"Absence of Malice" - Newman and Field SLAYED, but oof, the Ethics

Okay, I finally watched "Absence of Malice" and wow. Paul Newman can honestly do no wrong in my eyes. He has such a quiet intensity as Michael Gallagher, this businessman who suddenly gets his life turned upside down by a news story he has NOTHING to do with. I was completely invested in him from the start. Sally Field as Megan Carter... at first, I wasn't sure. At times it felt like she was playing naivete a little too strongly, but then you realize just how caught she is in the system, and she becomes truly heartbreaking. Also, the late Melinda Dillon! She absolutely crushed it as Teresa Perrone. Every scene she was in was gut-wrenching, and the scene where she confesses her secret almost physically hurt me. I haven't seen Dillon in an other role but i would watch anything she's in. What really got to me, though, was the whole journalism ethics question. Like, Megan clearly makes some TERRIBLE choices, driven by ambition and manipulated by the feds. But the film never really lets her off the hook, which I appreciated. It doesn't portray her as a complete villain, it forces the audience to grapple with the complexities of truth, power, and the damage that can be done (and the pressure of professional life). I think the pacing of the film is maybe a little slow, ngl. It definitely feels like a movie from 80s, but the performances are SO strong that it's worth sticking with. I'd love to know what everyone else thought about Megan's actions. Was she totally out of line, or just a victim of circumstance herself? And anyone else just feel terrible for Teresa? #movies #paunewman #sallyfield #absenceofmalice #movierecommendation