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Witness poster

Witness

year 1985decade 80sdirector Peter Weirgenre Neo-noirgenre Crimegenre Thriller

117 minutes

IMDb
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Harrison Ford Detective Captain John Book
Kelly McGillis Rachel Lapp
Josef Sommer Chief Paul Schaeffer
Lukas Haas Samuel Lapp
Jan Rubeš Eli Lapp
Alexander Godunov Daniel Hochleitner
Danny Glover Lieutenant James McFee
Brent Jennings Sergeant Elton Carter
Patti LuPone Elaine Book
Angus MacInnes Sergeant Leon "Fergie" Ferguson
Viggo Mortensen Moses Hochleitner
Frederick Rolf Stoltzfus
Timothy Carhart Detective Ian Zenovich
John Garson Bishop Tchantz
Richard Chaves Detective Sykes
Beverly May Mrs. Yoder
Ed Crowley sheriff
Sylvia Kauders Tourist lady
Marian Swan Mrs. Schaeffer
Maria Bradley Schaeffer's daughter
Rozwill Young T-Bone
Paul S. Nuss Amish
John D. King Amish
Paul Goss Amish
William Francis Town man
Tom W. Kennedy Ticket seller
Ardyth Kaiser Couple in garage
Tom Quinn Couple in garage
Eugene Dooley Detective

Witness | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Mallory Rubin theme One Word Movie Month
Explore episodeClose episode

Producer credits not yet identified.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:30Read transcript
  • Ebert awarded four stars, praising the adult love story, thriller and Ford's performance.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Barn dance; final confrontation

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:40Read transcript
  • Opening travel and Samuel's expressive child performance are admired; a child-actor Oscar is proposed and the intensity is less straightforward in adult roles.
  • The bathroom murder excels through the stall switch, tiny hands, eyes and hat retrieval, the latter compared to Indiana Jones.
  • Recognizing Glover's photograph is praised for silence, slow motion, eye contact and Book lowering the finger.
  • The parking-garage shootout and blood reveal provide smart thriller action, with the elevator motorist adding comedy.
  • Eli's gun conversation supplies a moving moral argument about hands and hearts, compared to Gandalf's restraint.
  • The barn dance is the easiest scene choice and an exceptional personal favorite; it also receives the needle-drop award.
  • The barn dance embodies desire through awkwardness, sweat, lighting and near-kisses; Ford reportedly chose the song, performed as a cover because original rights were unavailable.
  • The barn raising makes communal work riveting, integrates Ford's carpentry, and conveys rivalry and gossip through lemonade and lunch gestures.
  • The bath invitation communicates Rachel's confidence and defiance while Book hesitates; lightning, the mirror and the open door make desire visible.
  • Punching the bully is a satisfying conventional 1980s beat following news of the partner's death; Book openly distinguishes his methods from Amish ones.
  • The final invasion uses Samuel, livestock and the silo effectively; the surviving chief's surrender is an unusual moral collapse rather than routine violent death.
  • Glover was reportedly originally to die by mule, changed to a shooting at Ford's request; Book's use of farm knowledge pays off earlier scenes.
  • The climax is the other final scene preference for spatial clarity, renewed thriller tension and the near miss before Book's planned departure; Schaefer likely learns the location only after the bully incident.
  • The barn dance and final confrontation remain split preferences.

The Slow Ride / Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness Award for Best Needle Drop

Wonderful World during the barn dance

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:54Read transcript
  • The barn dance is the easiest scene choice and an exceptional personal favorite; it also receives the needle-drop award.
  • The barn dance embodies desire through awkwardness, sweat, lighting and near-kisses; Ford reportedly chose the song, performed as a cover because original rights were unavailable.

Explicit Desire Stare

Rachel’s bath invitation

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:16Read transcript
  • A proposed Amish Rachel stare-down category would recognize an unmistakably explicit invitation to intimacy.

Picking Nits

Gunshot survival and recovery; unheard child; ineffective garage attack; spending criminal proceeds

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:06Read transcript
  • Whether corn would kill is questioned, with suffocation, debris and inability to escape offered in defense; the greenhouse death in another film is compared.
  • Racial profiling is objectionable, and surviving blood loss and infection with a poultice strains belief.
  • Book's rapid recovery to heavy carpentry, lifting and fighting is implausible.
  • The killers should hear Samuel urinating, and his swift evasive instincts are questioned while admired.
  • Samuel's unspoiled instincts could explain his quick response to danger.
  • McPhee should bring backup and finish the garage attack given the money at stake.
  • How corrupt officers could spend such a large fortune without attracting attention is unresolved; retirement or hidden investments are suggested.

The most "year the movie came out" thing

Electronic score

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:22Read transcript
  • The coffee-commercial reference is a period candidate and reportedly references Ford missing that advertisement role.
  • Elaine's appearance and deleted Donkey Kong scene date the film; hiding a paper address would fail in a modern digital system.
  • The electronic Maurice Jarre score is the stated most-1985 choice, admired but strongly of its era.

What’s Aged the Best?

