Absence of Malice (1981)

When a prosecutor leaks a false story that a liquor warehouse owner is involved in the murder of an union head, the man's life begins to unravel.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writer:

Kurt Luedtke

Stars:

Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Newman	...	Gallagher
Sally Field	...	Megan
Bob Balaban	...	Rosen
Melinda Dillon	...	Teresa
Luther Adler	...	Malderone
Barry Primus	...	Waddell
Josef Sommer	...	McAdam
John Harkins	...	Davidek
Don Hood	...	Quinn
Wilford Brimley	...	Wells
Arnie Ross	...	Eddie Frost
Phanie Napoli	...	Nickie (as Anna Marie Napoles)
Shelley Spurlock	...	Sarah Wylie
Shawn McAllister	...	Hood 1
Joe Petrullo	...	Hood 2

Storyline

Mike Gallagher is a Miami liquor wholesaler whose deceased father was a local mobster. The FBI organized crime task force has no evidence that he's involved with the mob but decide to pressure him perhaps revealing something - anything - about a murder they're sure was a mob hit. The let Megan Carter, a naive but well-meaning journalist, know he is being investigated and Gallagher's name is soon all over the newspaper. Gallagher has an iron-clad alibi for when the murder occurred but won't reveal it to protect his fragile friend Teresa. When Carter publishes her story, tragedy ensues. Needing to make amends, Carter tells Gallagher the source of the first story about him and he sets out to teach the FBI and the Federal Attorney a lesson.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | newspaper | mafia | reporter | slander | 

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Taglines:

The D.A., Feds and the police set her up to write the story that explodes his world. Now he's going to write the book on getting even.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 December 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ausencia de malicia

Filming Locations:

Coral Gables, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$40,700,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Mirage Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman)'s antique boat was the "Rum Runner" from the Port of Miami, Florida. The vessel's name evokes the profession of the character's mobster father (i.e. bootlegging). A 46-foot classic cruiser built in 1941, the vessel's birth-name is actually "The Optimist," and it was certainly in that spirit that the director, crew and stars ventured out onto Biscayne Bay interruptedly, weather permitting, over a period of nearly three weeks. Biscayne Bay figures importantly in an early scene between Sally Field and Paul Newman who lunch together aboard his boat.

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Goofs

As Gallagher throws a newspaper on the table in the conference room, the position of one book relative to the other changes.

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Quotes

Michael Colin Gallagher: [tersely] I'm Michael Gallagher. I want to know where this story came from.

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Connections

Featured in The 58th Annual Academy Awards (1986)

User Reviews

Compelling

There's really no other word for it. I find the whole of this movie compelling, from Sally Fields' naivete to Paul Newman's innocent who turns the tables on his prosecutors, to the various supporting characters who all have their little niche. The best of all is Wilford Brimley, who gets to chew scenery and totally steal the scene he's in. It's an intelligent drama, addressing a subject as relevant today as it was in '81, with just enough humor to leaven the whole thing.