Absence of malice

Absence of Malice (original title: Absence of Malice) is a 1981 American film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Paul Newman and Sally Field in the leading roles.

Plot

Michael Gallagher is in the liquor business in Miami, Florida. He is the son of a deceased mob boss, but Michael has nothing to do with organized crime. A prosecutor, Elliott Rosen, who has been investigating the murder of a union leader for six months without success, makes a false investigation of him to make him a suspect in the crime and leaks it to the press who is interested in the matter through the journalist Megan Carter that she has been manipulated by the prosecutor for that purpose. She does so because of the failure of legal attempts to find them and because he is convinced that Gallagher can find them through acquaintances of his deceased father's.

She publishes the fabricated information that he himself leaked to her, harassing Michael in hopes of getting an exclusive. As she acts in the interest of public opinion there is no lack of malice in this regard and she may as well cover up the Rosen leak. Although they still arise between both feelings, she gives priority to her professional goal. Additionally, Michael is being harassed by the murdered leader's syndicate, because they believe the story, and by organized crime, which has correctly deduced what is happening and therefore sees Gallagher as a potential danger to his interests. Finally the district attorney and local superior Quinn, knowing later what is happening, decides to allow it in the hope of finding the murderer and thus gain political advantage.

Michael correctly suspects that the story comes from someone investigating Diaz's murder and decides to use all his cunning to get out of the compromising situation he finds himself in. Later he also seeks revenge, because the harassment later causes the suicide of Teresa Perone, a friend of his, who lived with him for the last few years and who committed suicide, when the harassment revealed by chance that she had recently had an abortion and that she wanted to hide it out of religious shame, which led to her suicide when it appeared in the press, since she had the feeling that her intimate privacy was being violated with it, in addition to being temporarily in a mentally weak situation for what she did.

Eventually Michael finds out from Megan that he feels guilty about Teresa's death, and that Rosen is behind it all. Then he, with an elaborate trick, manages to make Rosen, Quinn and the local FBI, under Rosen's orders, break other laws in order to achieve his purposes and expose everything in this way, for which Wells, Rosen's top prosecutor at the national level, is later sent by the Ministry of Justice to clarify the matter. He summons all those involved to a meeting and manages to clarify what happened there. Quinn must resign, Rosen is fired by Wells for his actions, while Megan loses credibility as a reporter. Wells also finds out that Gallagher orchestrated it all in revenge for what they did to him and that he won't admit it so they both get further punishment. He can't prove it although he decides not to blame him about it and leave him alone, when Gallagher forces him to take into account the matter of the suicide of her friend Perone, so he will not have justice.

Michael then takes a lasting leave of Florida so he can forget about the horrible affair, while Carter, having learned of what happened, meets him before he does. They both say goodbye amicably.

Cast

• Paul Newman - Michael Gallagher
• Sally Field - Megan Carter
• Bob Balaban - Elliott Rosen
• Melinda Dillon - Teresa Perone
• Luther Adler - Malderone
• Barry Primus - Waddell
• Josef Sommer - McAdam
• Don Hood - Quinn
• Wilford Brimley – Wells, Public Prosecution Assistant

Production

The film was filmed in Miami-Dade County and in Miami, Florida.

Reception

The cinematographic work was highly acclaimed by critics.

Awards

• Kansas City Film Critics Circle 1982 Award: Best Secondary Actress (Melinda Dillon)
• Berlin International Film Festival Award 1982: Funeral Mention (Sydney Pollack)

Nominations

• Award 1982: the best main actor (Paul Newman), the best secondary actress (Melinda Dillon), and the best script – cinema (Kurt Luedtke)
• Golden Globe Award 1982: the best actress – drama (Sally Field), and the best script (Kurt Luedtke)
• Gold Bear Award 1982: Sydney Pollack
• WGA Award 1982: the best script – cinema: Kurt Luedtke