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 |
| Editing by | Thom Noble |
| 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 American thriller 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 Australian Peter Weir (his first American film), it was filmed in Philadelphia, Strasburg and Intercourse, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was rated R in USA for language, violence, and brief nudity.
The film won Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Film Editing. Weir and Ford received nominations for Best Director and Best Actor respectively, and the film was nominated for Best Picture.
On August 23, 2005, a special collector's edition DVD was released 20 years after the film's debut.
Taglines:
- Harrison Ford is John Book – A big city cop who knows too much. His only evidence: a small boy who's seen too much...
- 8 year old Samuel: sole witness to a murder. Three killers who'll stop at nothing to silence him. One honest cop who'll give his life to save him...
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[edit] Summary
Rachel Lapp (McGillis), an Amish widow, her father-in-law Eli (Jan Rubes), and her young son Samuel (Haas) are grieving at the funeral of Eli's son and Rachel's husband, Jacob. Days later, Rachel takes Samuel to visit her Mennonite sister in Baltimore. At the train station in Philadelphia, little Samuel witnesses a brutal murder in a restroom. The police, led by John Book (Ford), learn that Samuel is the sole witness. Book explains to the child that the man who was killed was a policeman and asks what he saw. Samuel knows only that there were two other men in the restroom, one of whom had a large build and had black skin like Book's partner Sergeant Elton Carter (Brent Jennings).
Book and Carter take Rachel and Samuel to a bar in West Philadelphia, over Rachel's objections, to see if Samuel can identify a local suspect whom Book and Carter have had run-ins with. When this proves unsuccessful, Book takes the pair to the home of his sister Elaine (Patti Lupone) for the night. The next day, Book takes Samuel to the police station to look at mugshots and suspect lineups where Samuel is unable to identify anyone. Near an officer's desk, Samuel sees a photograph of another police officer, Lieutenant James McFee (Danny Glover) whom he identifies to Book as the murderer. Book recalls a drug raid under McFee's command where there was a suspicion of a police tipoff that Carter also remembers.
Book goes to his mentor, Chief Paul Schaeffer (Josef Sommer), and tells him of Samuel's positive identification of McFee. They discuss how to proceed, with Book unaware that Schaeffer ordered the murder. Shortly thereafter, Book gets out of his car at his apartment's parking garage and sees McFee approaching him with a gun. Book and McFee engage in a shootout, and Book is shot in the abdomen.
Deducing that Schaeffer told McFee, Book notifies his partner and orders him to destroy all records of the case. He sneaks Rachel and Samuel out of Elaine's house in the middle of the night and drives them in Elaine's VW Squareback to Eli Lapp's farm in rural Lancaster County. As he departs from the farm, Book convulses from loss of blood and infection from the gunshot wound, which has gone untreated. He blacks out and the car careens out of control, into an elevated purple martin birdhouse in front of Lapp's barn. Rachel and Eli run to his aid and she asks Book why he didn't go to a hospital to treat his wound. Gasping for his life, Book responds that a gunshot wound would require a police report, which would give away their location. Reluctantly, Eli agrees to put Book up in their home. Stoltzfus, an Amish apothecary, prescribes a milk-and-linseed oil poultice wrap to combat the infection, and some herbal teas.
Book adopts Amish dress to be less conspicuous as he recovers, and begins to fall in love with Rachel. Her father-in-law disapproves of their relationship, and warns Rachel that the Elders are considering having Rachel shunned. Book, an amateur carpenter, fits into the community well, making toys for Samuel, repairing the birdhouse, and helping neighbors in a barn raising. (Ford worked several years as a carpenter in real life.) Rival Daniel Hochleitner (Alexander Godunov) wishes to court Rachel, but sees her interest in Book.
While visiting town, Book learns that his partner has been murdered. Upset, he becomes emotional when he sees some local non-Amish youths abusing his Amish companions, including Hochleitner, and beats them severely. As the Amish are strict pacifists, word of this unusual occurrence spreads quickly and soon Schaeffer and his henchmen are on their way.
Book realizes that he has to leave. Upon being told, Rachel removes her bonnet (symbolic of putting aside her Amish background) and runs to him in the field, where they share a passionate embrace. Shortly afterward, the farm is invaded by Schaeffer, McFee, and another corrupt officer, Fergie (Angus MacInnes). Book lures Fergie into a corn silo and opens a trap door that dumps loads of dry corn, smothering Fergie. Afterwards, he takes Fergie's shotgun and shoots McFee with it. Meanwhile, Samuel rings the farm bell loudly, and soon many Amish neighbors arrive. Schaeffer, knowing that he cannot kill them all, gives up.
Afterwards, as Book prepares to leave, he shares a quiet moment with Samuel, then exchanges a long and loving gaze with Rachel but does not say goodbye to her. Before Book gets into his (sister's) car, Rachel's father-in-law tells him, "Be careful out there among the English" (the Amish term for outsiders), indicating his acceptance of Book. As Book drives away from the Lapp farm, he waves goodbye to Hochleitner, who is walking up the road, presumably to resume his courtship of Rachel.
[edit] Amish Language
There were a few times that the dialect of the Amish, known widely as Pennsylvania Dutch, but called Pennsylvania German by most linguists, can be heard in this film. One time was during construction of the new barn, an Amish man says to Harrison Ford's character, "Du huschd hott gschofft. Sell waar guud!", which means "You worked hard. That was good!" But most often in this film, the Amish are speaking High German, the standard language of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and the South Tyrol and taught in schools and universities worldwide. This is not the case in real life; the Amish speak Pennsylvania Dutch or English, but rarely speak High German among themselves, as few understand it fluently. The exceptions are, perhaps, the reading of the Holy Bible in church and the singing of hymns.
[edit] Cast
- Harrison Ford .... John Book
- Kelly McGillis .... Rachel
- Josef Sommer .... Paul 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
- Blossom Terry .... Mother in station
- Jennifer Mancuso .... Little girl
- Liam Moran .... Paedophile Bob
[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. The tour included a trip to the farm featured in the film, as well as other sites featured in the film and the Lancaster Heritage Center Museum which featured an exhibit on the film.
[edit] External links
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