Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

not horrible nor great

From my favorite movies..

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

No matter how reliable the sources seem, reporting on possible crime elements involving private citizens requires more facts than just a supposed reliable source. So finds out ambitious Miami reporter Sally Field, so determined to be a part of the big boy's club that she takes on more than she's qualified to handle at this junction in her career and ends up paying the price. The victim of her scoop is an alleged crime figure (Paul Newman) who runs a waterfront liquor manufacturing corporation and is accused of being involved in the disappearance of a pivotal union boss. He claims that he was nowhere near Miami when the missing man disappeared but won't give an alibi. Field keeps digging and finds a key witness to Newman's whereabouts, but for the troubled Melinda Dillon, revealing where they were could destroy her life, and she begs Field to not reveal her name. But ambitious journalism knows no boundaries, and this leads to a horrific twist that threatens to come between Newman and Field's growing friendship and reveals some not so surprising developments in Miami's legal prosecution department.To tell the truth, you must interview many witnesses and determine which facts are key, which conflict with other information and the credibility of all sources. Field quickly spills a cup of coffee all over her desk when Newman unexpectedly pops by after her first story appears to demand to know where she got her information. This shows her greenness in the field of journalism, evident by her being kept out of a key video showing of the funeral of Newman's father where he was seen with key mob figures and got arrested for assaulting a police officer. As Field and Newman become closer and intimately involved, it becomes very apparent that something is going on in the legal world in the department of justice and that Newman is the intended fall guy for a crime that probably could never be solved. This culminates in a showdown with justice department head Wilford Brimley who must clean up all the messes yet help the department save face in the wake of a growing scandal.While the age difference between Field and Newman is very apparent, it's also to see why a young woman could fall for the still striking older Newman, fit and trim nearly 30 years into a still hot career. She's established to be ambitious but ethical, and this mistake early in her career might cost her a good job (although that is only hinted at), but it is obvious that she will learn from her mistakes and how not to be used in political wars between government and alleged crime figures. She's more of a quiet reactor to Newman's plea for justice, and coming off of her Oscar winning performance in "Norma Rae" adds another role to throw away the "Gidget" image. Her character identifies as a "Women's libber", but unlike many of today's modern feminists, she's aware that she's far from perfect and needs the mentorship of the men she works with, particularly her fair minded boss, typically nicknamed "Mac" (an amusing cliché in films about journalism.)As for Newman, he commands every scene he's in, and with "The Verdict" around the corner, proved that an aging actor with white hair could still be hot in an era where youth was taking over pretty much everywhere. His scenes with both Field and Dillon show the many layers he invests in this character, and his reaction to Field after a tragic event might raise eyebrows as an attempted rape, but something in the way the story is developed makes his actions understandable, and even Field's character seems to be aware that she has pushed him to his outburst. Dillon is as far from the lovable mother in "A Christmas Story" as she can be, closer to her role as Nick Nolte's sister in "Prince of Tides", and along with Newman, justifiably received an Oscar nomination. A superb script and excellent direction by Sydney Pollack make this a modern classic, although I feel it dates itself a bit in some aspects. Still, with those powerhouse performances and a story that is relevant even today, I find "Absence of Malice" to be quite timely and important. Every character is given layers to make them believably human, even the minor ones who have a few moments to make their participation in this film stand out. The film ends on a note of hope, although with the passing of time, it seems that journalism has not learned from past mistakes, and as long as a headline sells newspapers, stories like the one given for Newman will continue to pop up on the front page even if they don't reveal the entire truth.

Paul Newman's hit piece on the press is pretty see-through in its intent. All because Newman had issues about people printing stories about him. So, what follows is a one-sided story about an incompetent reporter (Sally Field) and the press apparatus recklessly tearing into an innocent man (Paul Newman).Since the movie is as one-sided as it is, you would hope for some style from the script, but it's instead just plodding and without any style whatsoever. Field, who's shown herself as highly competent in films like "Norma Rae" inexplicably plays a complete ditz here. Newman just plays his stock Newman character.The way the story unfolds is clunky and unfocused. Throwing in a lot of mafia dealings, lots of unnecessary melodrama, and a kinda-sorta romance between the mismatched Newman and Field makes the movie thoroughly unwieldy.I've never been a fan of Dave Grusin's film scores, so his over-the-top music here again proves to be too much. Owen Roizman is a very good cinematographer, but his work can't help the movie with its issues.Sydney Pollack was always a director who was certainly the lesser of his contemporaries. Easily proving this is how much better a job Sidney Lumet did with Newman the next year with "The Verdict." And, it didn't hurt that Lumet had the great David Mamet writing the script.* (1 Out of 10 Stars)

Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman) is a upstanding liquor wholesaler in Miami. His late father was a local gangster and so is his uncle Malderone (Luther Adler). The Strike Force headed by Elliott Rosen (Bob Balaban) leaks a story to reporter Megan Carter (Sally Field) that Michael is under investigation for Longshoremen union boss Joseph Diaz's disappearance. The paper's lawyer declares that the truth is secondary as long as there is an Absence of Malice. Soon Michael is struggling with the union refusing to work for him. He has an alibi but he refuses to use it. He had accompanied Teresa Peronne (Melinda Dillon) to get an abortion in Atlanta. Megan writes about the story and Teresa commits suicide. Megan breaks down and tells Michael the source of her original story.It's an interesting take on the damage of reporting of leaks. It's great to see the news media not put on a pedestal. There is a lot of truth in this. It is normal operations for everybody today. It is the counter argument to 'All the President's Men'. It does take a few unlikely turns but it doesn't go too far. I don't really buy the entire reversal of fortunes. Director Sydney Pollack does a capable job. I do wish he brings a grittier sensibility. Also the oversexualized Sally Field feels very awkward. And in the end, the movie leaves the murder unanswered.

"Absence of Malice" is a film that starts off wonderfully and then sort of peters off after a while. It's a shame, as its focus on responsibility and the press is a very important and thought-provoking subject.The film begins with a spunky reporter (Sally Field) being manipulated by a rogue government official. She is handed leads--not realizing it's all being planted. However, she NEVER behaves responsibly to confirm or refute the leads and as a result she seriously harms an innocent man (Paul Newman). A bit later, his friend is able to prove his innocence, but instead of letting the story alone, Field very irresponsibly prints the story and ends up doing something HORRIBLE! At this point, the film was amazing and my daughter and I found ourselves yelling at Sally Field's character--which shows just how well they've constructed the story. It makes a GREAT case for a responsible press. HOWEVER, this is only about half way through the film and the second half loses steam quickly. Too much time is spent on a government conspiracy angle which really weakened the first part of the film. The only saving grace during this portion is Wilfred Brimley's character--he was the best thing about the film. And what about Newman and Field? Well, although she really did something horrible (what it is you'll need to see for yourself), now they are friends....WHAT?!?!?! This made no sense at all. The bottom line is that the movie is good but manages to blow much of its point by the end. A decent re-write could have made this a great film. Instead, it's uneven but still quite watchable.