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Witness
Witness
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Witness

Witness

1985
Romance, Drama
1h 52m
A young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder; policeman John Book goes into hiding in Amish country to protect him until the trial. (imdb)

Directed by:

Peter Weir

Screenwriter:

Pamela Wallace, William Kelley, Earl W. Wallace

Starring:

Harrison Ford, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover, Kelly McGillis, Jan Rubes, Patti LuPone, Alexander Godunov, Josef Sommer, Lukas Haas, Brent Jennings, Angus MacInnes, Robert Earl Jones

Genres:

Romance, Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Crime

Country:

USA

Languages:

English, German
imdb IMDb
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Witness

1985
Romance, Drama
1h 52m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 58.57% from 2504 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 03 Apr 2013
85
86th
Don't let that poster fool you, it is not about a young boy living inside a giant Harrison Ford.
Rated 03 Apr 2013
spleenspleen
Rated 08 Oct 2012
88
91st
So inspired I have reassessed my current state of existence, disavowed all technology, relocated to an Amish community and am currently typing this on a homemade wooden laptop with a steam-powered modem.
Rated 08 Oct 2012
paxtonPaxton
Rated 01 Aug 2017
85
83rd
Getting to Witness Kelly McGillis in the buff was a rite of passage for many a young man of my generation. This one was a little harder to sneak by than the mysteriously PG Beastmaster, but watching Harrison Ford movies was an eighties kid's natural right. Also the movie was good but nobody cared about that. billyshears' review made me chortle.
Rated 01 Aug 2017
citysqwirlcitysqwirl
Rated 14 Aug 2007
91
95th
An excellently crafted thriller in a fascinating setting with Harrison at the peak of his rugged, honorable appeal.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
canadianorcanadianor
Rated 28 Jan 2010
45
25th
'Witness' does little to maintain the tension it builds so well in the beginning moments. The lingering threat of John's impending doom doesn't create nearly as much tension as being on the run should. John resists the Amish culture and they resist him, but it doesn't do much to shed any light on the characters. Rachel seems like she might be enchanted by life in the city, but that could also be her lust for John. In the end, it becomes a predictable shootout with nothing learned or gained.
Rated 28 Jan 2010
lb94LB94
Rated 03 May 2012
81
65th
About as powerful and human as any drama can be. Witness blends the genres of drama and thriller magnificently and it's certainly one of the best written films I've seen in a long, long time. Themes and settings are constantly changing and it's all the better for it. Throw in a few electric performances from Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis and you've got yourself a rollercoaster of a movie. The finale is executed incredibly well and just like any other Peter Weir movie; it looks beautiful.
Rated 03 May 2012
cinematicespCinematicESP
Rated 07 Sep 2011
85
69th
Weir successfully "milks" a simple high concept, and the end result is deliciously cinematic. There are plenty of memorable sequences of suspense and the romance plays out almost entirely non-verbally.
Rated 07 Sep 2011
joojooJooJoo
Rated 18 Oct 2010
4
56th
A flick with many enjoyments to be had once you look past the irrelevant romance and a few implausibilities; also an ending that seems a bit too neatly wrapped up. Oh well. Harrison Ford + Peter Weir + an Amish setting (with a young Viggo Mortensen among 'em) makes it kind of hard for this to seem like wasted time.
Rated 18 Oct 2010
stanthecaddystanthecaddy
Rated 08 Sep 2009
78
55th
Wasn't quite what I'd expected going in. The film seems to meander along during the middle act, but it nevertheless remains interesting. The view into Amish culture- whether or not it's accurate- sets the film apart and gives it a unique appearance and tone. Definitely feels like a Peter Weir film.
Rated 08 Sep 2009
paulofilmopaulofilmo
Rated 25 Jan 2009
67
31st
Seen it all before, but I do have a soft spot for the way Weir picks scripts that provide a cultural education. Loved the soundtrack.
Rated 25 Jan 2009
thedenizenTheDenizen
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
63rd
Who knew Amish chicks were such sluts?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
lookjabbaLookJabba...
Rated 23 Jun 2014
