Absolute Power is a 1997 American action crime drama film directed by Clint Eastwood and produced by Clint Eastwood and Karen S. Spiegel. The screenplay was written by William Goldman and is based on the book ‘Absolute Power’ by David Baldacci.
Rated: R (movie contains violence, sexuality and language)
Run Time: 2h 1min
Release Date: February 14, 1997 (USA)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director: Clint Eastwood
Studio: Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Releasing
Budget: $50 Million
Box Office: $50.1 Million
Absolute Power stars Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Scott Glenn, Dennis Haysbert, Judy Davis, E.G. Marshall, Melora Hardin, Richard Jenkins, Alison Eastwood, Kimber Eastwood and Penny Johnson.
Absolute Power is the story of skilled master thief Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood) who while breaks into the mansion of billionaire Walter Sullivan (E.G. Marshall) and finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing the murder of a Sullivan’s wife Christy (Melora Hardin) who was involved in a tryst with Alan Richmond (Gene Hackman), the President of the United States.
While executing what was supposed to be his last job, Luther was startled by the sound of people in the house and he hid in a secret room and from behind a one-way mirror, he sees that it’s Christy Sullivan, the wife of the owner of the house he is robbing and another man. The two of them are fooling around when the guy decides to liven things up by striking her. She gets away, but he corners her and she grabs a letter opener and is about to stab him when he cries out for help and two men come in and shoot her dead.
It seems the man is President Alan Richmond and the two men are Secret Service Agents Bill Burton (Scott Glenn) and Tim Collins (Dennis Hasybert), who are assigned to him. Later, Chief of Staff Gloria Russell (Judy Davis) enters, and upon learning what happened, decides to cover it up and makes it appear she was killed by a burglar. After sanitizing the room, they are about to leave but they forgot the letter opener. Whitney comes out of the room and takes the letter opener and makes his get away, but when they return for the letter opener they discover Whitney and chase him, but he gets away.
Whitney tries to leave town, but when he learns just how corrupt and amoral Richmond is, he decides to play mind games with him and the others. Richmond, at the same time, tells them that Whitney must be silenced permanently.
Movie Quotes
“Go down a rope in the middle of the night? If I could do that, I’d be the star of my AARP meetings.” – Luther Whitney
“Why’d you come?” – Kate Whitney
“I couldn’t have you thinking I was a murderer.” – Luther Whitney
“No, I mean why did you come to the restaurant this afternoon? You must have suspected something, or else you wouldn’t have been prepared.” – Kate Whiteny
“My daughter wanted to see me.” – Luther Whitney
“Because I swear to you, Kate. I swear to you on Mattie’s grave. Yeah, that’s right. Your mother’s grave, I’d kill myself before I lied about that.” – Luther Whitney
“I’d been married to my Rebecca for forty-seven years. When she died, I decided I never wanted that pain again. One thing I knew about Christy, she was going to outlive me.” – Walter Sullivan
Official Movie Trailer
Movie Stars
Clint Eastwood as Luther Whitney
Gene Hackman as President Alan Richmond
Ed Harris as Seth Frank
Laura Linney as Kate Whitney
Scott Glenn as Bill Burton
Dennis Haysbert as Tim Collin
Judy Davis as Gloria Russell
E.G. Marshall as Walter Sullivan
Melora Hardin as Christy Sullivan
Richard Jenkins as Michael McCarty
Alison Eastwood as Art Student
Kimber Eastwood as White House Tour Guide
Penny Johnson Jerald as Laura Simon