Editing Absence of Malice (section)

===Critical response===
''Absence of Malice'' received mostly positive reviews. Newman and Dillon's performances were praised, as was Brimley's cameo. Many reviewers compared the film to the 1976 [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]-winner  ''[[All the President's Men (film)|All the President's Men]]''. In his review, ''Time'' magazine's Richard Schickel wrote "''Absence of Malice'' does not invalidate ''All the President's Men''. But with entertainment values – and a moral sense – every bit as high as that film's, it observes that there is an underside to journalistic gallantry."<ref>Schickel, Richard. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922725,00.html "Cinema: Lethal Leaks"] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317134626/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,922725,00.html |date=March 17, 2012 }}), ''Time'' magazine (November 23, 1981).</ref> Similarly, ''Variety'' called it "a splendidly disturbing look at the power of sloppy reporting to inflict harm on the innocent."<ref><!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->[https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117796641?refcatid=31 "''Absence of Malice''{{-"}}], ''Variety'' (December 31, 1980).</ref>

The ''Chicago Sun-Times''{{'}} [[Roger Ebert]] wrote that some may take the approach "that no respectable journalist would ever do the things that Sally Field does about, to, and with Paul Newman in this movie. She is a disgrace to her profession." Instead he preferred a "romantic" approach, writing that he "liked this movie despite its factual and ethical problems" and was not "even so sure they matter so much to most viewers".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Absence of Malice movie review (1981) |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/absence-of-malice |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=rogerebert |language=en |archive-date=June 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230622065549/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/absence-of-malice |url-status=live }}</ref> Janet Maslin of ''The New York Times'' found the movie "lacking in momentum", but praised its "quiet gravity".<ref>Maslin, Janet. [https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173BB72CAA494CC1B7799D836896 "MOVIE REVIEW: NYT Critics' Pick: Absence of Malice"] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513051210/https://www.nytimes.com/reviews/movies |date=May 13, 2024 }}), ''The New York Times'' (November 19, 1981)</ref> Although [[Pauline Kael]] described the film as only "moderately entertaining", she offered higher praise for Newman's "sly, compact performance" and particularly for "the marvelously inventive acting of Melinda Dillon".<ref name="Kael">{{Cite book |last=Kael |first=Pauline |author-link=Pauline Kael |title=5001 Nights at the Movies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w4LzeUZ03vQC |year=2011 |orig-year=1991 |publisher=Henry Holt and Company |isbn=978-1-250-03357-4 |access-date=November 2, 2016 |archive-date=February 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170214220331/https://books.google.com/books?id=w4LzeUZ03vQC |url-status=live }}</ref>

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 81% based on reviews from 27 critics, with an average score of 6.8/10.<ref>{{cite web
| url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/absence_of_malice/
| title= Absence of Malice (1981)
| publisher= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]
| access-date= 2023-01-22
| archive-date= September 27, 2020
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200927111101/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/absence_of_malice
| url-status= live
}}</ref>