8
76th
Witness is one of my favourite Peter Weir films. The overall direction, cinematography and script is superb craft. Harrison Ford gives one of his best and most overlooked performances. And Kelly McGillis is as equally brilliant also. Peter Weir oddly yet remarkably manages to blend several genres, whilst documenting a view into the lives of the Amish community. And it bizarrely and convincingly works. My only criticism would be the films safe and underwhelming final third. Otherwise flawless.
Rated 23 Jun 2014
damildamil
Rated 09 Apr 2013
60
43rd
This was alright. The beginning and end of the movie were pretty exciting. However, the middle is a kind of strange mix between a romance story and a documentary on the Amish. It destroys all the tension that was built up in the first act. It's not really all that bad or anything, it just wasn't the straight-up thriller I was expecting. Harrison Ford and the rest of the cast were all fine, and the direction was pretty good.
Rated 09 Apr 2013
cclzaCCLZA
Rated 21 Oct 2012
75
64th
Ford's and McGillis' performances are top-notch and the clash of cultures is directed in an interesting (if slightly heavy-handed) way. Still, the plot development is pretty simple, just like the Amish would like, I bet.
Rated 21 Oct 2012
rufamRufam
Rated 25 Aug 2011
65
42nd
"Witness" is an odd thriller -one that actually cares about the characters that inhabit it. That doesn't mean that you'll find any sharp observations or memorable character moments in Weir's superbly crafted film, but it's certainly entertaining, pretty to look at and the Amish subplot breathes some fresh life into the conspiracy thriller formula. Ford is solid, but I think his performance here is overpraised. Overall, it's above average and fairly compelling but still far from exceptional.
Rated 25 Aug 2011
kavuKavu
Rated 06 Jan 2010
44
19th
Predictable thriller with a silly ending. Most of the scenes in amish community feel just pointless.
Rated 06 Jan 2010
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 21 Dec 2009
62
53rd
A very original and emotionally moving thriller.
Rated 21 Dec 2009
tripper54tripper54
Rated 29 Nov 2009
75
34th
not enough quilts!
Rated 29 Nov 2009
haleyeslinkyhaleyeslinky
Rated 02 Mar 2009
85
41st
That little kid is adorably similar to Fievel.
Rated 02 Mar 2009
djrossdjross
Rated 14 Aug 2007
40
26th
"A compendium of scenes I had hoped never to see again. There's the city person stranded in the sticks and learning to milk a cow [...]. There's the scene with this city person sheepishly wearing clothes that are too short and look funny on him, so that the countrywoman can't restrain herself from giggling. There's the barn-raising [...] and all the hearty fellowship that goes with it. There's the natural woman who stands bare-breasted and proud." Pauline Kael.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
lrampartllrampartl
Rated 14 Aug 2007
61
48th
Good little drama. Harrison Ford kicks some ass (Danny Glover, actually) and bonds with Lukas Haas before he turned into an awkward-looking annoying person.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
easymac742easymac742
Rated 14 Aug 2007
83
73rd
Don't you ever try to put ice cream on Harrison Ford's face. He'll twist your nuts off.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
fudgiebfudgieb
Rated 14 Jun 2007
95
89th
One of the reasons Ford was my favorite actor for a long time. Really well-made, gentle to the Amish, and very suspenseful.
Rated 14 Jun 2007
bodaggerBo_Dagger
Rated 09 Jun 2007
45
83rd
Amish. Harrison Ford. Good times.
Rated 09 Jun 2007
actionbergActionberg
Rated 29 May 2007
65
38th
On the level of an analysis of a little-known culture, Weir succeeds as he usually does. The action scenes aren't bad either. But it's not without its cheeseball moments.
Rated 29 May 2007
silencersilencer
Rated 01 Jan 2007
51
16th
Poor and predictable story and the soundtrack is horrible.
Rated 01 Jan 2007
nargNarg
Rated 07 Nov 2024
56
48th
For a second I thought this was going to turn into a Home Alone situation where Ford uses a bunch of Amish knowledge to lay traps for the baddies. Fairly disappointed that this only happens the one time.
Rated 07 Nov 2024
ericamblerericambler
Rated 27 Aug 2024
76
66th
Harrison Ford finally putting his carpentry skills to good use.
Rated 27 Aug 2024
eastondEastonD
Rated 07 Aug 2024
50
34th
