Friday, March 19, 2004
ABSENCE OF MALICE(1981)
Today's Movie: NYTimes1000Best; Paul Newman who got an Oscar nom out of it; Sally Field; Sidney Pollack directed. This kinda formulaic piece about the power of the press to inuEND you is a bit dense with plot but plays really well. There are some good side players; Bob Balaban and Luther Adler for example. But the best part comes at the end when Wilford Brimley appears to make it all right. I did not remember that I had seen this picture until he walks in and kicks ass and takes names. I wrongly had this memorable scene in another movie with Gene Hackman; maybe he did the same thing twice. Anyway, what a nice surprise to find him here.
Brimley is the consummate character actor who owns his part in whatever picture he is featured (he has been in over 60 of them) including the oatmeal commercials. He is one of those guys you want to meet someday.
I liked the movie well enough but will probably forget it all again by the time another 23 years passes; except of course Brimley's 15 minutes at the end. I will give it a 3 out of the Netflix 5.
