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Absence of Malice (1981)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
18 December 1981 (USA) moreTagline:
Suppose you picked up this morning's newspaper and your life was a front page headline... And everything they said was accurate... But none of it was true. morePlot:
Michael Colin Gallagher is the son of a long dead Mafia boss who is a simple liquor warehouse owner... more | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Paul Newman: 1925 - 2008 (From IMDb News. 27 September 2008, 8:49 AM, PDT)
Stars Pay Tribute To Pollack
(From WENN. 27 May 2008, 5:15 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Requiem for two heavyweights... more (52 total)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 | |
| Anna Marie Napoles | ... | Nickie | |
| Shelley Spurlock | ... | Sarah Wylie | |
| Shawn McAllister | ... | Hood 1 | |
| Joe Petrullo | ... | Hood 2 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
116 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreSound Mix:
StereoCertification:
South Korea:12 | USA:PG (certificate #26332) | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | West Germany:12 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PGFun Stuff
Goofs:
Factual errors: Except for the character of James Quinn (Don Hood), all of the other attorneys and law enforcement people (played by, among others, Bob Balaban, Wilford Brimley, and Barry Primus) are clearly federal officers. Brimley's character also refers to Quinn at one point as having been appointed by the President. Yet Quinn is also told by Balaban's character that he is too involved in "local politics," and Quinn is consistently referred to as the "district attorney." A federally-appointed prosecutor, however, is always referred to as the "United States Attorney" while only state or county prosecutors are called a "district attorney." moreQuotes:
James A. Wells, Assistant U.S. Attorney General: You had a leak? You call what's goin' on around here a leak? Boy, the last time there was a leak like this, Noah built hisself a boat. moreFAQ
How does Megan get wind of the supposedly "secret" investigation of Michael Gallagher?How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
What does the title "Absence of Malice" mean?
more
more (52 total)
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I taped this lauded 80's movie months ago and prompted by the recent death of Paul Newman, finally made time to watch it, only realising as I did so that its director too, Sydney Pollack, has also lately taken his last bow. The film is about the corrupting power of trial by newspaper to damage and sometimes destroy innocent lives and in this particular case of one man's courage and ingenuity in fighting back, even for what seems in the end a Pyrrhic victory against his malefactors. Pollack's favoured ouevre certainly seemed to be contemporary thrillers, often positing a faceless establishment body, personified by dehumanised no-names and their usually destructive oppression of innocent individuals. Although dated by things like contemporary fashions and background music, (no-one surely can defend this era for its style and music!) these films (and there were loads of them in the mid 70's and early 80's - "All the President's Men", "Dog Day Afternoon", "The Verdict", to name but a few, often directed by the two Sydneys, Pollack and Lumet, and peopled by acting heavyweights like Pacino, Redford, Newman, Winger and Fonda) represent a largely neglected sub-genre of quality movie-making rarely seen today. The film at hand here, "Absence of Malice" occasionally lacks narrative drive and suspense but makes up for that with everyday realism, for example drawing in themes on disparate subjects like abortion and trade-union relations. With Pollack's usual high-standard cinematography, particularly his naturally-lit interiors and indeed exteriors, you always feel that this fictional story could actually be happening here and now. It's helped by good dialogue and the skills of the ensemble acting cast. Newman walks away with the acting plaudits, effortlessly drawing the viewer's sympathy and admiration although I was very impressed by Melinda Dillon's underplaying of her part as Newman's "close personal friend", caught in the cross-fire and also Wilford Brimley's cameo as the State Department official who effectively acts as judge and jury at the mini-courtroom climax. Sally Field, who was briefly, at this time, the it-girl for modern-day character parts, lacks some heft alongside the predominantly male cast and at times plays the part more like Jean Arthur than Faye Dunaway. You can also see her acting at key points, particularly in the scene when Newman loses his temper and almost assaults her. Despite a brief (perhaps unnecessary) romantic liaison between the two leads, the film ends satisfyingly with an enigmatic shot of Newman sailing (literally) into the sunset leaving a chastened Field behind. In conclusion then, an intelligent, thought-provoking, well-structured and plotted movie, its main theme still relevant today in tabloid-land.