David Gale (Spacey) is a man who has tried hard to live by his principles but in a bizarre twist of fate, this devoted father, popular professor and respected death penalty opponent finds himself on Death Row for the rape and murder of fellow activist Constance Hallaway (Linney).

With only three days before his scheduled execution, Gale agrees to give Pulitzer-hungry reporter Bitsey Bloom (Winslet) the exclusive interview she’s been chasing.

But Bitsey soon realizes that this assignment is more than she bargained for, and that a man’s life is in her hands. Putting her own safety in jeopardy, she frantically races to piece together the shocking events surrounding Constance’s death, before it’s too late

The Death Penalty: The Political Argument

By Alan Parker

Our film is a thriller. It would be hypocritical to pretend otherwise, cognizant as we all are of the commercial demands of the contemporary movie business. Perhaps, because of this alone, I still would have made the film. But I would also be remiss in pretending that this was the only reason that I was attracted to this project.

Personally I am very much against the death penalty for several reasons. Charles Randolph, the writer, is against it because he believes that it doesn’t work. The actors - principally Kevin, Kate and Laura - have varying views, which probably mirror the myriad of current popular opinions.