Absent Without Leave_
"A True Story of Love, Conscience and Duty"
In 1942 Wellington, Daisy Edwards, 16 and pregnant, relies totally on her just-wed husband, Ed, who is little older than she. Ed is suddenly drafted into the army and is to be sent overseas to battle while Daisy is sent to her father in Auckland. When Ed's leave is cancelled at the last minute he takes the dangerous decision to go absent without leave to be with Daisy on her journey home. As a deserter, Ed is hunted, captured and imprisoned. Life inside is bad enought without the worry of what is going on outside. The film is based upon a true story.
Starring
Craig McLachlan, Katrina Hobbs, Tony Barry
Updated Feb 16, 2026
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Year context
Absent Without Leave was released 33 years ago in 1993.
Overview
In 1942 Wellington, Daisy Edwards, 16 and pregnant, relies totally on her just-wed husband, Ed, who is little older than she. Ed is suddenly drafted into t...
Absent Without Leave is a Romance, Drama, War film with a runtime of 1h 44m.
CAST (15)
Craig McLachlan
James Edwards
Katrina Hobbs
Daisy Edwards
Tony Barry
Peter
JD
Judie Douglass
Ella
KB
Ken Blackburn
C.O.
TB
Tony Burton
Constable
FB
Francis Bell
Paddy
Robyn Malcolm
Betty
DC
David Copeland
Claude
DK
Desmond Kelly
Daisy's Father
RH
Rebecca Hobbs
Daisy's Sister
JF
Joan Foster
Daisy's Stepmother
Mark Hadlow
Prison Corporal
Jed Brophy
Joe
Stephen Gledhill
Tearoom Man
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Absent Without Leave about?
In 1942 Wellington, Daisy Edwards, 16 and pregnant, relies totally on her just-wed husband, Ed, who is little older than she. Ed is suddenly drafted into the army and is to be sent overseas to battle while Daisy is sent to her father in Auckland. When Ed's leave is cancelled at the last minute he takes the dangerous decision to go absent without leave to be with Daisy on her journey home. As a deserter, Ed is hunted, captured and imprisoned. Life inside is bad enought without the worry of what is going on outside. The film is based upon a true story.
How long is Absent Without Leave?
Absent Without Leave has a runtime of 104 minutes (1h 44m).
Who stars in Absent Without Leave?
The cast of Absent Without Leave includes Craig McLachlan, Katrina Hobbs, Tony Barry, Judie Douglass, Ken Blackburn.
What is the rating of Absent Without Leave?
Absent Without Leave has a rating of 7.0 out of 10 based on 1 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (3)
Romance
Drama
War