Rewatch IndexEvery Rewatchables episode
Back to every decision

THE REWATCHABLES · August 25, 2025

Witness

A 1985 noir / crime / thriller / romance movie directed by Peter Weir—and decision no. 70 in the Hanks–Cruise tape.

NoirCrimeThrillerRomance1980sDirected by Peter Weir
Witness1985MOVIE

ON THIS EPISODE

Podcast episode#409No. 420 overall
Movie year19851980s release
Tomatometer92%No. 25 of 128 tracked
Metacritic76View score
Roger Ebert4/4Original star rating
State of the raceThe race was tied35–35 · 0 ties

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

The episode treats Witness as a near-perfect adult thriller/love story about yearning, restraint, and culture clash. The hosts praise Peter Weir’s direction, Harrison Ford’s star power and performance, and the film’s visual storytelling and emotional precision, while noting a few dated or troubling elements.
Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections
In this conversation
Bill SimmonsMallory Rubin

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

  1. 01Harrison Ford’s performance is treated as a model of charisma, toughness, and tenderness. Opening minutes
  2. 02Peter Weir’s restraint and visual storytelling make even small gestures feel huge. About 8 min
  3. 03The movie’s structure cleanly shifts from mystery/thriller to fish-out-of-water romance and then back to thriller. About 32 min
  4. 04The Amish worldbuilding is immersive and memorable, from barn raising to milking to community rituals. About 24 min
  5. 05The final barn-dance/kiss sequence is described as one of the great scenes in movie history. About 40 min

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

  1. minorThe slow-motion makeout scene is awkward and includes odd laughter. About 1:36
  2. moderateRacial profiling T-Bone in the bar is a bad moment. About 1:12
  3. moderateBook seems insufficiently urgent about protecting his sister and partner from the conspiracy. About 1:12
  4. minorThe Amish beard style is visually odd and not fully convincing. About 1:12
  5. minorThe cops’ handling of the money laundering/PCP profits is never fully explained. About 1:52 · medium confidence

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

Samuel witnesses the murder in the restroom

A tense, wordless sequence where the child sees the killing through a stall crack and hides.

About 32 min
Favorite

Samuel notices Danny Glover’s photograph

Book recognizes Samuel has seen the killer when he notices the cop photo and lowers his finger over it.

About 32 min
Favorite

Barn raising and shared lunch

A communal labor scene that turns into a study of belonging, awkward attraction, and social rules.

About 48 min
Favorite

Book healing and Rachel’s sponge bath

An erotically charged sequence built from restraint, glances, and mutual hesitation.

About 1:28
Favorite

Barn dance to 'Wonderful World'

The only music-led scene, where Book and Rachel dance, flirt, and almost kiss.

About 40 min
positive

Book punches the bully in town

Book breaks Amish pacifist norms by violently defending the community.

About 32 min
Favorite

Final shootout in the cornfield and silo

The climax uses the farm setting as an action arena and ends with a memorable corn-silo death.

About 48 min
Favorite

Final goodbye and departure

Book leaves without speeches, and the film closes on a silent emotional understanding.

About 40 min
positive

Book in the train station and on the train

The opening trip into Amish country helps establish the world and the film’s fish-out-of-water setup.

About 24 min · medium confidence

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They agreed About 1:28

Does the movie need a better sex scene?

Mallory Rubin

No; the film is about yearning and buildup, so the kiss-and-implied-sex approach is correct.

Bill Simmons

Agrees after discussion, though he jokes he usually wants more explicit sex in movies.

They partly agreed About 40 min

Most rewatchable scene

Mallory Rubin

The barn dance/Wonderful World scene is the single easiest choice and her favorite scene ever.

Bill Simmons

He prefers the later final shootout and corn-silo finale as his favorite part.

They agreed About 32 min

What is the movie’s genre?

Bill Simmons

It’s a thriller, Western, love story, and fish-out-of-water film in one.

Mallory Rubin

It’s a clash-of-cultures movie centered on desire and restraint rather than a straight cop movie.

They agreed About 24 min

Could the film have used a longer or more explicit ending between Book and Rachel?

Mallory Rubin

No; extra dialogue would have been awful and unnecessary.

Bill Simmons

Agrees, saying the film wisely trusts silence and implication.

