Movies

Australian director Peter Weir has a knack for bringing a fresh perspective to established actors. Here it's Harrison Ford, and in the 90s it was with Jim Carrey in The Truman Show.I love Witness and the performances of all. Danny Glover was a corrupt cop here, before he became a clean cop in Lethal Weapon a few years later. Also Patti LuPone shines, a few years before she featured in Life Goes On, one of the best TV series ever.One of my favorite scenes is when John Book (Harrison Ford) punches out the teenage gang who pick on the Amish. That is a YouTube moment big time!

One of the most underrated films of the 1980s, WITNESS is a heartfelt exploration of America's Amish community. The Amish are a Christian group who shun modern-day technology in favour of a simple life. Into their midst is thrown Harrison Ford, a tough city cop who must learn to cope with their insular society.The thriller aspects, while wonderfully handled, come second to the film's exploration of Amish culture. Peter Weir is at his best here, directing some sublime scenes (who can forget the barn raising sequence?) and eliciting strong performances from his entire cast. Ford is fine, but it's Kelly McGillis and particularly Lukas Haas who shine as the god-fearing folk who find themselves propelled into a world of violence and the unknown.Pretty much everything you could want from a good film.

I saw "Witness" is the theater (MovieWorld, Douglaston, NY) and I've seen it many times since. It never fails to hit the spot. There are moments of greatness in this film. The storytelling does slow down in the middle but all is forgiven by a powerful last twenty minutes or so. "Witness" is well acted by the entire cast. It looks great and the music is also very good.