mind

leaving them here.

We also have rules against the carryin'

of large sums of cash...

- Thank you.

- And the wearin' of open-toed shoes.

Those will do just fine.

You want to step on through now?

There you go. Mm-hmm.

- Thank you, ma'am.

- That's fine.

- Open-toed shoes?

- Drives 'em crazy.

Your turn, Mr. Stemmons.

Right on through there.

Good, good. Now, should

anything unpleasant occur

in the visitation area...

we ask you to stay put.

And please, follow the instructions

of our fine correctional officers...

should they see fit

to give you any.

Bobby. Now, anything you say

can be overheard...

and any discussion of criminal

activity on your part is admissible.

You're not plannin' on

a jailbreak now, are you, Bitsey?

- Uh, no.

- Well, rain seems to be holdin' off.

You watch your step here, Bitsey girl.

This cement can get pretty slippery.

This is our Japanese garden.

Now, we ask you not

to throw coins in the pond.

Right this way.

Almost there.

Here we are.

This is our visitation area right here.

All yours, Mr. Belyeu.

Well, that's it for me.

- You folks have a safe visit. Bye now.

- Thank you.

- Ms. Bloom? Come right on in here

and make yourself comfortable.

- Yes.

Did that P.R. Man

validate your parkin'?

- He said the gift shop would do it.

- She's a smart one.

- Braxton Belyeu, Mr. Gale's attorney.

- This is Zack Stemmons.

My good pleasure.

And right over here,

we have the man of the hour.

- Hello.

- Hello.

- Hi.

- Sit down,

Gale. Prisoner will not stand.

Now, why can't they

turn that thing down?

My lawyer respectfully requests

that you adjust the volume

on the speaker system.

Gale. Sit down.

They're practicing

being cruel and unusual.

Well, Ms. Bloom, I'm sure

you're bitin' at the bit.

It is our understanding that you

are to have three two-hour sessions...

- today, tomorrow and Thursday.

- Mm-hmm.

All at 3:
00 in the p.m.

I'm sorry we can't

afford you more time...

but, contrary

to popular rumor...

we have not yet begun to fight.

It is our understanding

that you will do this alone.

- The magazine would

prefer that I'm here.

- Alone. Understood.

It's also our understanding

that you will use no recording

equipment of any kind.

- Correct.

- Excellent.

Now, I have a few papers for which

I need your Jo Ann Hancock.

So if you'd be kind enough

to stop by my Austin office

at your earliest convenience.

Thursday mornin', say?

Expenses and so forth.

Fine. Till Thursday then. Good luck,

Ms. Bloom. I'll stop by later.

Mr. Zack, what say you and me

partake of a death-defyin' cigarette...

in the visitors' parking lot?

Bye-bye, y'all.

- So.

- Please pull up a seat.

- He's quite a character.

- Yes. He's about the only

outside contact I have now.

- And a good friend.

- Where's your ex-wife?

I don't want you to ask me

questions about her or my son.

What I offer you is one thing,

but questions about them

are not part of our deal.

Okay. Anything else,

just say "Off the record."

I'll take it to my grave.

You can trust me on that.

- Does this count

as recording equipment?

- How do we start?

- We start with...

you telling me

what I'm doing here.

No one who looks through that glass

sees a person. They see a crime.

I'm not David Gale.

I'm a murderer and a rapist...

four days shy of his execution.

You're here because

I wanna be remembered

as much for how I led my life...

and the decisions that I made

as for how my life ended.

- Why me?

- Why not?

- You spent some time

behind bars yourself recently.

- I certainly have.

Because you do take things

to your grave.

Protecting sources,

even kiddie porn scum,

is the magazine policy...

and mine.

I know.

That's your reputation.

Well, I have a hard story

for you to tell, Ms. Bloom.

It's not going to be easy.

So where do we begin?

Well, I suppose I should

tell you how I became

the head of philosophy...

at the University of Austin.

Come on. Think.

I want you to reach back into

those minds and tell me, tell us all...

What is it that

you fantasize about?

World peace?

I thought so.

- Do you fantasize about

international fame?

Do you fantasize about

winning a Pulitzer Prize?

Or a Nobel Peace Prize?

- An MTV Music Award?

Do you fantasize about meeting

some genius hunk, ostensibly bad...

but secretly simmering

with noble passion...

- and willing to sleep

on the wet spot?

- I'll take two! I'll take two!

- What was that?

Kimberly will take two.

You get Lacan's point.

Fantasies have to be unrealistic...

because the moment... the second...

that you get what you seek...

you don't...

you can't want it anymore.

In order to continue to exist...

desire must have its objects

perpetually absent.

It's not the "it" that you want.

It's the fantasy of"it."

- So, desire supports crazy fantasies.

Sorry.

This is what Pascal means when he says

that we are only truly happy...

when daydreaming

about future happiness.

- It came today.

- Or why we say...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes