#STARCROSSED 1985 ROTTEN TOMATOES HOW TO#

Feldman, who was in a 'first-look' development deal with 20th Century Fox at the time, first received the screenplay for Witness in 1983. Weaver-Zercher notes that the conflict between Amish and non-Amish as depicted in Witness 'reflect well on the Amish ways' and also serves as a redemption story for Sergeant Book, who regains a new sense of humanity during his displacement in the Amish community. In his book The Amish in the American Imagination (2001), scholar David Weaver-Zercher notes that Witness is primarily concerned with the intersection of contrasting cultures, a common theme present in several of director Peter Weir's other films, such as The Last Wave (1977) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Timothy Carhart as Detective Ian Zenovich.Angus MacInnes as Sergeant Leon 'Fergie' Ferguson.Brent Jennings as Sergeant Elton Carter.Alexander Godunov as Daniel Hochleitner.With so many witnesses present, Schaeffer gives up and Book arrests him.īook says goodbye to Samuel in the fields and Eli wishes him well 'out there among them English,' and Book departs. Book confronts Schaeffer who threatens to kill Rachel, but the loud bell summons their neighbors. Schaeffer holds Rachel and Eli at gunpoint but Eli quietly signals to Samuel to ring the farm's bell.

Book tricks Ferguson into the corn silo and suffocates him under tons of corn, then uses Ferguson's shotgun to kill McFee. The next day, Schaeffer, McFee, and another corrupt cop, Ferguson, arrive at the Lapp farm, taking Rachel and Eli hostage. The fight is reported to the local police and eventually gets back to Schaeffer. Book retaliates, breaking with the Amish tradition of nonviolence. While in town, a group harasses the Amish. He then goes into town with Eli to use a payphone to call his precinct, and learns that Carter has been killed. Rachel's father-in-law Eli reluctantly agrees to shelter him.īook slowly recovers in their care and begins to blend into the community. Book insists that going to a hospital would allow the corrupt police officers to find him and put Samuel in danger. Knowing Samuel and Rachel are now in danger, Book orders his partner to remove all traces of the Lapps from his files, and drives the boy and his mother back to their community where he passes out in front of their farm. Since only Schaeffer knew of Book's suspicions, he realizes Schaeffer is also corrupt and tipped off McFee. Book is later ambushed and shot in a parking garage by McFee and left badly wounded.

#STARCROSSED 1985 ROTTEN TOMATOES HOW TO#

Book expresses his suspicions to Chief of Police Paul Schaeffer, who advises Book to keep the case secret so they can work out how to proceed. Book surmises that McFee sold the chemicals to drug dealers, and that the murdered detective had been investigating the theft. Book investigates and finds out that McFee was previously responsible for a seizure of expensive chemicals used to make black-market amphetamines, but the evidence has now disappeared. Samuel then sees a newspaper clipping in a trophy case of officer James McFee receiving an award, and points him out to Book. They question Samuel, who is unable to identify the perpetrator from mugshots or a line-up. While at 30th Street Station waiting for a connecting train, Samuel goes into the men's room and witnesses the brutal murder of an undercover police officer.ĭetective John Book and his partner, Sergeant Elton Carter, are assigned to the case. Rachel and Samuel travel by train to visit Rachel's sister, which takes them into Philadelphia. In 1984, an Amish community outside Lancaster, Pennsylvania, attends the funeral of Jacob Lapp, who leaves behind his wife Rachel and eight-year-old son Samuel. Wallace won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay and the 1986 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay presented by the Mystery Writers of America. It was also nominated for seven BAFTA Awards, winning one for Maurice Jarre's score, and six Golden Globe Awards. At the 58th Academy Awards, it earned eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Ford, winning Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing.

The film went on to become a sleeper hit, grossing over $116 million worldwide.

The film focuses on a police detective (Ford) protecting an Amish woman (McGillis) and her young son (Haas), who becomes a target after he witnesses a brutal murder in a Philadelphia train station.įilmed in 1984, Witness was released theatrically by Paramount Pictures in the winter of 1985. Witness is a 1985 American neo-noir dramatic crime thriller film directed by Peter Weir and starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, and Lukas Haas, with Jan Rubeš, Danny Glover, Josef Sommer, Alexander Godunov, Patti LuPone, and Viggo Mortensen in supporting roles.

Starcrossed 1985 rotten tomatoes