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Witness (1985) 7.5
Ratings:
7.5/10 from 45,908 users
Metascore: 76/100
Reviews: 145 user | 68 critic | 14 from Metacritic.com A young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder; policeman John Book goes into hiding in Amish country to protect him until the trial. Director:Peter Weir |
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Title: Witness (1985)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Harrison Ford | ... | ||
| Kelly McGillis | ... | ||
| Josef Sommer | ... | ||
| Lukas Haas | ... | ||
| Jan Rubes | ... | ||
| Alexander Godunov | ... | ||
| Danny Glover | ... | ||
| Brent Jennings | ... | ||
| Patti LuPone | ... | ||
| Angus MacInnes | ... | ||
 |
Frederick Rolf | ... | |
| Viggo Mortensen | ... | ||
|
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John Garson | ... | |
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Beverly May | ... | |
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Ed Crowley | ... | |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Samuel Lap is a young Amish boy who witnesses a murder in Philadelphia while traveling with his mother Rachel. A good cop named John Book must go with them into hiding when the killers come after them. All three retreat to Amish country and Book has to adjust to the new life style, and his feelings for the boy's mother. Of course the killers are still on their trail. Written by Greg Bole <bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu>
Taglines:
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... See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
8 February 1985 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Called Home See more »Filming Locations:
30th Street Station - 3001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA See more »Box Office
Budget:
$12,000,000 (estimated)Gross:
$65,500,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby (as Dolby Stereo)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Samuel Lapp: Um... there were two.
John Book: There were TWO men?
Samuel Lapp: I only saw one.
John Book: [turning to Carter] Does anybody else know about this?
Det. Sgt. Elden Carter: No, no one's had a chance to talk to him.
John Book: What did he look like, the man that you saw?
Samuel Lapp: He was... like him.
[pointing at Carter]
John Book: He was a black man, had black skin?
[...]
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
As realistic as the actors playing background roles as Amish people are, no actual Amish were in the film because they do not (as is correctly stated in the film itself) like to have their pictures taken. They were intensely interested in the filming, though, and many Amish people were often out of camera range politely watching the filming. See more »Goofs
The Amish clothes are shown with buttons, men's shirts and coats. The Amish use straight pins in place of buttons, where Mennonite's use buttons on their clothes. See more »Quotes
John Book: Samuel, the man who was killed tonight was a policeman, and it's my job to find out what happened. I want you to tell me everything you saw when you went into the bathroom.Samuel Lapp: Um... there were two.
John Book: There were TWO men?
Samuel Lapp: I only saw one.
John Book: [turning to Carter] Does anybody else know about this?
Det. Sgt. Elden Carter: No, no one's had a chance to talk to him.
John Book: What did he look like, the man that you saw?
Samuel Lapp: He was... like him.
[pointing at Carter]
John Book: He was a black man, had black skin?
[...]
See more »
An earlier comment on the site suggests that the film is flawed because the Amish boy, coming from a secure, peaceful environment, would not be able to witness a scene of brutality without becoming utterly traumatised.
Far from being a flaw, I believe this is a key statement of the theme of the film - that the close, peaceful and loving upbringing he has enjoyed provide the boy with an emotional strength and resilience that allows him to recognise evil and reject it. Later that same environment will provide the embittered and emotionally scarred with a temporary oasis where he can in part recover from the loveless violence of his own life.
Contrast the failure of community in the vast and soulless terminal building, where the first scene is set, where every one is isolated by the indifference and aggression of their fellow travellers, with the co-operative endeavour of the justly famous barn raising scene, where even the outsider is welcomed and included in an act of joint creation.