Witness (1985)

My Review

“Witness” is a crime drama movie about a Philadelphia detective protecting a young Amish boy who witnessed a murder. They are forced to hide out in Amish country as the murders are pursing them. Director Peter Weir (“The Year of Living Dangerously” 1982) put together what is really a run-of-the-mill crime drama with the background set in a religious community. The production values, the performances, and the screenplay by Earl W. Wallace and William Kelley were all top-rate.

The cast includes Harrison Ford as the policeman, Kelly McGillis as the Amish woman, Lukas Haas as her son Samuel, Josef Summer as the police chief, Danny Glover as the heavy of the piece, Patti LuPone as a friend, Angus MacInnes as police sergeant, and Viggo Mortensen as Moses. The watchable “Witness” was the eighth highest grossing film of 1985 for Edward S. Feldman Productions and Paramount Pictures.

It was filmed in urban settings in Philadelphia and rural settings in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. “Witness” had eight Academy Award nominations with two wins – Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing. Non-winners include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Ford), Best Cinematography (John Seale), Best Art Direction, and Best Original Score (Maurice Jarre).