"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.

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.

For a while back in the seventies the hottest political property in New York State was one Maurice Nadjari. He was appointed a special prosecutor and ran up a big string of convictions of various figures on the New York scene.

Then his convictions began being tossed out one by one until a once feared figure became a laughingstock. Turned out he used tactics very similar to those countenanced by Bob Balaban in this film.

Nadjari turned out in the end to be worse than any of the people he was prosecuting. That's the message here, don't idealize some of these prosecutors on a white horse.

Bob Balaban is part of the Justice Department Strike Force looking into the murder of a labor leader in Florida. It's been months and his investigation is yielding bupkis. So he tries some extralegal tactics.

Paul Newman is the son of a reputed mobster, but who's been out of the rackets for years. But Balaban leaks to gullible reporter Sally Field that Newman is the target of his investigation. The idea is for Newman to go undercover and work to get information on his uncle, Luther Adler, who Balaban suspects.

Newman's reputation is smashed and Balaban's actions lead to the death of Melinda Dillon who is a friend of Newman's.

Paul Newman was nominated for Best Actor, but lost to Henry Fonda that year for On Golden Pond. Sally Field was at the height of her career. This film came right around the time she got her two Oscars for Norma Rae and Places in the Heart.

The leads and cast are just fine. This turned out to be the farewell picture of Luther Adler, one of the great character actors in the history of film.

However the two people this film really belongs to are Bob Balaban and Wilford Brimley. Balaban got his career role in this as Elliott Rosen of the Organized Crime Strike Force. He is truly one loathsome little creep. All it's about with him is getting another notch on his belt, another scalp for the lodgepole.

And then there's Wilford Brimley. He's the big honcho from Washington, DC sent down to do damage control when it all blows up in their faces. He gathers all the principals together at the very end of the film, like Nick Charles would, and dispenses the justice accordingly. He's on the screen for about twenty unforgettable minutes.

The office of prosecutor in our system is one of responsibility and should never be entrusted to any lightweights or any overly ambitious folks.