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.

This is a film about the power of the press. Absence Of Malice is a legal drama that wherein Sally Field stars as Megan, an ambitious newspaper reporter who, based on information from FBI investigator Rosen, played by Bob Balaban, writes a scathing article that implicates Gallagher, a reclusive business-owner played by Paul Newman, in the recent disappearance of a labor leader. When Gallagher confronts Megan and sets her straight, the two team together to prove his innocence and have a few romantic interludes along the way.The film also features Wilford Brimley and Melinda Dillon as part of the supporting cast.The screenplay was written by Kurt Luedtke and David Rayfiel; and it was directed by Sydney Pollack.Although the it has a talented cast,screenwriter and director,it has resulted into an uneven film feature especially when presenting the press as somewhat immoral and unethical.That is basically true especially with the Sally Field character,Megan.But nevertheless,the performances of the stars were great especially Paul Newman,who was worthy of an Oscar nomination.And also,the movie isn't short of entertainment.

Absence of Malice had the potential to be a good pic about the morality of the media and being mindful of how the news is reported and who is the ones giving the information to those who report it. The movie has a great cast: Paul Newman as the son of a reputed mobster who may or may not be involved in nefarious doings. Sally Field as the gullible reporter who is unaware of the puppet strings on her back. Melinda Dillion as the friend of Paul Newman's character that ends up dead. The cast however cant do much with the material given to it. Overall the story is OK but it just does not get moving or hold any interest in the characters.