I’ve ingested so much of this film from various strands of the cinematic tapestry that I’d already seen the film before I actually sat down and watched it. Everything in it was familiar despite this being my first viewing. I would have undoubtedly experienced something completely different had I seen on opening weekend in 85, something that would be impossible to feel now. I was whelmed and content and wholly unmoved but I can’t blame the film.
Rated 07 Aug 2024
alsweiderAlsweider
Rated 11 Mar 2024
79
68th
Das Genre scheint ein paar mal zwischen Melodram-Romanze und Thriller zu wechseln. Das nimmt dem Film etwas an Tempo und erzeugt einen ungewöhnlichen Spannungsbogen. Man hätte daraus zwei Filme machen können.
Rated 11 Mar 2024
brrrpbrrrp
Rated 19 Feb 2024
75
76th
I have really nothing to say about the story, or the dialogue, except that its bare bones are bluntly generic, but deftly so on occasion. It feels as though these are suppressed to the background, beneath layers of dazzling sound-arrangements, artfully indulgent visual effects, and cinematic sequences whose poetic form is uncommon. These are somehow the nature of the film, not unlike The Last Wave, which is surprising and marvelous for a film like this. A Peter Weir film through and through.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
madmanMadMan
Rated 19 Feb 2024
90
67th
I really liked this one, it's nice to see Ford given a chance to you know, act.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
scholar69420Scholar69420
Rated 17 Jan 2023
42
18th
Pretty unusual concept
Rated 17 Jan 2023
iconogassediconogassed
Rated 07 Sep 2021
50
27th
Jarre's score manages to be both kitschy and evocative (and sometimes evocative of kitsch--anyone else hear "Mandy" in the barn-raising bit?) but is implicated in Weir's straining to slather transcendence on the film's prefab frame (like the kid's ID of the villain). Everything looks nice, but I can't cosign the praise for the action. The final showdown is particularly poorly done and makes little sense, each baddie patiently waiting--we are left to assume--to be dispensed with.
Rated 07 Sep 2021
rittehRitteh
Rated 14 Jul 2021
80
85th
Proof that you don't need a long drawn out ending with 10,000 CGI characters to make a decent thriller.
Rated 14 Jul 2021
videoetronVideoetron
Rated 29 Sep 2020
73
85th
It's okay. What's with the Amish fad though, there was a McGyver episode, and that movie with Terrence Hill too featuring culture clashes and stubborn Amish too...
Rated 29 Sep 2020
mpythonMpython
Rated 22 Aug 2020
7
57th
6+
Rated 22 Aug 2020
capodelnullacapodelnulla
Rated 05 Jun 2020
70
57th
peter weir stüdyo sistemi içinde çalışmış en şahsına münhasır yönetmenlerden biri kesinlikle. yine gayet naif bir hikaye ve anlatımla zarif bir seyirlik sunuyor.
Rated 05 Jun 2020
michaelman99MichaelMan99
Rated 09 Feb 2020
84
74th
Great and exciting thriller
Rated 09 Feb 2020
myfavchordsmyfavchords
Rated 27 Jun 2018
75
49th
This is an interesting film. The actors do a good job in this film. The script is not perfect but it moves things along and keeps them interesting. Overall I would recommend this film.
Rated 27 Jun 2018
parasiteParasite
Rated 04 May 2018
70
84th
Oh, my God! What a terrible world we are living in! Rot is already deep into our souls, and even if we wished to cleanse ourself, the MODERN SOCIETY would be dragging you back to the filthy swamp of a moral decay! If to be serious, in spite of awful music the directing was awesome! Also, the main idea was hard to be reasoned fairly, therefore, it has been chosen to prevaricate about whatever possible. About the Amish, especially. The deceitful and dumb position, but still a good movie.
Rated 04 May 2018
zoinkzoink
Rated 24 Jul 2017
53
5th
I was hanging out at a cabin and saw this on VHS. It was fine. Dated, but fine.
Rated 24 Jul 2017
evilmangoesEvilMangoes
Rated 08 Jan 2017
95
85th
A-
Rated 08 Jan 2017
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 07 Nov 2016
80
80th
The setting but mostly Weir's directing makes this more than another standard genre thriller.
Rated 07 Nov 2016
killgazmokillgazmo
Rated 06 Aug 2016
6
13th
meh........
Rated 06 Aug 2016
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 07 Oct 2015
2
21st
It's an intriguing fish-out-of-water premise, muddled by a typical police corruption plot and an irrelevant romance. Functional but plain.
Rated 07 Oct 2015
timmytomtimmytom
Rated 19 Sep 2015
65
43rd
Meh.
Rated 19 Sep 2015
hakkanarejohakkanarejo
Rated 10 Sep 2015
95
63rd
