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Absence of Malice (1981)

6.9
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Ratings: 6.9/10 from 6,578 users  
Reviews: 64 user | 19 critic

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.

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Title: Absence of Malice (1981)

Absence of Malice (1981) on IMDb 6.9/10

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Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 4 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Gallagher
...
...
Rosen
...
Teresa
Luther Adler ...
Malderone
Barry Primus ...
Waddell
...
McAdam
John Harkins ...
Davidek
Don Hood ...
Quinn
...
Wells
Arnie Ross ...
Eddie Frost
Phanie Napoli ...
Nickie (as Anna Marie Napoles)
...
Sarah Wylie
...
Hood 1
Joe Petrullo ...
Hood 2
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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. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

murder | reporter | mafia | slander | ethics | See more »

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. See more »


Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

|

Release Date:

18 December 1981 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Ausencia de malicia  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$40,700,000 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

This film's director Sydney Pollack was well known for making a number of pictures with actor Robert Redford. Paul Newman and Redford famously co-starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but Absence of Malice was the only ever film that Newman and Pollock made together. See more »

Goofs

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

Quotes

James A. Wells, Assistant U.S. Attorney General: You're a smart man, Mr. Gallagher. I'm pretty smart myself. Don't get too smart.
Michael Colin Gallagher: Everybody in this room is smart, and everybody was just doing their job, and Teresa Perrone is dead. Who do I see about that?
James A. Wells, Assistant U.S. Attorney General: Ain't nobody to see. I wish there was. You're excused, sir.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Newhart: Presence of Malice (1988) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
All the news that's fit to print (and then some)
1 October 2005 | by (Oldham, Gtr Manchester, England.) – See all my reviews

This movie provides a clever insight into the principles the press live by. Reporters sometimes lose their basic humanity because they're not looking at the human interest, but at covering all the angles. What's newsworthy is what's in the public domain as fact, not gossip. It's definitely something to think about in this age when large sections of the media are intent on muckraking over the affairs of those who are deemed to be 'high-profile'...

The movie asks us, though, to keep in mind that sometimes there's more going on than meets the eye, and that certain acts function as a means to an end. It can be seen as an extension of that great 70's movie tradition where acclaimed directors make polished films exposing high-level corruption. "Absence of Malice" is an involving exercise in paranoid mystery, with Newman in fine form as always, and Sally Field providing capable support.


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Wilford Brimley was great bstar56
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