Witness (1985 film)
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| Witness | |
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| Directed by | Peter Weir |
| Produced by | Edward Feldman |
| Written by | Earl W. Wallace William Kelley Pamela Wallace (story) |
| Starring | Harrison Ford Kelly McGillis Lukas Haas Jan Rubes Josef Sommer |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 8 February 1985 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Language | English, Pennsylvania Dutch |
| Budget | $12,000,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
Witness is a 1985 movie released by Paramount Pictures, starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, and Lukas Haas. It was also the feature film debut of Viggo Mortensen, who appeared in a minor role. Directed by Peter Weir (his first American film), it was filmed in Philadelphia and Intercourse, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.Rated R for Language, Violence,and for brief nudity.
On August 23, 2005, a special collector's edition DVD was released 20 years after the film's debut.
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[edit] Plot
While changing trains in Philadelphia with his mother, Rachel Lapp (McGillis), an Amish widow, Samuel (Haas) witnesses the murder of a police officer in the bathroom of the 30th Street Station. After unsuccessfully viewing many mugshots and a police line-up, Samuel unexpectedly identifies another police officer, Det. Lt. James McFee (Danny Glover) as the murderer to Det. Capt. John Book (Ford). Book, aware of the danger they could be in by this identification, hides Rachel and Samuel at Book's sister Elaine's (Patti LuPone) house for their own protection. He confides in his mentor, Chief Paul Schaeffer (Josef Sommer), unaware that Schaeffer is also involved with the crime. McFee attempts to murder Book at a parking garage, shooting him in the abdomen.
Finally realizing that Schaeffer and McFee are working together, Book leaves Philadelphia with Rachel and Samuel and hides out with them at the Amish farm owned by Rachel's father-in-law, Eli Lapp (Jan Rubes). Forced to stay because he is still being hunted, and because he is recovering from his critical wounds, Book adopts Amish dress, participates in the community, and begins to fall in love with Rachel. Her father-in-law sees what is transpiring between them emotionally, and disapproves.
But Book, an amateur carpenter, tries to fit into the Amish community, making toys for Samuel and helping neighbors one day in a barn raising where he is challenged at carpentry by Daniel Hochleitner (Alexander Godunov), who wishes to court Rachel, but sees her interest in Book. That night, Book comes upon Rachel as she is sponge-bathing, and they end up staring at each other for an extended moment, with a great deal of sexual tension passing between them. The next morning, Book states to Rachel that "if we made love last night, I'd have to stay. Or you'd have to leave."
While visiting town, Book calls home to find out that his partner, Sgt. Carter (Brent Jennings), has been murdered. Knowing that Schaeffer was responsible, Book contacts him and Schaeffer tells him that he is coming to kill him, too. Upset at his partner's death, he forgets that he is acting as an Amishman and gets into a fight with some local non-Amish youths who are abusing his Amish companions thereby blowing his cover. The corrupt police officers from Philadelphia hear of this event, which is uncharacteristic of the Amish, and come looking for him.
Book returns to the farm to rebuild the birdhouse that he accidentally crashed into on his first day at the farm, and Rachel, realizing that this means he is going to leave, runs to him in the field without her bonnet (symbolic of her putting aside her Amish customs), and they finally kiss each other in a long and passionate embrace. Afterward, the farm is invaded by Schaeffer, who is accompanied by McFee and another corrupt officer, Fergie (Angus MacInnes), both of whom are wielding shotguns, with Schaeffer armed with a handgun. During the attack, Book is able to kill Fergie by suffocating him in the corn silo, and then he shoots McFee with Fergie's shotgun. Samuel alerts the entire community by ringing the farm bell, and many Amish neighbors appear, cornering Schaeffer against the house. Schaeffer, knowing he cannot kill all the Amish who are present at the fight, gives up.
When the police arrive to arrest Schaffer, Book has a final moment in the field with Samuel before starting back to his car to leave. He and Rachel exchange a long and loving gaze at each other, but Book does not say goodbye to her. Before Book gets into his car, Rachel's father-in-law, Eli, says "be careful out among them English" – indicating that he had accepted Book as almost an Amishman – leaving Book with a chuckle before he departs from the farm to go back to Philadelphia.
[edit] Cast
- Harrison Ford .... John Book
- Kelly McGillis .... Rachel
- Josef Sommer .... Schaeffer
- Lukas Haas .... Samuel
- Jan Rubes .... Eli Lapp
- Alexander Godunov .... Daniel Hochleitner
- Danny Glover .... McFee
- Brent Jennings .... Carter
- Patti Lupone .... Elaine
- Angus MacInnes .... Fergie
- Frederick Rolf .... Stoltzfus
- Viggo Mortensen .... Moses Hochleitner
- John Garson .... Bishop Tchantz
- Beverly May .... Mrs. Yoder
- Ed Crowley .... Sheriff
- Timothy Carhart .... Zenovich
- Sylvia Kauders .... Tourist lady
- Marian Swan .... Mrs. Schaeffer
- Maria Bradley .... Schaeffer's daughter
- Rozwill Young .... T-Bone
- Paul S. Nuss, Emily Mary Haas, Fred Steinharter, John D. King, Paul Goss, Annemarie Vallerio, Bruce E. Camburn .... Amish
- William Francis .... Town man
- Tom W. Kennedy .... Ticket seller at station
- Ardyth Kaiser, Thomas Quinn .... Couple in garage
- Eugene Dooley, Victoria Scott D'Angelo, Richard Chaves, Tim Moyer, Nino Del Buono, James Clark, Joseph Kelly, Norman Carter, Craig Clement .... Detectives
- Robert Earl Jones .... Custodian
- Michael Levering, Cara Giallanza, Anthony Dean Rubes .... Hoodlums
- Bernie Styles .... Counterman
- Bloosom Terry .... Mother in station
- Jennifer Mancuso .... Little girl
[edit] Trivia
- When translated for foreign audiences, several of the translations mistakenly used "Mormon" instead of "Amish," leading to some confusion overseas about the two groups which are actually very different from one another.
- To date, this is the only film for which Harrison Ford was nominated for an Academy Award.
- Rachel brings up how Book seems to know carpentry. This is an in-joke because Harrison Ford was a carpenter before he became famous as an actor.
[edit] Witness Movie Experience Tour
In 2005 – the 20th anniversary of the film's release – a Witness Movie Experience Tour was offered to tourists visiting Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
[edit] External links
| Films Directed by Peter Weir |
| Homesdale | The Cars That Ate Paris | Picnic at Hanging Rock | The Last Wave | Gallipoli | The Year of Living Dangerously | Witness | The Mosquito Coast | Dead Poets Society | Green Card | Fearless | The Truman Show | Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World | War Magician | Pattern Recognition |
