Absolute Power (1997)

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers (WGA):

David Baldacci (book)
William Goldman (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 February 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Corrupts Absolutely.

Plot:

A career thief witnesses a horrific crime involving the U.S. President.

Plot Keywords:

Thief | Power | Secret Service | Murder | Chase

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Luther Whitney
Gene Hackman	...	President Allen Richmond
Ed Harris	...	Seth Frank
Laura Linney	...	Kate Whitney
Scott Glenn	...	Bill Burton
Dennis Haysbert	...	Tim Collin
Judy Davis	...	Gloria Russell
E.G. Marshall	...	Walter Sullivan
Melora Hardin	...	Christy Sullivan
Kenneth Welsh	...	Sandy Lord (as Ken Welsh)
Penny Johnson	...	Laura Simon
Richard Jenkins	...	Michael McCarty
Mark Margolis	...	Red Brandsford
Elaine Kagan	...	Valerie
Alison Eastwood	...	Art Student
Yau-Gene Chan	...	Waiter
George Orrison	...	Airport Bartender
Charles McDaniel	...	Medical Examiner
John Lyle Campbell	...	Repairman
Kimber Eastwood	...	White House Tour Guide
Eric Dahlquist Jr.	...	Oval Office Agent
Jack Stewart Taylor	...	Watergate Doorman
Joy Ehrlich	...	Reporter
Robert Harvey	...	Cop

Directed by
Clint Eastwood

Writing credits (WGA)
David Baldacci		(book)
William Goldman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Clint Eastwood	....	producer
Michael Maurer	....	associate producer
Tom Rooker	....	executive producer
Karen S. Spiegel	....	producer (as Karen Spiegel)

Original Music by
Lennie Niehaus

Cinematography by
Jack N. Green		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Joel Cox

Casting by
Phyllis Huffman

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead

Art Direction by
Jack G. Taylor Jr.

Set Decoration by
Richard C. Goddard		(as Dick Goddard)
Anne D. McCulley

Makeup Department
Vivian McAteer	....	hair stylist
Tania McComas	....	key makeup artist
Carol A. O'Connell	....	key hair stylist
Francisco X. Pérez	....	key makeup artist (as F.X. Perez)

Production Management
Michael Maurer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Bannerman	....	first assistant director
Robert Lorenz	....	first assistant director
Robert Lorenz	....	second assistant director (as R. Lorenz)
Maura McKeown	....	second second assistant director: Los Angeles (as Maura T. McKeown)
Tom Rooker	....	second assistant director (as T. Rooker)
Alison C. Rosa	....	second second assistant director: Baltimore/D.C.
Dodi Lee Rubenstein	....	second assistant director (as Dodi L. Rubenstein)
Buddy Van Horn	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Edward Alona	....	property master
David F. Bornstein	....	construction foreman
Gerrard Coffey	....	construction estimator
Chuck Herrmann	....	property assistant
Chuck McSorley	....	property assistant
John J. Rutchland Jr.	....	construction coordinator (as John Rutchland)
Michael Sexton	....	assistant property master
Wayne Smith	....	stand-by painter
Doug Wilson	....	scenic foreman
Christopher L. Conner	....	head greensman: second unit (uncredited)
Lisa A. Corbin	....	swing gang (uncredited)
Damon Hight	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Ted Lubonovich II	....	construction gang boss: Baltimore (uncredited)
Laura M. O'Brien	....	art department coordinator (uncredited)
Joseph G. Pacelli Jr.	....	set designer (uncredited)
Victor M. Shannon	....	plasterer (uncredited)
Keith Weaver	....	scenic (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bub Asman	....	supervising sound editor
Todd Bassman	....	boom operator
Neil Burrow	....	foley editor
Steve Cain	....	cable person (as Stephen Cain)
David E. Campbell	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dave Campbell)
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	supervising dialogue editor
Mike Dobie	....	dialogue editor
Christopher Flick	....	foley supervisor
Jessica Gallavan	....	adr supervisor
Andrea Horta	....	adr editor
David L. Horton Jr.	....	foley editor
David M. Horton	....	dialogue editor (as Dave Horton)
Doug Jackson	....	sound effects editor
Adam Johnston	....	sound effects editor
Constance A. Kazmer	....	dialogue editor
C. Darin Knight	....	sound mixer (as Darin Knight)
Gary Krivacek	....	sound effects editor
Darrin Martin	....	assistant sound editor (as Darren Martin)
Alan Robert Murray	....	supervising sound editor
Kim Nolan	....	assistant sound editor (as Kim Nolan-Morrell)
Jayme S. Parker	....	sound effects editor (as Jaymie Parker)
John T. Reitz	....	sound re-recording mixer (as John Reitz)
Gregg Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael Ruiz	....	assistant sound editor
Madeleine Swift	....	assistant sound editor
Butch Wolf	....	foley editor
Eric Gotthelf	....	foley mixer (uncredited)
Casey Stone	....	additional recording engineer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jeff Denes	....	special effects crew
John Frazier	....	special effects consultant
Joe Pancake	....	special effects crew
Frances Pennington	....	special effects crew (as Francis Pennington)
Steve Riley	....	special effects coordinator (as Stephen Riley)