12 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
very favorableHarrison FordBill Simmons: Praised as an all-time star, emotionally subtle, physically magnetic, and perhaps the film’s central strength. Opening minutes very favorablePeter WeirMallory Rubin: Credited with shaping the movie’s restraint, visual storytelling, and emotional precision. About 16 min favorableKelly McGillisMallory Rubin: Praised as an ideal Rachel and a key part of the chemistry with Ford. About 40 min favorableDanny GloverBill Simmons: Discussed as a great villainous presence and an effective corrupt cop. About 40 min
favorableLucas HaasMallory Rubin: Praised as a remarkable child performer whose gaze anchors key suspense scenes. About 32 min
favorableJohn SealeMallory Rubin: Referenced for the film’s lighting and visual style, including the Vermeer-inspired look. About 1:44
favorableRoger EbertBill Simmons: Used as supporting evidence that the film was critically admired on release. About 56 min
favorableMaurice JarreBill Simmons: His score is praised as beautiful but distinctly of its era. About 1:44
neutralViggo MortensenMallory Rubin: Mentioned as a tiny early-role cast member who later became Aragorn. About 40 min
favorablePatti LuPoneBill Simmons: Cited as a memorable part of Book’s sister role and the film’s strong supporting cast. About 1:52
favorableEliMallory Rubin: The Amish elder is praised for his wisdom and for articulating the film’s moral logic. About 32 min
mixedDanielMallory Rubin: Seen as the practical second-choice partner, though the hosts acknowledge he fits the community ending. About 32 min · medium confidence
15 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them
Bill SimmonsLoved it

Harrison Ford as a star

Ford is the rare actor who appeals to both men and women and has had an extraordinary run of iconic roles.

Opening minutes
Mallory RubinLoved it

Hand acting and physical performance

Ford’s hand acting is a signature element that keeps his performances tactile and expressive.

About 8 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

Witness as Oscar injustice

Bill argues Ford should have more Oscar recognition and that Witness was a missed opportunity for the Academy.

About 8 min
Mallory RubinLoved it

Witness as a visual, restrained film

The movie works because Weir strips away excess dialogue and trusts glances, reactions, and silence.

About 24 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

Barn raising

The barn-building sequence is riveting and dramatizes community without needing extra plot.

About 48 min
Mallory RubinLoved it

Final barn dance and goodbye

The farewell and the final emotional exchange are devastating because they say everything without speeches.

About 40 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

Samuel witnessing the murder

The bathroom murder is an all-timer of suspense, with perfect use of sightlines and tiny physical details.

About 32 min
Mallory RubinLoved it

Sponge bath stare-down

The bathing sequence is one of the movie’s sexiest and most important scenes because it turns longing into action.

About 1:28
Bill SimmonsLiked it

Corn silo death

The finale’s corn silo kill is a great use of setting and a memorable movie death.

About 56 min
Mallory RubinLoved it

Peter Weir’s screenplay changes

Weir’s cuts to dialogue and emphasis on visual storytelling are central to the film’s power.

About 24 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

The film as a thriller and Western hybrid

Bill sees the film as a genre mashup that keeps pivoting while staying tightly controlled.

About 32 min
Mallory RubinLoved it

The film as a portrait of desire

Mallory frames the whole movie as about craving, not consummation.

About 40 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

The movie’s script structure

Bill admires how the film cleanly divides into a thriller, an Amish immersion, and a final showdown.

About 32 min
Mallory RubinLiked it

Kelly McGillis casting

Mallory praises McGillis as the right kind of unobvious casting for Rachel.

About 40 min
Bill SimmonsLiked it

Danny Glover as villain

Bill enjoys seeing Glover as a sinister corrupt cop rather than his more familiar good-guy persona.

About 40 min
5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Desire and yearning

The hosts frame the movie as a portrait of longing, with the romance built from looks, pauses, and restraint rather than explicit action.

About 40 min

Culture clash

The film works because it places a big-city cop inside Amish life and then reverses the fish-out-of-water dynamic.

About 32 min

Violence versus pacifism

The tension between Book’s world and the Amish code of nonviolence runs through the plot and the ending.

About 32 min

Restraint in filmmaking

Weir’s choice to cut dialogue, rely on eyes, and trust the audience is a major part of the film’s power.

About 24 min

Community and belonging

The barn raising, shared labor, and final farewell emphasize communal life and the cost of leaving it.

