Witness

Year:

1985

Duration:

112 min

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

IMDB rate:

7.5

Director:

Peter Weir

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 26 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1985-02-08

Filming Locations: 30th Street Station - 3001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Earnings

Budget: $12,000,000

Opening Weekend: $4,539,990 (USA) (10 February 1985)

Gross: $68,706,993 (USA)SEK 11,544,198 (Sweden)

Cast

Actor

Character

Viggo Mortensen

Witness

Alexander Godunov

Witness

Harrison Ford

John Book

Kelly McGillis

Rachel

Josef Sommer

Schaeffer

Lukas Haas

Samuel

Jan Rubes

Eli Lapp

Danny Glover

McFee

Brent Jennings

Carter

Patti LuPone

Elaine

Angus MacInnes

Fergie

Frederick Rolf

Stoltzfus

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

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

Nancy Kirk

Crying Amish Woman at Funeral (uncredited)

LaVerne Shank

Young Amish Man (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

The water wheel in the film was only a studio prop, and dismantled after filming was finished.

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Producer Edward S. Feldman's first choice for director was Peter Weir from the very start. Weir, however, turned it down because he was involved in pre-production on The Mosquito Coast (1986). Feldman then went to John Badham who dismissed it as "just another cop movie". After being turned down by various other directors, Feldman was delighted when Weir suddenly became available again as his production of The Mosquito Coast (1986) had been delayed due to finance difficulties. Weir would ultimately make The Mosquito Coast (1986) in 1986 with Harrison Ford starring.

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The song for the "serenade" scene, "Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke, was selected by Harrison Ford himself. Director Peter Weir said that since Ford had to sing and dance to it, he should be able to choose which song he wanted to use for that scene. However the version of the song heard in the film is not Sam Cooke's original, but performed by Cooke sound-alike Greg Chapman.

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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.

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When Book tells Schaeffer that the young boy identified narcotics detective McFee as the murderer, the cameraman is visible in the reflection of the mirror.

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As Rachel and Samuel watch Daniel drive his wagon alongside of the Amtrak train, the road becomes a lumberyard then quickly reappears.

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Quotes

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: You are the Yankee they talk about?

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John Book: How do I look - I mean, do I look Amish?

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Faq

Q

Why was the guy murdered in the men's room at the beginning of the movie?

A

Because Detective McFee was involved in a drug ring and some missing drugs. In Linda Seger's book, Making A Good Script Great (1994), she reveals that a scene was cut from the movie where it was explained that the murdered cop worked for Internal Affairs and was undercover investigating the corrupt cops.

Q

A Note Regarding Spoilers

A

he following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags are used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

Q

What is 'Witness' about?

A

Rachel Lapp (Kelly McGillis), a young Amish widow, is taking her 8-year old son Samuel (Lukas Haas) to visit her sister in Baltimore. While in the men's room in the train station in Philadelphia, Samuel witnesses the murder of a policeman. When Samuel fingers narcotics lieutenant James McFee (Danny Glover) as one of the killers, Philadelphia detective Captain John Book (Harrison Ford) realizes that both his and Samuel's lives are in danger, so he goes into hiding in the rural Amish community to protect Samuel until the trial. Living and working beside the Amish men, Book finds himself attracted to Rachel, and she to him. However, their disparate backgrounds make their love forbidden by Amish standards.

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