Unfortunately, Absence of Malice had great promise, but with careless decisions by the writers, the added love story took away from its professional-ness. I've gone over it again and again and it seems that although the movie had a lot going for it, the moviemakers ruined it by adding several elements that were just unnecessary.
The acting was great, but poor Paul Newman and Sally Field. They both had terrific performances. It wasn't their fault that the writers felt compelled to give them sexual tension and add a relationship to the script. That was the first mistake. This couple is not compatible and would never get together in the real world. Sally Field plays the writer who writes, unbeknownst to her, a false story, which ruins and disrupts the life of framed Paul Newman, a simple warehouse owner with a late Mafia boss for a father.
With such gorgeous and sexy actors as these two as the leading stars, it must have been was hard for the writers to resist adding some attraction between them, but they should've known better and steered away from it. Couldn't they see that these two characters are total opposites and completely lack any chemistry? Field is a short, timid, high-pitched journalist that only wants what's best for herself in life, while Newman is a strong, tall, commanding force that likes his simple routine and stays out of the public eye. Besides, Field writes the story about Newman that jump starts all his problems and even causes his best friend to kill herself. The mismatched couple is too obvious to accept. It couldn't have just been a friendship? Or even a business relationship? This pointless subplot took away from the interesting and thought-provoking story. The question concerning the role of the press and the liberties they take is always going to be a worthy debate topic in America. Absence of Malice does a great job questioning this dispute fairly and analyzing both sides of the case. The story sets up a perfect situation where you must ask yourself whether it is better to be accurate, or truthful in life. It makes the audience realize that even if a story is false, just the act of putting in the paper gives the perception that it may be true.
It's appropriate for watching in class-- especially perfect for journalism classes!
The acting was great, but poor Paul Newman and Sally Field. They both had terrific performances. It wasn't their fault that the writers felt compelled to give them sexual tension and add a relationship to the script. That was the first mistake. This couple is not compatible and would never get together in the real world. Sally Field plays the writer who writes, unbeknownst to her, a false story, which ruins and disrupts the life of framed Paul Newman, a simple warehouse owner with a late Mafia boss for a father.
With such gorgeous and sexy actors as these two as the leading stars, it must have been was hard for the writers to resist adding some attraction between them, but they should've known better and steered away from it. Couldn't they see that these two characters are total opposites and completely lack any chemistry? Field is a short, timid, high-pitched journalist that only wants what's best for herself in life, while Newman is a strong, tall, commanding force that likes his simple routine and stays out of the public eye. Besides, Field writes the story about Newman that jump starts all his problems and even causes his best friend to kill herself. The mismatched couple is too obvious to accept. It couldn't have just been a friendship? Or even a business relationship? This pointless subplot took away from the interesting and thought-provoking story. The question concerning the role of the press and the liberties they take is always going to be a worthy debate topic in America. Absence of Malice does a great job questioning this dispute fairly and analyzing both sides of the case. The story sets up a perfect situation where you must ask yourself whether it is better to be accurate, or truthful in life. It makes the audience realize that even if a story is false, just the act of putting in the paper gives the perception that it may be true.
It's appropriate for watching in class-- especially perfect for journalism classes!