Absence of Malice (1981)
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Duration: 116 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Sydney Pollack
Stars: Paul Newman, Sally Field and Bob Balaban
IMDb score:
6,9 (16.761)
Releasedate: 19 November 1981
Absence of Malice plot
"In America can a man be guilty until proven innocent?"
Michael Gallagher, a businessman with shady connections, reads in the newspaper that he is the subject of a crime investigation. Suddenly everything he ever worked hard for is discredited. He meets Megan Carter, an ambitious journalist and the author of the offending article. Together, they learn that the story was deliberately leaked to Carter as part of a plot set up by whoever is leading the investigation. At all costs, Gallagher wants to uncover the truth, not only to regain his integrity but also his life.
Actors and actresses
Megan Carter
Michael Colin Gallagher
Elliott Rosen
Teresa Perrone
Santos Malderone
Robert Waddell
McAdam
Davidek
James A. Quinn
James J. Wells
Reviews & comments
scorsese
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- 13569 messages
- 11359 votes
A good film in which a man learns through a newspaper article that he is under suspicion by the police. A good and entertaining story that scrutinizes the professional ethics of journalism. Paul Newman and Saly Field both deliver good performances; however, the latter is perhaps a bit miscast because she is simply too 'sweet'.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Dievegge
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- 3219 messages
- 8320 votes
This script was the debut of Kurt Luedtke, a former journalist who knew the newspaper world well. There are plenty of examples of people whose careers went downhill after their reputations were tarnished in the media, without them being officially accused of anything. Journalist Megan Carter (Sally Field) faces the dilemma of whether or not to publish insinuations about businessman Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman). When she does, after extensive consultation with a lawyer and her editor-in-chief, the consequences are almost incalculable.
A second theme is the erosion of norms within the justice system. Attorney General Elliott Rosen (Bob Balaban) deliberately creates a leak regarding Gallagher. According to Luedtke, the incident in which a file "accidentally" remains lying around in a room with a journalist actually happened.
A third theme is the taboo surrounding abortion in Catholic circles, even more so then than now. This is cleverly integrated into the plot.
Sally Field plays one of her best roles, fragile yet driven. The role of Paul Newman, the son of a mobster, was originally intended for Al Pacino. When he was unavailable, they changed the Italian-sounding name to Gallagher.
A detail for nitpickers: if you pause the DVD at the moment a newspaper article comes into close-up, you will see that the same paragraph, which has nothing to do with the subject, is used multiple times.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Filmkriebel
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- 10253 messages
- 4797 votes
A powerful story about journalistic slander against a man considered the prime suspect by an investigation team in the disappearance and suspected murder of a union official due to his family ties to criminals. However, everything goes wrong professionally, both with the investigation team which actually has no hard evidence, and with the journalists, who cause emotional and reputational damage to an innocent man. The episode involving the suicide of the suspect's best friend felt really awful. The Newman-Fields romance is a mandatory element in a drama/thriller that remains stuck in the classic register. Given the gravity of the situation, I found Newman's character to come across as too relaxed. I thought it was a good film, but it is quite old-school, meaning a lot of dialogue and little action.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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