Episode
Episode 5 - Witness: Is This a Perfect Movie or is Harrison Ford Just Really, Really Good Looking?
- Podcast
- Better Than You Remember
- Published
- Jul 9, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 5891
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Han Solo and Indiana Jones were well established cinematic heroes when Witness was put into heavy VHS rotation at the Fons household. But in Peter Weir’s crime drama, Harrison Ford didn’t need a Millennium Falcon or a bullwhip to make a strong impression. As Philly detective John Book, assigned to protect Amish mother Rachel (Kelly McGillis) and her son who witnessed the murder of an undercover cop, Ford’s performance – for which he received his first and only Academy Award nomination – is perfectly pitched for a role that is equal parts vulnerable and brash. Foggy childhood memories of the film conjure a horrifying corn silo death, an Amish barn raising, and the “weird by why not” casting of Patti Lupone as John Book’s sister. Revisiting Witness decades later, Rebecca and Jack examine the nuance of Ford’s performances; the swooning, unconventional romance between Book and Rachel; and ask: is this a rare “perfect movie,” or is Rebecca wearing Harrison Ford-colored glasses? Get full access to Better Than You Remember at betterthanyouremember.substack.com/subscribe