Taglines: Corrupts Absolutely.
Absolute Power movie storyline. During the course of a burglary, master jewel thief Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) is forced to hide upon the unexpected arrival of Christy Sullivan (Melora Hardin), the beautiful young wife of elderly billionaire Walter Sullivan (E. G. Marshall), during her drunken rendezvous with Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman), the President of the United States. Walter Sullivan is Richmond’s friend and financial supporter and the owner of the mansion Luther has broken into.
Hiding behind a one-way mirror, Luther watches as Richmond becomes sexually violent towards Christy when he playfully slaps her across the face. When she retaliates by slapping him back, Richmond becomes angry and aggressively assaults her. When she attacks him with a letter opener in self-defense, Secret Service agents Bill Burton (Scott Glenn) and Tim Collin (Dennis Haysbert) shoot her to death. Chief of Staff Gloria Russell (Judy Davis) arrives and makes the scene appear as if a burglar killed Sullivan’s wife. Luther escapes with some valuables as well as the bloody letter opener.
The next day, Detective Seth Frank (Ed Harris) begins his investigation of the crime. As Tim had noted Luther’s license plate number during the chase, Luther quickly becomes a prime suspect in the burglary because of his reputation as a thief, but Frank does not believe it likely he murdered Christy.
Just as Luther is about to flee the country, he sees President Richmond on television, publicly commiserating with Walter on his loss. Incensed by the fake sympathy, Luther decides to bring the President to justice. Meanwhile, Burton asks Frank to keep him informed about the case while a Secret Service agent wiretaps Frank’s office telephone.
Luther’s estranged daughter Kate (Laura Linney), who works as a prosecutor, accompanies Detective Frank to Luther’s home to search for clues. Photographs in the house indicate that Luther has secretly been watching her for years. She still suspects Luther of the crime, and therefore agrees to set him up. Frank guarantees Luther’s safety, but through the wiretap Burton learns of the plan and Collin says that he will kill Luther at the cafe.
Someone also tips off Walter, who hires a hitman (Richard Jenkins) to kill Luther. The two snipers, each unaware of the other, try to shoot Luther when he arrives at an outdoor cafe to meet his daughter. But they both miss, and Luther escapes through the police cordon because he came prepared, wearing the uniform of a police officer beneath his coat. Luther later explains to Kate exactly how Christy was killed, and by whom.
Luther begins to taunt Chief of Staff Russell, first by sending her a photograph of the letter opener, then tricking her into wearing Christy’s necklace in public. Correctly suspecting that Kate knows the truth, President Richmond elects to have her killed. Luther learns from Detective Frank that the Secret Service has taken over surveillance of Kate, so he races back to Washington D.C. to protect her.
He arrives at her jogging path just moments after Collin has used his SUV to push her and her car off a cliff. Collin tries to kill her again at the hospital, approaching her bed with a poison-filled syringe. Luther, who lies in waiting, subdues Collin by jabbing him in the neck with a syringe of his own. Collin pleads for mercy, but Luther says he’s “fresh out,” delivering a fatal dose.
Absolute Power is a 1997 American political thriller film produced by, directed by, and starring Clint Eastwood as a master jewel thief who witnesses the killing of a woman by Secret Service agents. The screenplay by William Goldman is based on the 1996 novel Absolute Power by David Baldacci. Screened at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, the film also stars Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Judy Davis, Scott Glenn and Dennis Haysbert. It was also the last screen appearance of E. G. Marshall.
Absolute Power (1997)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Scott Glenn, Dennis Haysbert, Judy Davis, Melora Hardin, Penny Johnson Jerald, Alison Eastwood, Elaine Kagan
Screenplay by: William Goldman
Production Design by: Henry Bumstead
Cinematography by: Jack N. Green
Film Editing by: Joel Cox
Set Decoration by: Richard C. Goddard, Anne D. McCulley
Art Direction by: Jack G. Taylor Jr.
Music by: Lennie Niehaus
MPAA Rating: R for violence, sexuality and language.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: February 14, 1997
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