Samuel, a young Amish boy, witnesses a murder in the restroom of a Philadelphia bus station. John Book police detective investigating the murder. When Book discovers that the crime was part of a conspiracy involving several officials in his department, he flees Philadelphia to the Amish community where Samuel lives with his widowed mother, Rachel. Slowly assimilating himself into the Amish community, Book eventually finds himself falling in love with Rachel in the midst of his investigation.
Rated 10 Sep 2015
neonmanNeonman
Rated 05 Mar 2015
76
53rd
Solid. Although it's easy-going accessibility results in it suffering from a little predictability, this is still a brilliantly told story (set in an environment unusual for film) with a few genuine surprises, such as the ending of the climax showdown. I love seeing Harrison Ford is his more noir-ish roles, so this was a treat for me.
Rated 05 Mar 2015
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 13 Dec 2014
70
46th
A gentle, unassuming love story wrapped in a decent thriller. With the Amish. Odd, but effective.
Rated 13 Dec 2014
chemical404chemical404
Rated 21 Nov 2014
73
88th
Very solid film all around, from cinematography to directing to acting. It proves a point, that a thriller can be tense and interesting from start to finish without silly far-fetched twists (shyamalans for short).
Rated 21 Nov 2014
ribcageribcage
Rated 16 Oct 2014
79
75th
good cast, music, direction...gets slow but picks it right back up again.
Rated 16 Oct 2014
rohan1987rohan1987
Rated 29 Aug 2014
100
60th
Would have been better if Book had stayed
Rated 29 Aug 2014
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 30 Jul 2014
85
59th
Viewed July 29, 2014. An above-average thriller made special by its Amish setting, which makes everything that happens considerably more fascinating for reasons I'm not even sure of. Harrison Ford is great. Love the music and cinematography.
Rated 30 Jul 2014
guy-piranhaguy piranha
Rated 07 May 2014
80
90th
whoa, it's "aragorn: origins"!
Rated 07 May 2014
glm01glm01
Rated 08 Oct 2013
83
75th
83.000
Rated 08 Oct 2013
iyisinekiyisinek
Rated 01 Sep 2013
90
97th
amish, polis, tanik, sahit, cinayet, istasyon, çiftlik, ask, anne-ogul, çocuk, kötü polis
Rated 01 Sep 2013
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 20 Apr 2013
70
79th
What seems pedestrian and almost silly is actually a very entertaining thriller. Cliched but effective.
Rated 20 Apr 2013
tony_irwinTony Irwin
Rated 07 Nov 2012
93
90th
Powerful, honest, and confident. It's about 30 genres blended into one, but is still beautifully written and each genre thread is handled wonderfully well - it's a better love story, and crime story, and rural drama, and two-worlds story, than 2 hour treatments of any of those. Harrison Ford's "big" performance style makes for a great contrast with the meek ways of the Amish.
Rated 07 Nov 2012
ag0stomesmerAg0stoMesmer
Rated 30 Jul 2012
4
91st
Solid, classy thriller.
Rated 30 Jul 2012
braddad68braddad68
Rated 16 May 2012
100
97th
Masterpiece!
Rated 16 May 2012
judge_holdenJudge Holden
Rated 06 Apr 2012
4
51st
I liked the subtle Indiana Jones reference near the beginning. Otherwise, it's pretty unremarkable, especially the script, which, aside from being utterly formulaic, demands too much suspension of disbelief by casting Danny fucking Glover as a villain.
Rated 06 Apr 2012
stevekimesstevekimes
Rated 24 Jan 2012
80
47th
Great detective drama that takes place in an Amish community.
Rated 24 Jan 2012
thereminjamThereminJam
Rated 07 Dec 2011
86
79th
I love this movie....
Rated 07 Dec 2011
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 02 Dec 2011
62
24th
#751
Rated 02 Dec 2011
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 20 Mar 2011
75
59th
A somewhat standard thriller, but remarkably well made and provides an interesting view into the lives of the Amish. The third act is a bit poor though, taking the easy way out and ruining some of the tension. The barn raising scene is especially beautiful, and young Viggo Mortensen is entertaining.
Rated 20 Mar 2011
genesiskelGeneSiskel
Rated 01 Jan 2011
88
66th
Witness" is both exciting and thoughtful.... And just as important to moviegoers, Witness is a genuinely gripping thriller.
Rated 01 Jan 2011
dlchobbesdlchobbes
Rated 01 Jan 2011
65
27th
Okay
Rated 01 Jan 2011
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 27 Mar 2010
70
35th
It's pretty much what I expected to be. Like all of Weir's post-70's output, he has the skill to do everything right but lacks the heart to do anything great. He even says in the interview on the DVD that he just wanted an "assignment". Everything about movie is crafted well (except the horribly dated Maurice Jarre score) but nothing stands out. It gets the jobs done and that's about it. Purely functional and formulaic. Kudos for not treating the Amish like a freak show, I guess.