About 48 min
24 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

Witness was filmed in 1984 but released in February 1985.

Opening minutes

Production note

The film received eight Oscar nominations and won two, including screenplay and editing.

About 16 min

Production note

The screenplay began as an unproduced Gunsmoke script.

About 40 min

Production note

Kelly McGillis was reportedly working at a coffee shop before being cast.

About 40 min

Production note

The Amish did not allow filming of actual Amish people, so many extras were Mennonites.

About 1:52

Production note

The corn-silo death used a scuba regulator and air tank for the actor’s safety.

About 1:52

Production note

Peter Weir and John Seale shaped the film’s lighting after seeing a Vermeer exhibit.

About 1:44

Production note

Harrison Ford did police ride-alongs for the role, while McGillis lived with an Amish family.

About 1:52

Production note

The dirty cops’ file-tracking plot depends on a note written on paper, which the hosts think feels very 1980s.

About 1:44

Blade Runner

Used as an example of Ford’s star power and another performance they think should have been Oscar-recognized.

About 8 min

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Cited in the discussion of Ford’s 1980s run and Oscar omissions.

About 8 min

The Fugitive

Mentioned as a surprising Oscars omission for Ford.

About 8 min

Top Gun

Used both as a comparison for Kelly McGillis and as a marker of pop-cultural stardom.

About 40 min

Out of Africa

Referenced as the Oscar winner that beat Witness in the 1985 awards race.

About 16 min

The Verdict

Mentioned when comparing Paul Newman’s age-out from leading-man roles.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

The Natural

Referenced as another Redford role that still tried to lean youthful.

Opening minutes · medium confidence

Temple of Doom

Used as the movie Ford had just completed before Witness.

About 24 min

Dead Poets Society

Used as a Peter Weir comparison and later benchmark for his career apex.

About 32 min

Master and Commander

Referenced as another Peter Weir film in his strong filmography.

About 32 min · medium confidence

The Lord of the Rings

Used in a joking aside when discussing Viggo Mortensen’s later fame as Aragorn.

About 40 min

Presumed Innocent

Referenced when discussing the rarity of Ford’s overt sex scenes.

About 1:28

Shooter

Cited as another example of Danny Glover playing evil.

About 1:52

The Firm

Referenced in a category prompt about an alternate casting/game question.

About 1:52 · medium confidence

Kurosawa films

Used to note that Akira Kurosawa praised Witness as one of his favorite films.

About 1:52
11 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

Harrison Ford as the universal ideal

Repeated jokes and praise about Ford being irresistible to everyone and emotionally perfect for these roles.

Opening minutes

Nine-times-a-day Harrison Ford joke

They repeatedly joke about stories of Ford’s sexual prowess, calling it logistically absurd.

About 8 min

Amish wordplay and life-queries

They riff on Amish customs, shunning, ordnung, milking, and farm logistics.

About 48 min

Mallory’s formal request for the cat photo

A screenshot of Ford holding a cat is treated as a treasured artifact and memorial request.

About 1:44

'Time for milking'

The hosts repeatedly joke about the line and the practical realities of the milking scene.

About 48 min

'A lot of talk'

A phrase from the Amish community becomes a running joke about gossip and concern.

About 48 min

Bill Simmons

“What a weird zag that would be.”
Opening minutes

Mallory Rubin

“The thing about Harrison is Harrison could fuck.”
About 8 min

Bill Simmons

“It’s time for milking.”
About 48 min

Mallory Rubin

“There’s never only one way.”
About 32 min

Bill Simmons

“I think he just looks so fucking hot.”
About 48 min

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where Witness is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before Witness, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.
Includes a Rewatchables episodePosters from TMDB.

ON THE MIC

2 voices made the call

Bill Simmons headshotBill Simmons125 tracked appearances · 56 H / 64 C / 5 ties
Mallory Rubin headshotMallory Rubin12 tracked appearances · 4 H / 6 C / 2 ties

REWATCH FAVS

One of your favorites?

Upvote it for the live listener ranking.

YOUR PROGRESS

Save this one to your tracker

Sign in with Google only when you want to save progress. The rest of the site stays public.

KEEP LISTENING

Hear the full conversation

Play the episode directly from the official feed, open it on Spotify, or save it to your private Listen Later playlist.

Play episodeFind on Spotify