Witness ★★★½ 1985 (R) A young Amish boy, Samuel Lapp (Haas), traveling from his father's funeral witnesses a murder in a Philadelphia bus station. Investigating detective John Book (Ford, in one of his best roles) soon discovers the killing is part of a conspiracy involving corruption in his department. He follows the child and his young widowed mother, Rachel (McGillis) to their home in the country. A thriller with a difference, about the encounter of alien worlds, with a poignant love story. McGillis, in her first major role, is luminous as the Amish mother, while Ford is believable as both a cop and a sensitive man. An artfully crafted drama, richly focusing on the often misunderstood Amish lifestyle. 112m/C VHS, DVD. Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Alexander Godunov, Lukas Haas, Josef Sommer, Danny Glover, Patti LuPone, Viggo Mortensen, Robert Earl Jones;
Director:
Peter Weir;
Writer:
William Kelley, Earl W. Wallace;
Writer:
John Seale;
Cameo:
Maurice Jarre. Oscars '85: Film Editing, Orig. Screenplay; Writers Guild '85: Orig. Screenplay.
