Show ra r Absence of Malice N by J Kevin evin Riley c tit The misuse suse of power l and conflict of egos were the major moods I got out of ABSENCE OF MALICE MALICE MALI MALI- MALICE CE Sally Saly Field stars as asan asan an overly ambitious reporter re reporter reporter re- re porter who puts her want for fora a story at any price before before bet be be- t fore h human man feelings P Paul ul Newman Newma plays a man falsely falsely falsely fal fal- fal- fal sely accused in the press for something he did not do and who plans to find out the who's and whys why's behind the newspaper story Bob Balaban is cast as a ego-centric ego special prose prose- When he has no suspects in a big murder case B Balaban laban decides to use Field and the press to squeeze a conviction out of midair Two scenes that stick o out t in my mind are when Newman and Field confront each other if in Newmans warehouse after the suicide death of Newmans Newmans Newmans New New- mans close friend played by Melinda Dillon in which Newman physically takes out his frustration over overall all that has happened to him on Field and where Utahn Wilford Brimley playing a Justic Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment attorney comes in inand inand inand and using plain talk lays down the law to fo every every- body AB ABSENCE ENCE OF MALICE MALICE MALICE MAL MAL- ICE is a movie of warning to us of the press to make sure we know for sure what we are writing about and that we remember that we are human b beings too Go see ABSENCE OF MALICE |