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Where to watch Absence of Malice (1981) tonight

Absence of Malice (1981) runs 1 h 56 min, is rated PG in the US and averages 6.6 from 265 TMDB members. 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.

Runtime
1 h 56 min — ends 9:56 pm if you start at 8:00 pm
Rated
PG (US)
Genres
Drama, Romance, Crime
Released
November 19, 1981
TMDB rating
6.6 / 10 from 265 votes
Director
Sydney Pollack
Starring
Sally Field, Paul Newman, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon
Language
English
Good for a group? Better for one or two who will actually watch.Drama and Romance reward attention; a room that talks over it will miss the point.

Where to watch it tonight

Availability loads live for your country. See where Absence of Malice streams (JustWatch via TMDB) →

Streaming availability by JustWatch. In the US, as of 2026-11-08: Amazon Prime Video (subscription), TCM (subscription), Amazon Prime Video with Ads (subscription), The Roku Channel (free with ads), Tubi TV (free with ads).

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Questions people ask

How long is Absence of Malice?
Absence of Malice is 1 h 56 min long (116 minutes). If you start it at 8:00 pm it ends at 9:56 pm; add about 20 minutes if you watch trailers first.
What is Absence of Malice rated?
Absence of Malice is rated PG in the US.
Is Absence of Malice a good movie to watch with a group?
Better for one or two who will actually watch. Drama and Romance reward attention; a room that talks over it will miss the point.
Where can I stream Absence of Malice?
In the US, as of 2026-11-08: Amazon Prime Video (subscription), TCM (subscription), Amazon Prime Video with Ads (subscription), The Roku Channel (free with ads), Tubi TV (free with ads). Availability changes often; this page loads the live list for your country (streaming availability by JustWatch).

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If you like Absence of Malice

Absence of Malice on TMDB · This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

Absence of Malice poster

Lights Down is a free tool: tell it your streaming services and how long you have, and it ranks what you can stream tonight, with a this-or-that, a roll, a bracket and a wheel. Movie data from TMDB; streaming availability by JustWatch. Page updated 2026-11-08. TMDBThis product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Lights Down is a Somebody Decide program. How the data works · Legal & privacy · Tonight's lists