Home > Films > A > Absolute Power

Saturday October 5th 2024

Absolute Power | 1997

This movie adaptation of David Baldacci’s novel was fatally tailored to fit director/star Clint Eastwood’s needs by veteran screenwriter William Goldman.

Set in Washington DC, much of the movie was actually shot in Baltimore, Maryland.

The mansion of elder statesman Walter Sullivan (EG Marshall), in which the veteran housebreaker Luther Whitney (Eastwood) sees the special agents protect sleazy Pres Richmond (Gene Hackman) by blowing away his mistress, is the Maryvale School for Girls, 11300 Falls Road, Brooklandville, north of Baltimore.

Absolute Power location: Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Absolute Power location: Eastwood is confronted by FBI agent Ed Harris: Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington DC

The art gallery in which Whitney is confronted by good FBI man Seth Frank (Ed Harris) is real Washington DC. It’s the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th Street at New York Avenue NW, just south of the White House.

Another genuine Washington DC location is the hotel where Whitney delivers a stolen necklace to the devious Chief of Staff Gloria Russell (Judy Davis). Cheekily, this is the Watergate Hotel, 2650 Virginia Avenue NW. And yes, this is part of the same complex housing the burgled Democratic offices (at number 2600), also seen in All The President's Men.