Absence of Malice

Name: Absence of Malice
Genre: Drama, Romance, Crime
Released: 1981-11-19
Duration: 1 h 56 min
Rating: 6.6
Cast: Sally Field, Paul Newman, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon, Luther Adler

1981·Movie·PG·116 min·★ 6.6(251)

Drama Romance Crime More English titles

“In America can a man be guilty until proven innocent?”

Megan Carter is a reporter duped into running an untrue story on Michael Gallagher, a suspected racketeer. He has an alibi for the time his crime was allegedly committed—but it involves an innocent party. When he tells Carter the truth and the newspaper runs it, tragedy follows, forcing Carter to face up to the responsibilities of her job when she is confronted by Gallagher.

▶ Watch trailer

Where to watch Absence of Malice in United States

Stream

Rent

Buy

Click a service to open Absence of Malice there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is Absence of Malice streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	The Roku Channel, Tubi TV	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo
Australia	Foxtel Now	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Molotov TV	Apple TV Store, Orange VOD, Rakuten TV
Spain	Filmin	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Google Play Movies
Brazil	Looke, Looke Amazon Channel, NetMovies	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Japan	—	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store

About Absence of Malice

Absence of Malice is a 1981 English-language drama, romance and crime film directed by Sydney Pollack. The cast is led by Sally Field, Paul Newman, Bob Balaban. It has a runtime of 1h 56m. Viewers rate it 6.6/10 across 300 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on The Roku Channel, Tubi TV.

Absence of Malice was produced by Mirage Enterprises and Columbia Pictures and made in United States of America. It was released on November 19, 1981, and carries a PG certification. Made on a budget of about $12 million, it went on to gross $41 million worldwide.

Director: Sydney Pollack
Writers: Kurt Luedtke
Release date: November 19, 1981
Original language: English
Age rating: PG
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $12 million
Box office: $41 million
Production: Mirage Enterprises, Columbia Pictures

#murder#prosecutor#newspaper reporter#labor union#legal thriller

Absence of Malice cast & crew

Absence of Malice was directed by Sydney Pollack and written by Kurt Luedtke.

The cast features Sally Field as Megan Carter, Paul Newman as Michael Colin Gallagher, Bob Balaban as Elliott Rosen, Melinda Dillon as Teresa Perrone, Luther Adler as Santos Malderone, and Barry Primus as Robert Waddell.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Dave Grusin, cinematography is by Owen Roizman, and it was produced by Sydney Pollack and Ronald L. Schwary.

Is Absence of Malice worth watching?

Absence of Malice holds an audience score of 6.6/10 from 251 ratings, a solidly received drama films.

At 1h 56m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, romance, and crime, Absence of Malice is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Absence of Malice

In United States, you can stream Absence of Malice on The Roku Channel and Tubi TV, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.