Witness (1985)

Director:

Peter Weir

Writers:

William Kelley (story) and
Pamela Wallace (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 February 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Harrison Ford is John Book - A big city cop who knows too much. His only evidence: a small boy who's seen too much...

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Amish | Murder | Police | Train | Love

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 26 nominations

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	...	Amish
Emily Mary Haas	...	Amish
Fred Steinharter	...	Amish
John D. King	...	Amish
Paul Goss	...	Amish
Annemarie Vallerio	...	Amish
Bruce E. Camburn	...	Amish
William Francis	...	Town Man
Tom Kennedy	...	Ticket Seller (as Tom W. Kennedy)
Ardyth Kaiser	...	Couple in Garage
Thomas Quinn	...	Couple in Garage
Eugene Dooley	...	Detective
Victoria Scott D'Angelo	...	Detective
Richard Chaves	...	Detective
Tim Moyer	...	Detective
Nino Del Buono	...	Detective
James Frank Clark	...	Detective (as James Clark)
Joseph Kelly	...	Detective
Norman Carter	...	Detective
Craig Clement	...	Detective
Robert Earl Jones	...	Custodian
Michael Levering	...	Hoodlum
Cara Giallanza	...	Hoodlum
Anthony Dean Rubes	...	Hoodlum
Bernie Styles	...	Counterman
Blossom Terry	...	Mother in Station
Jennifer Mancuso	...	Little Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nancy Kirk	...	Crying Amish Woman at Funeral (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Weir

Writing credits
William Kelley		(story) and
Pamela Wallace		(story) &
Earl W. Wallace		(story)
Earl W. Wallace		(screenplay) &
William Kelley		(screenplay)

Produced by
David Bombyk	....	co-producer
Edward S. Feldman	....	producer
Wendy Stites	....	associate producer (as Wendy Weir)

Original Music by
Maurice Jarre

Cinematography by
John Seale		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thom Noble

Casting by
Dianne Crittenden

Production Design by
Stan Jolley

Set Decoration by
John H. Anderson		(as John Anderson)

Makeup Department
Leland V. Crawford	....	hair stylist
Marie Delrusso	....	makeup artist
Michael Hancock	....	makeup supervisor (as Michael A. Hancock)
Bette Iverson	....	supervising hair stylist (as Bette L. Iverson)
Jay Cannistraci	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ted Swanson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pamela M. Eilerson	....	second assistant director (as Pamela Eilerson)
David McGiffert	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Carlos Acosta	....	props (as Carlos L. Acosta)
Frank L. Brown	....	lead man
Craig Edgar	....	set designer
David Goldman	....	props (as David M. Goldman)
Robert Krume	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Pamela Bentkowski	....	foley editor
Alan Bromberg	....	foley editor
Norval D. Crutcher	....	sound effects editor (as Norval Crutcher)
Don Digirolamo	....	re-recording mixer
Humberto Gatica	....	recording mixer
Robert Glass	....	re-recording mixer (as Bob Glass)
Cecelia Hall	....	supervising sound effects editor
Frank Howard	....	sound effects editor
Robert Knudson	....	re-recording mixer (as Buzz Knudson)
Alan L. Nineberg	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Patterson	....	sound effects editor
Bruce Richardson	....	sound effects editor (as Paul Bruce Richardson)
Fred Stafford	....	adr supervisor
Barry Thomas	....	sound mixer (as Barry D. Thomas)
George Watters II	....	supervising sound effects editor
Forest Williams	....	boom man (as Forrest R. Williams)
Edward M. Steidele	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John R. Elliott	....	special effects
Charles E. Dolan	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunt coordinator
Gary Epper	....	stunts
Anderson Martin	....	stunts
Bob Minor	....	stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunt coordinator (as Glenn Wilder)
Vic Armstrong	....	stunt double: Mr. Ford (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Charlie Clifton	....	cameraman: second unit (as Chuck Clifton)
Lawrence K. Freeman	....	electrical best boy
Chaim Kantor	....	second assistant cameraman
Robin P. Knight	....	key grip (as Robin Knight)
Dan Lerner	....	camera operator
Bruce MacCallum	....	first assistant cameraman
Bernie Schwartz	....	dolly grip
Gary Tandrow	....	gaffer (as Gary B. Tandrow)
Josh Weiner	....	stills