Screenplay restraint; Ford holding a kitten; dirty cops; Ford’s career; lighting; cast; milking scene; dialogue-free farewell

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:30Read transcript
  • The screenplay choices and Ford holding the kitten are aged-best selections; the kitten image is requested as funeral imagery.
  • Dirty cops losing their principles, Ford's run, visual restraint, Dutch-master lighting and inexperienced supporting players are aged-best choices.
  • Haas's unexpected later place in DiCaprio's social circle is noted with basketball-role comparisons.
  • The early milking scene, its teat joke and calling Book English remain funny.
  • Godunov's life and early death are discussed; Amish observers reportedly watched but would not appear, with Mennonites among the extras.
  • The dialogue-free final romantic farewell is preferred to the scripted explanation.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Sponge bath; Book over the car roof; Samuel’s eyes through the door

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:33Read transcript
  • The sponge bath, Book over the car roof and Samuel's eyes through the door are cinematic-shot candidates; the eye shot is reportedly soft-focused and Weir pressed the child for greater fear.

Did This Movie Need a Random Sports Scene?

Amish catch or touch football; games with Samuel

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:22Read transcript
  • A random sports scene could show Book and Daniel playing catch or Amish touch football, with Samuel bonding, shuffleboard or darts alternatives.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Rachel’s quick romantic transition; Book’s insufficient concern for Carter and Elaine

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:44Read transcript
  • Rachel seemingly moves on too quickly after her husband's death; the counterargument says Daniel pursues her and Ford's appeal is exceptional, while conceding limited visible mourning.
  • Book shows insufficient urgency about danger to Carter and Elaine; protecting Samuel explains some caution but does not eliminate the risk.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Amish beards; Oscar results; racial profiling; disputed laughing kiss

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:46Read transcript
  • Amish beards, that year's Oscar results and racially profiling T-bone are aged-worst choices.
  • Laughing during the slow-motion kiss is criticized; the defense reads it as joy and feral desire rather than ridicule.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

A western rather than a cop movie; John Book as Ford’s richest role

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:10Read transcript
  • The film is argued to be a western and love story with cops, rather than fundamentally a cop movie.
  • The other response agrees that the police plot is mostly machinery, without the usual station scenes.
  • John Book is proposed as Ford’s richest and hardest role, above Indiana Jones and Han Solo.
  • Redford is considered less sexually convincing, while Pitt or mid-to-late-2000s DiCaprio might manage the role.
  • The difficulty of combining action, romance and rapport with a child is agreed, though not necessarily the number-one ranking.
  • Crowe is another possible performer, with Proof of Life cited and his magnetism debated.
  • Book, Han Solo and Indiana Jones are proposed as parallel peaks rather than a single best role, with Kimble added as a possibility.

Casting What-Ifs

Robert Redford; David Cronenberg; Burt Reynolds; uncertain Isabella Rossellini report

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:53Read transcript
  • Redford reportedly sought the lead but producers feared disruptive rewrites; Cronenberg reportedly declined directing.
  • Reynolds reportedly wanted the part then withdrew; a Rossellini offer is treated as uncertain research.
  • Ford reportedly doubted McGillis before Weir persuaded him; whether this reflected her personally or inexperience is unresolved.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Role preparation; barn raising; silo safety; boycott; Kurosawa’s admiration

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:02Read transcript
  • Ford researched Philadelphia homicide while McGillis lived with an Amish widow and seven children; Ford deliberately avoided Amish research to preserve Book's ignorance.
  • Character-based excuses for research are compared with Rupert Grint's homework anecdote, followed by sexual jokes.
  • The barn raising expanded from a paragraph; the silo actor reportedly had a hidden scuba regulator, prompting concern and jokes about danger.
  • An Amish religious-freedom organization reportedly urged boycott; Kurosawa's admiration is celebrated.

Apex Mountain

Amish movie characters; corn silos; sponge baths; evil Danny Glover; Lukas Haas

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:14Read transcript
  • Ford's Apex is tentatively this prestige breakthrough after earlier franchise peaks, because of the Oscar nomination and first-choice status.
  • McGillis peaks at Top Gun instead.
  • Amish film characters receive an affirmative Apex; evil Philadelphia police remains uncertain.
  • Corn silos and sponge baths receive affirmative Apex support; corn generally is less certain.
  • The upper-body-only bath and Book's toileting while injured raise practical questions.
  • Evil Glover receives affirmative Apex with Shooter an alternative; Godunov peaks at Die Hard.
  • Haas receives affirmative acting support then a joking later social-life alternative; train-station murder goes to Blow Out and Mortensen to Aragorn.
  • Weir's Apex is Dead Poets Society rather than Witness, given subsequent clout and lasting impact.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Jacob’s death; unshown intimacy; later relationships; adapting to Amish life

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:14Read transcript
  • The upper-body-only bath and Book's toileting while injured raise practical questions.
  • Jacob's cause of death is unknown; an orchestrated accident is jokingly proposed then doubted because Daniel appears incapable of violence.
  • Illness compounded by inadequate treatment is another speculative explanation, with intentionally absurd remedy jokes.
  • Sex after the kiss is affirmed on the basis of the screenplay and DVD essay, despite not being shown.
  • The location of that intimacy is unknown; grass, a grave, an unfinished barn and the dance barn are imagined alternatives.
  • Whether Daniel could satisfy Rachel after Book is questioned.
  • Continued contact between Book and Samuel is hoped for and considered likely, with a return visit potentially unsettling the marriage.
  • A later letter reporting Eli's death from poor treatment is a joke.
  • Living Amish is appealing only in selected respects: Book and fresh food attract, while losing television does not; cream in coffee prompts a digression.
  • Electricity, religion, showers, sports and media would obstruct adapting to Amish life; the initial belief there is no coffee is corrected by the movie's coffee scene.

