"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.
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.