Stunts
Jill Brown	....	stunts
Douglas Crosby	....	stunts
Brian Davis	....	stunts
Jeffrey Eith	....	stunts (as Jeff Eith)
Larry Holt	....	stunts
Jeff Mosley	....	stunts
John Robotham	....	stunts
Peter Stader	....	stunts
Jim Stephen	....	stunts
Keith Tellez	....	stunts
Dave Thompson	....	stunts
Buddy Van Horn	....	stunt coordinator
Jennifer Watson-Johnston	....	stunts (as J. Hunt-Watson)
Jill Brown	....	stunt double (uncredited)
George Orrison	....	stunt double: Clint Eastwood (uncredited)
Jim Stephan	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Denise Bailie	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera, Baltimore/Washington D.C.
Shawn Blakeman	....	electrician
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	Steadicam operator
Stephen S. Campanelli	....	camera operator
Colin J. Campbell	....	chief lighting technician (as Colin Campbell)
Bill Coe	....	first assistant camera
Jan Gould	....	best boy grip
William J. Gray	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera, Baltimore/Washington D.C.
Peter N. Green	....	second assistant camera
Ryan Green	....	film loader (as Ryan M.L. Green)
Frank R. Jimenez Jr.	....	rigging gaffer
Graham Kuhn	....	still photographer
Thomas Loizeaux	....	additional camera operator: "b" camera, Baltimore/Washington D.C.
Anastas N. Michos	....	camera operator: "b" camera, Baltimore/Washington D.C.
Hal Nelson	....	crane grip
Clive Richards	....	electrician (as H. Clive Richards)
Charles Saldana	....	key grip (as Charles Saldaña)
Frank Scheidbach	....	assistant lighting technician
Doug Wall	....	grip (as Douglas L. Wall)
Charles W. Wayt	....	dolly grip (as Chuck Wayt)
Eric Vincent Cruse	....	grip (uncredited)
Roger Donegan	....	video assist operator (uncredited)
Daniel C. Gold	....	camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited)
Gregory F. Johnson	....	grip (uncredited)
Brett Mabry	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Pat Moran	....	casting: East Coast day players, Baltimore/Washington D.C.
Claudia Ramsumair	....	casting assistant
John Strawbridge	....	casting associate (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Darryl M. Athons	....	set costumer: men (as Darryl Athons)
Deborah Hopper	....	costume supervisor
Roussell Johnson	....	tailor
Cheryl Scarano	....	key costumer (as Cheryl Perkins Scarano)
Peggy A. Schnitzer	....	set costumer: women

Editorial Department
Anthony Bozanich	....	assistant film editor
Michael Cipriano	....	assistant film editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Bob Putynkowski	....	color timer
Gary Roach	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer (as Bobby Fernandez)
Donald Harris	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Maylon Houston	....	transportation captain (as Skook Houston)
Robert Neilson	....	transportation coordinator (as Bob Neilson)
Lonnie Craig	....	driver (uncredited)
Douglas A. Walk	....	driver: honeywagon (uncredited)

