Newspaper Movie: Absence of Malice

8 Jan

As a newspaper obsessive, I’ve been compiling a list of films set in newspapers, you can find the others here. If you have a newspaper-related movie to recommend, that I’ve missed, please let me know.

Absence of Malice (1981)

Overall rating: 3 stars
Newsroom quotient: 3
Rolling presses vibe: 2
Newspaper featured: Miami Standard (fictional)
Newsroom used for filming: Miami Herald
Running time: 116 minutes

Michael Gallagher (Paul Newman) finds himself a front-page story in the local newspaper the Miami Standard.

The federal prosecutor suspects Gallagher knows who killed a local Union official. He leaks to Megan Carter (Sally Field) that he's investigating Gallagher for the crime, hoping Gallagher will reveal the real killer to clear his name. Gallagher confronts Carter in the newsroom and challenges her, unsuccessfully, to disclose her source. You know, we all know, Gallagher's not the sort of guy to snitch to the Fed's, and he's certainly far smarter than the prosecutor.

Not surprisingly, the Union doesn't like the idea of Gallagher's involvement in killing one of their officials and withdraws their labour. This effectively shuts down his business, adding to his resolve to clear his name. Without giving too much away, Gallagher finally discovers where the story originated and proceeds to prove his innocence while getting revenge on the federal prosecutor.

Both Paul Newman and Sally Field are excellent in their roles as the upright businessman, with unfortunate family connections to the mob, and the determined, if naïve, journalist. I found it a little slow. There is little suspense and certainly no hold-the-frontpage moments, which may be more accurate in a regional newspaper, but it's not that gripping. Would a real-life reporter behave the way Megan Carter does in Absence of Malice? Generally not, but I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time a reporter has slept with the subject of a story.

Absence of Malice is a good movie, but not a great movie. Still, there certainly are worse ways to pass a wet afternoon in January. The critics enjoyed it more than I did. At the Oscars in 1981, it received three award nominations, including Best Actor for Paul Newman, Best Supporting Actress for Melinda Dillon and Screenplay. For me, however, Wilford Brimley's performance as Assistant U.S. Attorney General James A. Wells steals the movie, Absence of Malice, is worth watching for that scene alone!

Let's be careful out there.

Absence of Malice, movie poster