The Harrison Ford Collection (Witness, Sabrina '95, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) [VHS]
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VHS Movie Reviews of The Harrison Ford Collection (Witness, Sabrina '95, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger) [VHS]
Movie Review: Note the strong absence of Amish "buddy" movies
Summary: 5 Stars
A young Amish boy, traveling with his mother (Kelly McGillis), witnesses a rather grisly murder in the Philadelphia Union Station mens room. Detective John Book (Harrison Ford) is assigned to the case. I think you know the rest. As Book pushes it appears to be Police corruption and as he pushes harder, the corruption appears to be higher up. Eventually he's shot. Danny Glover, before his "Lethal" days, is the bad cop.
Book goes in deep cover as an Amish man to both recover from his wounds and to protect the young boy, Samuel. And, obviously, he and Rachel begin to fall in love. More on that in a moment.
The insertion of a hard boiled urban warrior into the gentle Pennsylvania countryside is tough on both parties but Book is there to recover from wounds and protect the boy.
The repair of the car and the night time dancing to Sam Cooke was great. Tender, funny, and very well played by McGillis as the confused but happy woman and Ford, whom we are led to believe hasn't been happy for a long, long time.
The subsequent topless scene I felt was unnecessary and for me pandered to the audience. It was apparent that the two loved eachother; equally obvious was the fact that there was more than a racial or cultural or social divide, there was a philosophic difference of mammoth proportions. Nether could live in the other's life. So catching McGillis in the shower I thought was stupid. Nice, but almost cheap.
A very enjoyable, well crafted, and acted movie. 4 stars. Larry Scantlebury
Movie Review: Great story
Summary: 3 Stars
The film is less about Harrison Ford learning to live among the Amish as it is the Amish learning to live with Ford. He is a man who at first glance has no matching ideals. The film is fantastic on that level, especially thanks to Peter Weir's direction, who brilliantly shows Ford gradually becoming accepted by the Amish men.
There is very little dialogue among the characters, and Rachel (McGillis) talks even less, not because she doesn't have anything to say, but because Amish rules of life don't seem to allow her to. They are presented as a quiet people, so McGillis has the difficult task of making Rachel speak without dialogue, and she does it well, which carries over to Ford (he got an Oscar nomination, she didn't).
It's only at the climax of the film, when the action takes over that the film begins to weaken. The filmmakers seem to have some kind of answer to how the killer's storyline should be resolved, but it's not very good.
Movie Review: An Entertaining Film - One of Harrison Ford's Best
Summary: 5 Stars
My wife and I loved this movie. It is much more than an action picture. The characters are rich and the story developed. It transends the formulas. Movie Review: A story of two worlds
Summary: 4 Stars
For anyone who has seen enough movies, they will start to notice a pattern-this pattern being the "one-sided" character. Bad guys who are more like brainless killing machines, good guys who never make mistakes, and stereotypical cultural behavior are all aspects of Hollywood film production these days. However, movies like Witness have the ability to entertain as well as challenge the Hollywood stereotypes that were so prevelant in the 80's when this film was made.
This is the story of John Book, a Philadelphia police detective who is assigned to investigate a muder in a train station restroom. The only witness is a young boy named Samuel. Samuel is quite different from many children his age, as he is Amish. However, this difference is portrayed with a sense of admiration and respect that serves a purpose. When Samuel recognizes one of the killers as a police detective, Book attempts to report this to his superiors at the police department. The attempt to go through proper channels backfires when Book is ambushed, wounded, and nearly killed in a parking garage.
With a bullet wound and concern for the safety of Samuel, his mother (Rachel) and himself, Book flees the city and seeks refuge in the Amish community where Samuel lives. Gradually, Book is nursed back to health and begins the process of learning the Amish lifestyle. What develops during the rest of the film is a down to earth look at what happens when two worlds mix together and the good/bad elements of both. I won't give away all of the plot details, but I will say that there are several scenes that challenge Hollywood stereotypes.
Some people may criticize Kelly McGillis' portrayal of Rachel, saying that a real Amish woman would not act that way. However, Amish folks are human beings who feel sexual desire, confusion, and pressure from the family and social surroundings just like we do. Rachel does seem to give in to her attraction for Book, but in the end her devotion to the Amish lifestyle prevails; the interaction with Book shows an inner struggle within herself to figure out what she really values in life.
During the movie, the Amish also learn more about Book and realize that he has value as a worker and as a person, and they cannot condemn him simply because he is from modern society. There are a couple of weak points in this movie. One of them is the performance by Danny Glover, who has very little screen time and does not get to use his talent as an actor very much. Even though he is a bad guy in the film, I believe he could have shown some depth if given the opportunity. The climax scene with the shootout seemed a bit heavy handed and poorly planned for the characters. I mean if they had law enforcement training, weapons training, and were good at covering up corruption, they could have come up with a better attack plan than barging in and shooting up the farm in broad daylight.
The one redeeming quality is when the surviving attacker has a moment of remorse and humanity at the end. This proves to be the only depth of character in the movie's villans. Overall, this is an enjoyable film and has some nice scenery, which was filmed in Lancaster County, PA. Four stars.
Movie Review: Remarkable with Weir 's touch of class!
Summary: 5 Stars
The fine eye and immense talent of Peter Weir have placed him in a very special status at the moment of scrutinizing the best directors in the world. He possesses that touch of genius so difficult to get and so wished for so may artisans of this demanding activity.
His huge talent of Peter Weir is carved in relief once more in this notable film; a picture that would be considered frenetically ambitious and deliriously; a cop thriller, a love affairand a clash between two different cultures.