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Movies / On DVD / Witness
Witness

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Witness (1985)

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96 %
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Reviews Counted: 28

Fresh: 27

Rotten:1

Average Rating: 8.2/10

Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Australian Peter Weir's first Hollywood film tells the story of John Book (Harrison Ford), a Philadelphia cop whose life is altered while trying to help Rachel (Kelly McGillis), an Amish woman, and... Australian Peter Weir's first Hollywood film tells the story of John Book (Harrison Ford), a Philadelphia cop whose life is altered while trying to help Rachel (Kelly McGillis), an Amish woman, and her son Samuel (Lukas Haas), who witnesses a murder in a Philadelphia train station bathroom. After discovering that the murder was committed by a member of his force, Book travels to Lancaster County with Rachel and Samuel and poses as a member of the Amish community to hide from his murderous police peers. While there, love blooms between Rachel and Book, and he finds himself drawn in by the honesty and simplicity of the old-world Amish lifestyle. Fine performances and beautiful cinematography are prevalent throughout. [More]

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Alexander Godunov, Lukas Haas

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Alexander Godunov, Lukas Haas, Timothy Carhart, Brent Jennings, Josef Sommer, Danny Glover, Patti LuPone, Angus MacInnes, Frederick Rolf, Viggo Mortensen, Ed Crowley

Director: Peter Weir

Director: Peter Weir
Screenwriter: Earl W. Wallace, William Kelley, Pamela Wallace
Composer: Maurice Jarre

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 29, 1999

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Witness

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Harrison Ford renders one of his best dramatic performances, for which he won his sole Oscar nomination, in Peter Weir's beautifully shot feature, which is effective as a cop thriller as well as a chronicle of the rural Amish subculture.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
02/05/09
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
10/18/08
David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
06/10/08
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
12/04/07
Almar Haflidason
BBC

My favourite Peter Weir film, Witness is something special...Three years after Blade Runner, Harrison Ford is at his best, while Kelly McGillis in her second film role, exudes a Grace Kelly-like serenity.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/30/07
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/29/07
Oz
eFilmCritic.com

...a refreshingly adult story.

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
11/28/07
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
10/20/07
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out

Fish-out-of-water stories were very popular for a while in the 1980s, but none had the classical resonance of this powerful Oscar-nominated drama.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
11/17/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Humanizes the conflict of peace versus the arguable necessity of violence.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
08/20/05
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

It's got some action, some romance, a few drips of comedy, and a lot of fascinating insight into a culture we know very little about.

Full Review Source: DVD Clinic | comment Comment
08/17/05
Scott Weinberg
DVD Clinic

takes a high concept idea and turns it into a character study more suspenseful and more rewarding than the anticipated norm

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
07/14/05
Pete Croatto
Filmcritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/29/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

A compelling thriller, a smoldering love story, a thoughtful study in comparative cultures, and a respectful exploration of religious community and nonviolence.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
02/03/05
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
08/01/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
06/10/04
Sarah Chauncey
Reel.com

A dynamic, thoughtful thriller that balances its themes extraordinarily well.

comment Comment
03/18/04
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

No review available.

comment Comment
01/07/04
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies
 
 
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Latest News for Witness

May 12, 2008: Indiana Jonesin': The Best of Harrison Ford
We count down Harrison Ford's best-reviewed films outside of the Indiana Jones franchise and the memorable characters that he played in each celebrated film. More...

December 02, 2005: Depp, Weir & Roth to Visit "Shantaram"
Variety brings news of a cinematic pairing that should thrill most of the hardcore movie geeks out there. How about Peter Weir directing Johnny Depp? Yup, thought that'd get... More...

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