![]() He offered Kelley and Wallace $25,000 for a one-year option and one rewrite, and an additional $225,000 if the film actually were made. įeldman liked the concept, but felt too much of the script was devoted to Amish traditions, diluting the thriller aspects of the story. The script, which had been circulating in Hollywood for several years, had been inspired by an episode of Gunsmoke William Kelley and Earl W. Originally entitled Called Home (which is the Amish term for death), it ran for 182 pages, the equivalent of three hours of screen time. Feldman, who was in a "first-look" development deal with 20th Century Fox at the time, first received the screenplay for Witness in 1983. Timothy Carhart as Detective Ian Zenovich. ![]() Angus MacInnes as Sergeant Leon "Fergie" Ferguson.Brent Jennings as Sergeant Elton Carter.Alexander Godunov as Daniel Hochleitner.Exchanging a wave with Hochleitner on the road out, Book departs. 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", signifying his acceptance of Book as a member of their community. Book confronts Schaeffer, who threatens to kill Rachel, but the loud clanging from the bell summons the Amish, who resolutely gather near and silently watch him. Schaeffer forces Rachel and Eli out of the house at gunpoint Eli signals to Samuel to ring the farm's bell. Samuel, hearing the gunshots, heads back to the farm. Book orders Samuel to run to Hochleitner's home for safety, 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 Ferguson arrive at the Lapp farm, taking Rachel and Eli hostage as a way of luring Book and Samuel out. The fight between the bullies and the strange "Amish" man is reported to the local police and they inform Schaeffer, who had previously contacted the sheriff in his efforts to locate Book, Rachel, and Samuel. Book retaliates, breaking with the Amish tradition of nonviolence. While in town, Hochleitner is harassed by tourists. He deduces that Schaeffer and McFee murdered Carter after discovering his role in the case to get closer to Book, with the aid of a third corrupt officer, Detective Sergeant Leon Ferguson. After accepting an invitation to a barn raising for a newly married couple, Book gains Hochleitner's respect.īook goes into town with Eli to use a payphone, where he learns that Carter has been killed. His relationship with the Amish community deepens as they learn he is skilled at carpentry and seems like a decent, hard-working man. During his convalescence, Book dresses in Jacob Lapp's clothing to avoid drawing attention to himself. The Lapps' neighbor Daniel Hochleitner had hoped to court her, and this becomes a cause of friction. Rachel's father-in-law Eli reluctantly agrees to shelter him despite his distrust of the outsider.īook slowly recovers in their care and begins to develop feelings for Rachel, who likewise is drawn to him. 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 grave danger, Book orders his partner to remove all traces of the Lapps from his files, and he drives the boy and his mother back to their community, but his loss of blood causes him to pass 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. 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. Although Samuel is unable to identify the perpetrator from mugshots or a line-up, he later sees a newspaper clipping in a trophy case of Philadelphia Police Department Narcotics Division Officer James McFee receiving an award and points him out to Book. While at 30th Street Station waiting for a connecting train to Baltimore, Maryland, Samuel goes into the men's room and witnesses the brutal murder of an undercover police officer, but manages to evade detection by hiding in the stalls.ĭetective John Book is assigned to the case, and his partner Sergeant Elton Carter and he question Samuel. 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 young wife Rachel and eight-year-old son Samuel.
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