Other crew
Jason R. Ballance	....	production associate
Marco Barla	....	unit publicist
Steve Belin	....	production associate
Donya Burroughs	....	production associate
Jessica Chavez	....	assistant location manager
Curtis Collins	....	assistant location manager
Cate Hardman	....	script supervisor
Bob Hartman	....	production accountant
Peter Hollocker	....	production associate (as Peter A. Hollocker)
Don Kincade	....	production associate
Shirley Kirkes	....	choreographer
Jeff Kloss	....	production auditor (as Jeffrey Kloss)
Antoinette Levine	....	key location manager
Suzanne Lore	....	production coordinator
Jonise Misiewicz	....	assistant production accountant
Danny Morris	....	craft service
Russell H. Potter V	....	assistant production coordinator
Melissa Rooker	....	assistant: Mr. Eastwood
Heidi Smith	....	assistant production accountant
Robert R. Snow	....	technical advisor
Andrew White	....	production associate
Martine White	....	key second location manager
Roselyn Winward	....	assistant production accountant
Kathleen Beall	....	assistant location manager (uncredited)
Lisa Marie Boiko	....	stand-in: Laura Linney (uncredited)
Alfred J. Caragay	....	set production assistant (uncredited)
Robert C. Decker	....	location manager (uncredited)
Tim Downs	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Caprice Ericson	....	location scout (uncredited)
Tony Kerum	....	caterer (uncredited)
Bob Supan	....	stand-in: Ed Harris, Baltimore location (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment (presents)
• Malpaso Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (1997) (worldwide) (all media)
• Columbia TriStar Films (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (1997) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmayer (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (1997) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1997) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (1997) (France) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1997) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1997) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1997) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Sandrews (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (2001) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. Finland (1997) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Filmayer Vídeo (199?) (Spain) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (2000) (2002) (2005) (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (1999) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Avid Film Composer  edited on
• Avon Studio Transport  transportation
• BT Industrial Supply  expendables
• Cerruti 1881  wardrobe: Mr. Eastwood
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  acknowledgement
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)  acknowledgement
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• SoundStorm  sound editing
• Tony's Food Service  catering
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Poder absoluto" - Argentina, Mexico (imdb display title), Peru, Spain (imdb display title)
"Absolut makt" - Finland (Swedish title) (imdb display title), Sweden (imdb display title)
"Absolute Power" - Austria, Germany
"Poder Absoluto" - Brazil, Portugal
"Államérdek" - Hungary
"Absolute Power" - Denmark
"All makt" - Norway
"Apolyti dynami" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Apsolutna moc" - Serbia (imdb display title)
"Les pleins pouvoirs" - France
"Mokugeki" - Japan (imdb display title)
"Mutlak güç" - Turkey (Turkish title)
"Neogranicena moc" - Croatia (imdb display title)
"Popolna oblast" - Slovenia
"Potere assoluto" - Italy
"Pouvoir d'exécuter" - Canada (French title)
"Rajaton valta" - Finland
"Wladza absolutna" - Poland

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexuality and language

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 (TV version) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Belgium:KNT | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #35038)

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

The house in the beginning of the film is actually a real castle in Brooklandville, Maryland. It belongs to Maryvale Preparatory school. Classes are held inside, as well as some administration and offices. The carpet and the painting seen hanging were left in the Castle after filming was finished.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the Special Agents of the US Secret Service are pushing Kate off the cliff, a mechanical device is seen clearly pushing the car over the cliff.

Quotes:

Bill Burton:He's making a terrible mistake. He thinks he has time. He doesn't.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Slanted Screen (2006)

Soundtrack:

Power Waltz

What Starts Out With Immense Potential...

What starts out with immense potential gradually evaporates into preposterousness in ABSOLUTE POWER. That doesn't make it an entirely bad picture, but it certainly puts a damper on what could have been. Clint Eastwood is an aging thief (he's been an aging something or other for his last 20 movies) who secretly witnesses President Gene Hackman get rough with his mistress. The encounter ends with her being shot by the Secret Service as she tries to defend herself, and the incident is promptly disguised to look like run-of-the-mill foul play. He may be on the outside of the law looking in, but Clint ain't about to let the powers that be get away with this one.

The opening 20 minutes of ABSOLUTE POWER are quite suspenseful, bordering on mesmerizing. There we are, trapped in a walk-in, two-way mirrored vault along with our pilfering hero, helpless to stop the horror unfolding just meters away. Eastwood may start out as the bad guy, but his status is quickly upgraded as he flees the scene holding what may be the only piece of evidence that can prove his astonishing observation. From then on we find ourselves rooting him on, even if he is in reality nothing more than the lesser of two evils.

What unravels ABSOLUTE POWER is its laziness and improbability. In an attempt to set up one stirring scene after another, the characters begin doing and saying things one would expect of a low-rate Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. A one-dimensionally evil Secret Service man surreptitiously hunkers down in a tall building trying to snipe Eastwood ala Lee Harvey Oswald. A police detective has no problem with Eastwood sneaking around his home at all hours of the night. A three-minute argument by Eastwood's thief is enough to convince the mistress's widower of the involvement of the most powerful man on earth. And to call the ending outlandish and unsatisfying would be a pair of understatements.

As well, though it's usually the other way around, ABSOLUTE POWER would have benefited from a longer running time. One comes away with the sense that Eastwood, who also directed, tried to cram too much into too little. The film certainly had the material to go longer, and its compactness gives the whole endeavor a choppy feel at times.

ABSOLUTE POWER is a film you really want to like. There is considerable talent involved here, and the movie's heart seems to be in the right place. But like that one photo we all have in our album, this one didn't turn out as good as we would have hoped.