Witness (1985): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
Witness is a 1985 drama thriller directed by Peter Weir, starring Harrison Ford, Lukas Haas and Kelly McGillis. It runs 1 hour 52 minutes and earned $68.7 million worldwide. It won 2 Oscars, including Film Editing and Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen), and 3 awards in all. Critics gave it 76 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.4/10. Stream it on Hoopla and Kanopy, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 52m (112 min)
- Director
- Peter Weir
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Witness About?
The premise of Witness without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A young Amish boy witnesses a brutal crime and inadvertently becomes the key to bringing a killer to justice. To protect him, he is placed in the care of a police officer who must hide him in her home and pose as his aunt. They must then flee into the Pennsylvania countryside, evading those who seek to silence the boy and maintain their criminal enterprise. During their journey, the officer learns about the Amish way of life while forging a deep bond with the boy.
Witness Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- female nudity
- murder
- train
- love
- witness
- parking garage
- amish
- police
- widow
- corruption
- horse and buggy
- barn raising
+38 more Show fewer
- kiss
- fistfight
- bully comeuppance
- single mother
- rural setting
- police corruption
- loss of husband
- bully
- gun
- title spoken by character
- bully punched in the face
- pretend cousin
- punched in the face
- amish hat
- grain silo
- sponge
- building a barn
- car
- year 1984
- 1980s
- 20th century
- bittersweet ending
- male and female protagonists
- amish widow
- shootout
- forbidden love
- barn
- person in hiding
- violence
- lancaster county
- broken nose
- sponge bath
- suitor
- shotgun
- restroom
- train station
- prayer
- police officer killed
Where to Watch Witness
Stream it on Hoopla and Kanopy, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
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Witness Cast
Harrison Ford leads the cast, with Lukas Haas and Kelly McGillis. Directed by Peter Weir.
-
Director Peter Weir
Witness Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Witness 76 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.4/10.
-
IMDb 7.4 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 76 Metascore
User score 8.0
See on Metacritic
Witness Plot Summary
What happens in Witness from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In 1984, a tight-knit Amish community near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, gathers to mourn the loss of Jacob Lapp, leaving behind his young wife, Rachel, and their eight-year-old son, Samuel. During their journey to visit Rachel’s sister, they find themselves in Philadelphia, where Samuel unwittingly becomes a witness to a horrific crime. While in the men’s room, he sees the cold-blooded murder of an undercover police officer, managing to stay hidden just in time.
Full summary
The whole story of Witness, scene by scene
Witness Box Office
Witness grossed $68.7 million worldwide. $68.7 million came from the US and Canada and $466 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$68.7M
- US & Canada
- $68.7M
- International
- $466
Witness Awards & Nominations
Witness won 2 Oscars, including Film Editing and Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen), and 3 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1986, with 2 wins from 8 nominations.
3 wins22 nominations4 ceremonies
-
Oscars 1986 2 wins · 8 nominations- Won Film Editing
- Won Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
- Nominated Actor in a Leading Role – Harrison Ford
- Nominated Art Direction
- Nominated Best Picture
-
BAFTA 1986 1 win · 7 nominations- Won Best Original Music
- Nominated Best Actor in a Leading Role – Harrison Ford
- Nominated Best Actress in a Leading Role – Kelly McGillis
- Nominated Best Cinematography
- Nominated Best Editing
-
Golden Globes 1986 6 nominations- Nominated Best Director – Peter Weir
- Nominated Best Motion Picture – Drama
- Nominated Best Original Score
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actor) – Harrison Ford
- Nominated Best Screenplay
-
DGA Awards 1986 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Peter Weir
Witness Trailers & Videos
4 videos: 2 trailers and 2 featurettes.
- Trailer Original Trailer
- Featurette Out of Africa and Witness Win Writing Awards: 1986 Oscars
- Featurette Witness Wins Film Editing: 1986 Oscars
How Well Do You Know Witness?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the young boy that witnesses the murder?
Cars in Witness
31 cars on screen, including the 1971 Volkswagen Squareback Sedan Typ 36 and the 1979 Dodge St. Regis.
-
1971 Volkswagen Squareback Sedan Typ 36 Main role -
1979 Dodge St. Regis Important role -
1977 Ford LTD II Important role -
1984 Dodge Diplomat Minor role
Witness Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “A Testemunha” and “目击者”.
- Also known as
-
- A Testemunha
- 目击者
- 灭口大追杀
- Свидетель
- Vittne till mord
- साक्षी
- Único testigo
- 刑事ジョン・ブック／目撃者
- 刑事ジョン・ブック 目撃者：1985
- Vitne til mord
- 证人
- Témoin sous surveillance
+22 more Show fewer
- Der einzige Zeuge
- Todistaja
- Witness - Il testimone
- Vidnet
- Świadek
- A kis szemtanú
- Tanık
- Martorul
- Svědek
- העד
- Свідок
- Μάρτυρας Εγκλήματος
- Свидетелят
- 위트니스
- Testigo en peligro
- شاهد
- 刑事ジョン・ブック 目撃者
- L’únic testimoni
- Tunnistaja
- 證人
- ผมเห็นเขาฆ่า
- Nhân Chứng
Seen Witness?
Movies Like Witness
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Your Witness, The Witness and The Witness.
Witness FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and awards of Witness, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Witness?
Witness runs 1 hour 52 minutes (112 minutes).
When was Witness released?
Witness was released on February 8, 1985.
Who directed Witness?
Witness was directed by Peter Weir.
More films by Peter Weir Who is in the cast of Witness?
Witness stars Harrison Ford, Lukas Haas and Kelly McGillis.
Where can I watch Witness?
In the US, Witness is streaming on Hoopla, Kanopy and Tubi TV and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did Witness make at the box office?
Witness grossed $68.7 million worldwide ($68.7 million domestic, $466 international).
How is Witness rated?
Witness has 7.4/10 on IMDb and 76 on Metacritic.
What awards did Witness win?
Witness won 3 awards from 22 nominations, including Film Editing at the Oscars 1986.
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