Memorable quotes for
Witness (1985) More at IMDbPro »

Rachel Lapp: Are you enjoying your reading?
John Book: Oh yeah. I'm learning a lot about manure. Very interesting.

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[Waking up John Book]
Eli Lapp: 4:30. Time for milking.

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[Book is having trouble milking a cow]
Eli Lapp: You never had your hands on a teat before.
John Book: Not one this big.
[Long pause; then Eli Lapp roars with laughter]

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Eli Lapp: If you are well enough to do that, can you work for me?
John Book: Yeah, how can I help?
Eli Lapp: Milking, maybe.
John Book: Milking.
Eli Lapp: Yes, you know, cows.
John Book: Yeah. I've seen pictures.

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John Book: [to McFee] I know you, asshole!

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Rachel Lapp: [Book and Carter are driving around a rough neighborhood looking for a suspect that fits Samuel's description, with Rachel and Samuel in tow] Where are you taking us?
John Book: I'm sorry... we're looking for a suspect in the area, we'd like the kid to take a look at him.
Rachel Lapp: You have no right to keep us here.
John Book: Oh, yes I do. Your son's a material witness to a homicide.
Rachel Lapp: You don't understand. We want nothing to do with your laws.
John Book: Doesn't surprise me. A lot of people I meet are like that.
John Book: [after Samuel and Rachel converse in German] What'd he say?
Rachel Lapp: He asked who you are, your name. I told him we didn't need to know anything about you.
John Book: Book... John Book!

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Rachel Lapp: [as she and Samuel are walking through the police station with Book] When can we leave the city?
John Book: We're trying to get this done as quickly as possible, then you can go. But, Samuel's probably gonna have to come back to testify. I'm sorry.
Rachel Lapp: No, you are not, you are glad.
John Book: Huh?
Rachel Lapp: Because now you have a witness.
John Book: Yeah, now I got a witness.
Rachel Lapp: I just don't like the idea of my son spending all this time with a man who carries a gun and goes around whacking people!
John Book: [in disbelief] Whacking?... whacking?

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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.

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John Book: How do I look - I mean, do I look Amish?
Rachel Lapp: [nods] You look plain.

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Tourist Lady: [Book is in town with Eli. Eli and the other Amish are trying to avoid the tourists with cameras] Hi! We're just here for the day, would you mind...
John Book: Lady, you take my picture with that thing and I'm gonna rip your brassiere off... and strangle you with it! You got that?
Tourist Lady: [in disbelief, to no one in particular] Did you hear what that Amish just said to me?

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John Book: If we'd made love last night I'd have to stay. Or you'd have to leave.

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Eli Lapp: What you take into your hand, you take into your heart.

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Eli Lapp: This gun of the hand is for the taking of human life. We believe it is wrong to take a life. That is only for God. Many times wars have come and people have said to us: you must fight, you must kill, it is the only way to preserve the good. But Samuel, there's never only one way. Remember that. Would you kill another man?
Samuel Lapp: I would only kill the bad man.
Eli Lapp: Only the bad man. I see. And you know these bad men by sight? You are able to look into their hearts and see this badness?
Samuel Lapp: I can see what they do. I have seen it.
Eli Lapp: And having seen you become one of them? Don't you understand? What you take into your hands, you take into your heart. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing. Go and finish your chores now.
Samuel Lapp: Yes Groflvater.

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Eli Lapp: You be careful out among the English.

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Rachel Lapp: You said we'd be safe in Philadelphia!
John Book: Well I was wrong!

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Rachel Lapp: He's leaving, isn't he?
Eli Lapp: Tomorrow morning. He'll need his city clothes.
Rachel Lapp: But why? What does he have to go back to?
Eli Lapp: He's going back to his world, where he belongs. He knows it, and you know it, too.

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John Book: What happened to Hochleitner?
Rachel Lapp: He went home. He's a friend of the family... he's like a son to Eli.
[Notices John planing a board]
Rachel Lapp: You know carpentry. Can you do anything else?
John Book: Whacking. I'm hell at whacking.

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Rachel Lapp: Your sister says you don't have a family.
John Book: No, I don't.
Rachel Lapp: She thinks that you ought to get married and have children of your own, instead of trying to be a father to hers.
John Book: Yeah.
Rachel Lapp: Except she thinks you are afraid of the responsibility.
John Book: That's interesting... anything else?
Rachel Lapp: Mm hm... she thinks you like policing because you think you are right about everything and you're the only one who can do anything, and when you drink a lot of beer you say things like 'none of the other police know a crook from a bag of elbows!'. At least I think that's what she said.

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Daniel Hochleitner: You are the Yankee they talk about?
John Book: I thought I was the English.

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Daniel Hochleitner: Your hole, it is better now?
John Book: Yeah, it's pretty much healed.
Daniel Hochleitner: Good. Then you can go home.

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[Book moves to intervene against some locals harassing the Amish]
Eli Lapp: It's not our way.
John Book: It's my way.

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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?
Samuel Lapp: Ya, but not Schtulpig.
John Book: Schtulpig? What's 'Schtulpig'?
Rachel Lapp: On a farm, when a pig is born small like that, it's called schtulpig, a runt.
John Book: Oh, so he wasn't a runt. He was a big guy, like me?
[John puts his arm around an embarrassed Carter]
Samuel Lapp: Big guy!

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Det. 'Fergie': What you doing, man?
Det. Lt. James McFee: Washing my hands, man!

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Rachel Lapp: We're all very happy that you're going to live, John Book. We didn't know what we would do with you if you'd died.

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Daniel Hochleitner: They say you are a carpenter.
John Book: Yeah.
Daniel Hochleitner: Well,we can always use a good one.

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Townsman: [Book, dressed in Amish clothes, has just finished severely beating a local youth who was harassing Daniel Hochleitner] Never seen anything like it in all my years!
Daniel Hochleitner: He's from Ohio, my cousin.
Townsman: Well, them Ohio Amish must be... different. Around here, the brethren don't have any of that kinda fight in 'em! Good day to you, Mr. Lapp! This ain't good for the tourist trade, you know! Tell that to your Ohioan friend!

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Elaine: [Book has just dropped off Rachel and Samuel at Elaine's] How could you do this to me tonight?
John Book: It's important!
Elaine: [Elaine runs upstairs and gets Rachel and Samuel settled, then runs down to chastise John] I told you I had company!
John Book: Where's Jason and Billy?
Elaine: Upstairs asleep.
John Book: You got a man in the house and the kids are upstairs?
Elaine: That's none of your business! So, keep you holier-than-thou mouth shut! Anyway, they like Fred!
John Book: Oh, now we've got Fred!
Elaine: Who are these vagrants, anyway?
John Book: They're Amish!

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Chief Paul Schaeffer: Calling me at home. I can't trace the call. That's smart, John, very smart.
John Book: Lost the meaning, did you, Paul?
Chief Paul Schaeffer: What?
John Book: Isn't that what you used to say about dirty cops? Somewhere along the way they lost the meaning?
Chief Paul Schaeffer: Now don't make this difficult, John. We know where you are. We're about to...
John Book: Oh no, man, you got it wrong. I'm coming to get you!
Chief Paul Schaeffer: [laughs] I like your style, John. I've always liked your style.
John Book: I'm gonna do to you whatever you did to Zenovich. And whatever you did to Carter, I'm gonna fucking do that to you too, asshole.

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