When a prosecutor leaks a false story that a liquor warehouse owner is involved in the murder of a union head, the man's life begins to unravel.
Director:
Sydney PollackWriter:
Kurt Luedtke
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Title: Absence of Malice (1981)
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Edit
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 |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (56) »
Storyline
Mike Gallagher is a Miami liquor wholesaler whose deceased father was a local mobster. The FBI organized crime task force have no evidence that he's involved with the mob but decide to pressure him into perhaps revealing something - anything - about a murder they're sure was a mob hit. They 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 Keywords:
murder | reference to the john f. kennedy assassination | coffee | newspaper | mafia |Taglines:
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. 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 »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
18 December 1981 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Ausencia de malicia See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$12,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$64,775, 22 November 1981, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$40,716,963Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Michael Colin Gallagher: How about Friday?
Megan Carter: Okay!
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Paul Newman and Melinda Dillon also appeared in the hockey movie Slapshot in 1977. See more »Goofs
Megan sends Gallagher a copy of the front page of the next morning's daily newspaper at least 12 hours before the edition even went to print. In reality, the front page is never laid out until the last minute before deadline to insure the most current news. See more »Quotes
Megan Carter: I am free every night this week but Friday.Michael Colin Gallagher: How about Friday?
Megan Carter: Okay!
See more »
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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.