# Liberals Don't Like "David Gale" cos They See Themselves in the Mirror - SPOILERS **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672 "2005-01-14T05:44:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672/41 "2005-01-15T16:18:58Z")
> [@Kaitlyn](#): > > The movie critics go to special screenings earlier in the week, often with several of the same critics at the same screening. They might talk to each other at the screening or afterwards. Before the reviews are published, they can easily have an idea what the general concensus concering a particular movie is. In the same city, maybe. But we’re talking about a film that got bad reviews nationally, 19% at [Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/life_of_david_gale/) and an average review of 4.2 of 10. Listen **roger** , David Gale has an intensely stupid and convoluted ending (see also: The Contender), one that invalidates its premise. It would be like if you had a thing against pit bulls and set about to prove that they’re dangerous by beat a random one with a stick until it attacked and maimed you. It **is** made worse by the fact that the director actrually believes in the cause he’s portraying – he thinks he’s helping! – but it would be stupid no matter what. It’s like that euthanasia thread that was posed a while back in GD that eventually devolved (or evolved, as the case may be) into parody because the premise was so dumb as to be meaningless. It’s got nothing to do with an unflattering reflection, it’s to do with a waste of our two hours with the rough equivalent of a shaggy dog story. ---
**Author:** ![sjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@sjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjc)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672/42 "2005-01-15T22:02:09Z")
I saw the movie on video a while back. I really had no idea what it was supposed to be about or anything other than that it wasn’t light and happy. I didn’t really like it and agree with the people in this thread that it didn’t make sense. I thinki t was pretty shallow, ultimately. In the beginning I was trying to read depth into the story, hoping there would be depth, but as the movie continued I just didn’t find that the characters developed sufficiently. Though the ending helped kill it for me, by the time the movie was halfway over it was already pretty much a lost cause anyway. I only saw it once, I didn’t analyze it that much. I don’t think I could really argue my point much, I just didn’t like it and I don’t think it had so much to do with the subject matter or the politics, but rather the general lack of dimension (as it seemed to me). For the record, I don’t like the death penalty. I can’t think of a case where it really makes much sense to me. On the other hand, I wouldn’t say I’m dogmatic about it. I’m certain my stance on the matter affects my judgement of the movie (just as _everyone’s_ political stances their affect judgement of movies, I believe). ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672/43 "2005-01-17T03:16:08Z")
Okay, I’ll round off this interesting discussion, if I may, by tying a few loose ends together. **Chorpler** , I’m 95% certain that it was on the DVD extra that Ms Linney said she didn’t use a body double. (BTW, who was she in _Love, Actually_, i.e. whose other half? Incidentally - and perhaps fuel for another thread, but it’s probably been done - I thought \*Love Actually \* was utter tosh, even though I went to school and once acted opposite the bloke who wrote and directed it, and like much of his other (admittedly, mostly early) stuff. As I recall, Ebert gave it 3 stars, whereas I’d have given it one. The scenes between Neeson and his stepson were nauseating and totally unconvincing, just for starters. Oh, and the scenes between Tim from _The Office_ and his mate (was that Linney?) were far too fond of themselves - one of my main criticisms of Curtis’s work. Too “intense”, too “clever”, too “funny”…) **Kaitlin** , my thoughts exactly as I reflected on Marley’s comments poopooing my mild conspiracy theory re professional film critics. Heck, it’s so easy to be swayed by one’s peers whatever field you’re in, especially as you’re making your way and seeking to establish your reputation. To everyone who thinks it’s a crappy film because of the impossible premise of its ending, among other things, I understand your point. But, isn’t it still possible that flawed human beings, like Gale and Constance, would have acted like that? I saw no problem with that. Maybe I’m a bit psycho myself! (But I thought we all lived in a world of shadows.) I rest my case. Thanks to **CK** for stretching the rule a bit to allow a bit of “smoking” in his cafe! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672/44 "2005-01-17T04:17:56Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > This film (made of course by people - unlike me - who oppose the DP) succeeds in making the viewer think. The trailer succeeded in making this viewer think – specifically, to think that 1)a brain-damaged baboon could guess the “twist ending” from just the trailer, and to conclude therefrom that 2)the movie would stink under a pool of liquid helium. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672/45 "2005-01-17T04:29:11Z")
**Steve** , I wish you would say what you really think! You can have all the clues you want and I’ll never guess who did it\*. Except, these days it’s never the black person, and usually not the woman. And always the guy with the English accent, if there’s one of those anywhere in the vicinity of the movie. - I must have read 20-odd Agatha Christies, and I think I’ve only ever got one of the killers. Random gets more bad guys than me. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672/46 "2005-01-17T04:36:03Z")
If the trailer was the asnme as the clip I saw on the DVD, then it was indeed a mistake. Without having seen the figure of the man leaning over the woman’s body, a baboon would have had a tougher time of guessing the ending. I didn’t, and I’m at least on a par with a baboon and considerably brighter than a brain damaged one. I think… ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672/47 "2005-01-17T05:22:59Z")
> [@Menocchio](#): > > I do agree that some reviewers (Ebert among them) especially haed it because they took an issue they take very seriously, and handled it so very ineptly. An unfortunate bit of personal bias, but of no real harm, since the film itself was so inept. I’m inclined to agree that there was a personal bias in the sense that idiotic treatment of an issue you understand and care about is going to be downchecked far more severely than equally idiotic treatment of an issue that confuses and bores you. If this factor didn’t make any difference, the movie version of _Starship Troopers_ (for example) would have also joined the zero-star club. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672/48 "2005-01-17T10:09:09Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > **Chorpler** , I’m 95% certain that it was on the DVD extra that Ms Linney said she didn’t use a body double. Oh, cool, then all I need to do is look on the DVD. Thanks. > [@](#): > > (BTW, who was she in _Love, Actually_, i.e. whose other half? Incidentally - and perhaps fuel for another thread, but it’s probably been done - I thought \*Love Actually \* was utter tosh, even though I went to school and once acted opposite the bloke who wrote and directed it, and like much of his other (admittedly, mostly early) stuff. As I recall, Ebert gave it 3 stars, whereas I’d have given it one. The scenes between Neeson and his stepson were nauseating and totally unconvincing, just for starters. Oh, and the scenes between Tim from _The Office_ and his mate (was that Linney?) were far too fond of themselves - one of my main criticisms of Curtis’s work. Too “intense”, too “clever”, too “funny”…) Ahem, yes, well, I certainly didn’t buy the $20 _Love Actually_ DVD and then only watch the one Laura Linney nude scene, thus rendering me unable to give an opinion about how stupid the film was or tell you the name of the guy she was doing the scene with, no sir, not me. My wife watched the whole film and had been looking forward to it, and she was vastly disappointed. She gave it a one out of five. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberals-dont-like-david-gale-cos-they-see-themselves-in-the-mirror-spoilers/284672.md?page=2)