Casting Department
Elina deSantos	....	location casting: Philadelphia
Tom Scott	....	location casting: Lancaster
Ilene Starger	....	casting associate
Gail Walton	....	location casting: Philadelphia

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Paula Cain	....	costumer
Dallas D. Dornan	....	costume supervisor
Shari Feldman	....	costume supervisor
Michael W. Hoffman	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Michael Amundsen	....	apprentice editor
Joan E. Chapman	....	assistant editor
Bob Noland	....	color timer
Jane Moran	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Michel Mention	....	assistant: Maurice Jarre
Richard Stone	....	supervising music editor: Segue Music

Transportation Department
Clifford D. Hill	....	transportation

Other crew
Eugene Dooley	....	police advisor: Philadelphia Police Dept. (as Capt. Eugene Dooley)
Nora Dunfee	....	dialect consultant: Amish
Eyal Geva	....	assistant: Mr. Weir
Cara Giallanza	....	production assistant
John D. King	....	advisor: Amish
Michael Klastorin	....	publicist
Michael John Meehan	....	location manager (as Michael Meehan)
Judith Pritchard	....	secretary to Mr. Swanson (as Judy Pritchard)
Sandra Rabins	....	production auditor
Diane Schneier	....	production assistant
Gloria Slate	....	assistant: Messrs. Feldman and Bombyk
Lynn Stewart	....	production assistant
Ruth Tighe	....	production assistant
Cynnie Troup	....	script supervisor
Hope Williams	....	script supervisor
T.J. Healy II	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Tom Scott	....	in memory of
Dick Thornburgh	....	the producers wish to express their appreciation for the assistance and cooperation of (as Governor Dick Thornburgh)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Edward S. Feldman Production (as An Edward S. Feldman Production)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical) (A Gulf+Western Company)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1989) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1994) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Austria) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1985) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Paramount (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2001) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Segue Music  supervising music editor
• Todd-AO Studios  sound re-recorded at (as Todd-AO)
• Record Plant Scoring  scoring
• Varèse Sarabande  original motion picture soundtrack on (as Varèse Sarabande Records and Cassettes)
• Pennsylvania Department of Commerce, The Office of Film Promotion  the producers wish to express thier appreciation for the assistance and cooperation of (as The Pennsilvania Film Bureau Department of Commerce)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  logo
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• White Gloves  negative cutting (as White Gloves, Inc.)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (as Dolby Stereo)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Ireland:15 | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | West Germany:12 | Iceland:16 | Australia:M | South Korea:15 | USA:R (certificate #27540) | Sweden:11 | Japan:G (2009) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

30th Street Station - 3001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Ford joined the Philadelphia Police Department in preparation for the movie. He even joined them on a number of raids.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Samuel looks at the hand gun in the drawer, it is lying in two different positions, in the different camera angles.

Quotes:

Rachel Lapp:I should tell you this kind of coat doesn't have buttons. See? Hooks and eyes.
John Book:Something wrong with buttons?
Rachel Lapp:Buttons are proud and vain, not plain.
John Book:Got anything against zippers?
Rachel Lapp:Are you making fun of me?
John Book:No.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Family Guy: Boys Do Cry (#5.15)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

SHOCKING BEHAVIOR

As good as film-making gets

I've seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of films, and when asked which is my favorite my decision keeps coming back to "Witness," Australian director Peter Weir's masterpiece. Fabulously acted, beautifully photographed . . . it's just perfect. Outside of the well-known stars (Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Danny Glover) look for brilliant work from Josef Sommers and an amazingly understated performance by the late Alexander Godunov.