Rated 27 Mar 2010
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 30 Jan 2010
79
57th
Every so often the culture clash is just too forced and overdone, and the story is too thin to warrant such a long runtime. Even so it has a lot going for with the photography and when the culture clash is more subdued it's very well done.
Rated 30 Jan 2010
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 27 Jan 2010
90
83rd
A superior thriller. Harrison Ford at his best, and a very scary Danny Glover.
Rated 27 Jan 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 15 Jan 2010
66
32nd
690
Rated 15 Jan 2010
sveneriksvenerik
Rated 22 Oct 2009
80
64th
Amish action thriller with some nudity thrown in for good measure.
Rated 22 Oct 2009
pigletPiglet
Rated 23 Jul 2009
65
41st
Does nothing to help the stigma surrounding the amish.
Rated 23 Jul 2009
janusjanus
Rated 11 Jul 2009
60
32nd
I really, REALLY wish they'd focused more on the Amish characters, because what could have been an eye-opening and sensitive treatment of their lifestyle instead ends up being a vaguely respectable but merely passable Harrison Ford thriller.
Rated 11 Jul 2009
mjvmoviemanMJVmovieMan
Rated 16 Apr 2009
75
67th
It's a satisfactory movie, with a plot we've seen in other variations over the years. But Ford does have a commanding performance - maybe not hugely memorable. The movie is good nonetheless, but possibly overrated.
Rated 16 Apr 2009
astrakhanastrakhan
Rated 08 Apr 2009
83
89th
A good old police thriller, simple like they used to make 'em, yet with a changed-up setting you would never expect in this genre, whose tranquility ends up perfectly complementing the moral tale of violent revenge which led us to it. This is some masterful genre-splicing by Weir, and even if the story and characters may not run that deep, the juxtaposition of Ford as the no-nonsense hunky city cop, and McGillis as the innocent, God-fearing (yet open-minded) mother is hard to forget. A classic.
Rated 08 Apr 2009
liltxgal98liltxgal98
Rated 11 Feb 2009
95
68th
It has everything..romance..suspense..and drama..
Rated 11 Feb 2009
luthar15luthar15
Rated 11 Jan 2009
10
38th
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
66
32nd
687
Rated 19 Dec 2008
irvinejumpirvinejump
Rated 29 Sep 2008
75
72nd
Good little premise that shows off Ford's carpentry skills nicely
Rated 29 Sep 2008
marc_dipaoloMarc DiPaolo
Rated 15 Jun 2008
97
73rd
The Amish are cool.
Rated 15 Jun 2008
davecdavec
Rated 22 Mar 2008
96
99th
Well-written, well cast, well acted, well filmed.
Rated 22 Mar 2008
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
64
42nd
# 723
Rated 02 Mar 2008
astralartistAstralArtist
Rated 23 Feb 2008
93
86th
One of the ten best films of the 80s. Look for a young Viggo Mortensen as one of the Amish lads.
Rated 23 Feb 2008
recklessmessrecklessmess
Rated 11 Feb 2008
87
93rd
Harrison Ford. Good deal.
Rated 11 Feb 2008
johannaJohanna
Rated 31 Jan 2008
90
92nd
Never seen this exciting biginning of the film. After this movie I begun being the fan of Harrison Ford.
Rated 31 Jan 2008
erbasalviaerbasalvia
Rated 05 Dec 2007
70
48th
grazioso.
Rated 05 Dec 2007
dustydDustyd
Rated 16 Sep 2007
60
39th
Nice too look at, but not very exciting when it tries to be.
Rated 16 Sep 2007
stflyst_fly
Rated 23 Aug 2007
88
90th
Very Good
Rated 23 Aug 2007
gwynnebaergwynnebaer
Rated 19 Aug 2007
90
96th
Best Ford drama he ever acted.
Rated 19 Aug 2007
chiliChili
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
36th
Well done but somehow still misses in some parts.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
ytadelYtadel
Rated 14 Aug 2007
7
84th
A great thriller. Nothing like a kid in danger to get your knuckles white. Watch for young Viggo Mortensen!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
sushiwritersushiwriter
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
99th
The greatest writing in a movie. Ever. EVER.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 01 Mar 2007
55
49th
Good film.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 28 Jan 2007
73
80th
Witness marks Peter Weir's move to Hollywood, and uses a very Hollywood type of script. Despite a plotline that some might consider ordinary, it's really a very good movie in every way.
Rated 28 Jan 2007

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