Eyewitness (1981)

Eccentric Vietnam War vet turned janitor claims to have witnessed a murder of a man tied to international political underground in order to get the attention of a TV reporter he has a huge crush on. The cops suspect his loser best friend.

Director:

Peter Yates

Writer:

Steve Tesich

Stars:

William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William Hurt	...	Daryll Deever
Sigourney Weaver	...	Tony Sokolow
Christopher Plummer	...	Joseph
James Woods	...	Aldo
Irene Worth	...	Mrs. Sokolow
Kenneth McMillan	...	Mr. Deever
Pamela Reed	...	Linda Mercer
Albert Paulsen	...	Mr. Sokolow
Steven Hill	...	Lt. Jacobs
Morgan Freeman	...	Lt. Black
Alice Drummond	...	Mrs. Deever
Sharon Chatten	...	Israeli Woman (as Sharon Goldman)
Chao Li Chi	...	Mr. Long
Keone Young	...	Mr. Long's Son
Dennis Sakamoto	...	Vietnamese Man #1

Storyline

Manhattan janitor Daryll Deever is fixated on hard-charging TV commentator, Tony Sokolow; he tapes her commentary daily to watch after work. When a wealthy Vietnamese man, with many shady connections, is murdered in the office building where Daryll works, Tony shows up to cover the story and Daryll introduce himself. She thinks he may know something, so she pursues him; he pretends he might to keep her interested. This romantic cat and mouse game goes on under the watchful eyes of the killers, who think that Daryll and Tony do know something. The killers start their own game of cat and mouse.

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Plot Keywords:

eccentric man | murder witness | janitor | murder | police detective | 

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Taglines:

You're never more vulnerable than when you've seen too much.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

First of two movies directed by Peter Yates with a legal term title. The films are Eyewitness (1981) and Suspect (1987).

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Goofs

When Daryll tightens two wires around the heap of paper trash, the wires are parallel. In the next scene, the wires cross in an X shape.

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Quotes

Lt. Jacobs: When he was a kid, Aldo must have wanted to be a suspect when he grew up.

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Alternate Versions

Runs 93 minutes long on Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED), also commonly known RCA Selectavision Videodisc.

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Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: Eyewitness/Tess/The Competition/The Dogs of War (1981)

User Reviews

Not Much To See.

William Hurt plays a Manhattan Janitor named Daryl Deaver, who is obsessed with a local newswoman named Tony Sokolow(played by Sigourney Weaver). When a Vietnamese man with a shady past is murdered in Daryl's building, he takes full advantage of meeting his crush by insinuating that he knows more about the murder than he does. Tony goes along with him, flattered but unsure. When the true killers get wind of Daryl's story, they plan on eliminating him, and before they know it, their really is a conspiracy to report...

Good acting by its fine cast(which includes James Woods, Morgan Freeman, and Christopher Plummer) cannot save this contrived and unconvincing mystery, which just doesn't amount to much.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Janitor Can't Dance

Filming Locations:

Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. North Building, Madison Square, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$6,400,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,400,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1