Absence of Malice (1981)

Sally Field is a Miami reporter who gets an unofficial leak from an A.D.A. that a local businessman is a prime suspect in a murder case. The businessman (Paul Newman) takes immediate action, confronting her and demanding answers. As the story grows, so does the fallout and their relationship.

This is my second viewing, and it sadly does not hold up as well as I'd hoped. What I remembered most vividly from when I saw this in my youth was Melinda Dillon's tragic B-plot. Though that's still a standout and both Field & Newman are winning personalities, the reporter character (well, basically the entire newspaper) just doesn't make sense. She's bad at her job and probably would've been either fired or at least pulled from the story after the first publication.

B