Cruise or Hanks?

Cruise; Hanks

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:14Read transcript
  • Cruise and Hanks initially split; Hanks feels more like a Philadelphia cop, and Cruise's existing McGillis chemistry is a drawback.

Scorsese or Spielberg?

Spielberg

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:12Read transcript
  • Spielberg is agreed; a darker Scorsese version intrigues, but the reported rejection is doubted and a supposed personal explanation is a joke.

Producer review

Unavailable: Craig is on vacation

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:56:59Read transcript
  • The producer review is unavailable because Craig is on vacation; a later response is hoped for.

More from the conversation

Mallory Rubin joins an in-person one-on-one episode during one-word movie month.
Approx. transcript time · 00:00:00Read transcript
Witness is a top-ten and possibly top-five personal favorite; John Book is considered an unmatched screen attraction, while McGillis holds particular teenage-viewing appeal.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:21Read transcript
Witness establishes Ford as a prestigious leading man outside franchises after an exceptional 1980–85 run; Mosquito Coast is admired despite its commercial stumble.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:15Read transcript
Older leading men were aging out while Hanks and Cruise were not yet ready, leaving Ford ideally positioned for the part.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:40Read transcript
Ford's appeal combines action, warmth, eccentricity, expressive hands and credibility in varied roles; his long later career and relaxed public persona are admired.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:44Read transcript
His private life seemed less exposed than later stars'; retrospective sexual anecdotes are discussed with skepticism about their exaggerated frequency.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:09Read transcript
His sole Oscar nomination is considered inadequate; Witness, Raiders, Blade Runner, Working Girl and The Fugitive are debated as worthy roles.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:48Read transcript
Awards claims must account for specific competition and contemporary reception; Blade Runner gained stature later and the Fugitive year was exceptionally strong.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:15Read transcript
Out of Africa's awards dominance is disputed; Witness's wins are corrected from cinematography/editing to screenplay/editing, and Weir's direction is strongly praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:05Read transcript
Visual storytelling, the lowered pointing finger and removal of explanatory closing dialogue trust viewers to read emotion without exposition.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:28Read transcript
Book's goodbye to Samuel is moving because of small gestures rather than advice; the restrained barn raising shows communal life without importing big-city energy.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:58Read transcript
Daniel remains sympathetic rather than a stock rival, and the closing departure conveys the likely future marriage without an explicit conversation.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:38Read transcript
The immersion in Amish life explains why outside violence threatens the community.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:42Read transcript
Pacifism and violence remain in tension: Book respects the community but cannot surrender his own methods permanently.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:26Read transcript
The morning-after conversation clarifies that intimacy would force a permanent choice; moving to Baltimore is imagined as an alternative.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:52Read transcript
The three-act structure transforms thriller into rural recovery and then invasion, keeping a fish-out-of-water contrast while switching whose world is unfamiliar.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:05Read transcript
Weir's American debut shares tenderness, patient framing and visual introspection with Dead Poets Society.
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:32Read transcript
McGillis's sudden success and coffee-shop encounter with Ford and Weir are recounted; casting had sought someone without modern knowingness.
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:42Read transcript
Glover's villainy is especially effective when he calmly washes his hands after murder.
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:31Read transcript
Godunov's contrast with Die Hard and Mortensen's small debut lead to an extended Lord of the Rings digression and hypothetical future viewing plans.
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:08Read transcript
The script reportedly grew from an unproduced Gunsmoke story and met resistance over both cop-film familiarity and Amish subject matter; sustained word of mouth is praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:15Read transcript
Ford's own favorite performance is pondered; K-19 accents and the Jack Ryan films become comparisons.
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:06Read transcript
A modern distracted child might miss the murder while on a device.
Approx. transcript time · 00:41:28Read transcript
Threatened shunning reinforces cultural difference and prompts workplace/Game of Thrones jokes.
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:40Read transcript
Book's unseen private response is imagined as masturbation, not an event shown on screen.
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:38Read transcript
Substituting almond milk made coffee less enjoyable; heavy cream is recommended conversationally.
Approx. transcript time · 01:53:00Read transcript
Closing thanks give first names or unclear ASR names, insufficient to establish unambiguous producer identities.
Approx. transcript time · 01:57:17Read transcript

Mentions across The Rewatchables

Recorded movie reference

Top Gun

The Rewatchables · aired July 23, 2019

Witness is listed in the sourced research for this episode. The precise discussion has not been linked yet.

Transcript time unavailableRead transcript
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