Despite a storied acting career that spans over seven decades and multiple iconic roles — as well as becoming such a legend that he caused other actors to forget their lines – Harrison Ford has only ever received one nomination for the Oscars. Despite being the face behind legendary characters like Han Solo and Indiana Jones, it wasn’t Ford’s performance as the tomb-raiding adventurer or the loveable space scoundrel that earned him his nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Instead, it was his performance as John Book, a detective forced into a rural community as he worked to protect the sole witness to a murder, an Amish boy, in 1985’s “Witness.”
The thriller, which clocks in at just under two hours, also stars iconic actors Kelly McGillis and Danny Glover, and is now available to stream on Paramount+, making it readily available for anyone who hasn’t seen what is often considered one of Ford’s best performances. On top of earning Ford a nomination, “Witness” also earned its writers, William Kelley, Earl W. Wallace, and Pamela Wallace, an award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen in 1986.
A story as troubled as its characters
What’s especially interesting about “Witness” is the history surrounding the movie’s production and its subsequent rise to fame in the theaters. That’s because the movie, which was directed by Oscar-winning director Peter Weir, actually needed a full rewrite to reach the peak that was eventually released to the masses. The movie actually began as an unaired episode of “Gunsmoke” that writers William Kelley and Earl W. Wallace had written in the 1970s.
With a little bit of an update thanks to ideas from Pamela Wallace (Earl Wallace’s wife at the time), that unaired script became a 182-page screenplay titled “Called Home,” a play on the Amish term for dying. While it apparently had some legs thanks to its overall hook, the script was ultimately considered too long and contrived, ultimately leading to an immediate order for a revision after it was optioned by producer Edward S. Feldman, who paid for it out of his own pocket.
This plan turned out to be a win, with “Witness” going on to become the sixth highest-grossing film for 1985’s domestic box office. The movie brought in close to $69 million, just behind “Cocoon’s” $76 million. While those numbers weren’t anywhere close to the number one box office hit of the year — “Back to the Future” — it helped pave the way for the movie to become a classic as the years continued.
A chance for Ford to shine
The other interesting thing about “Witness” is the fact that the movie’s script was originally turned down by multiple major studios. One of the big reasons for that, according to Feldman’s autobiography, was that Harrison Ford was attached to it. Despite already being well known for his roles as Han Solo and two times under the fedora in the “Indiana Jones” series, Ford wasn’t as highly regarded for his acting skills despite beating out several Hollywood legends for his role in “Blade Runner.” However, Feldman thought he was the best fit for the character and decided to keep pushing forward with it, eventually landing the movie with Paramount.
All of that faith in the script and Ford’s ability to act panned out perfectly. The movie went on to become a box office success, and it remains a classic today, 40 years later. If you haven’t seen “Witness” yet, and you’d like to see what made everyone change their minds about Harrison Ford’s acting abilities, you can stream the movie on Paramount+ right now.
