Witness (1985)

Kelly McGillis: Rachel

Photos 

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Quotes 

• John Book : Samuel, the man who was killed tonight was a policeman, and it's my job to find out what happened. I want you to tell me everything you saw when you went into the bathroom.

  Samuel Lapp : Um... there were two.

  John Book : There were TWO men?

  Samuel Lapp : I only saw one.

  John Book : [turning to Carter]  Does anybody else know about this?

  Det. Sgt. Elden Carter : No, no one's had a chance to talk to him.

  John Book : What did he look like, the man that you saw?

  Samuel Lapp : He was... like him.

  [pointing at Carter] 

  John Book : He was a black man, had black skin?

  Samuel Lapp : Ya, but not schtumpig.

  John Book : Schtulpig? What's 'schtumpig'?

  Rachel Lapp : On a farm, when a pig is born small like that, it's called schtumpig, a runt.

  John Book : Oh, so he wasn't a runt. He was a big guy, like me?

  [John puts his arm around an embarrassed Carter] 

  Samuel Lapp : Big guy!

• Rachel Lapp : He's leaving, isn't he?

  Eli Lapp : Tomorrow morning. He'll need his city clothes.

  Rachel Lapp : But why? What does he have to go back to?

  Eli Lapp : He's going back to his world, where he belongs. He knows it, and you know it, too.

• [Book, having just dropped off Rachel and Samuel back at Lapp's farm, is driving away when he convulses and passes out from loss of blood from an untreated gunshot wound and crashes into a birdhouse. Rachel and Samuel run out to Book] 

  Rachel Lapp : My God! Why didn't you get to a hospital?

  John Book : [struggling]  No, no hospital. Gunshot wound, they have to file a report. And if they file a report, they find me. And if they find me, they find the boy.

• Rachel Lapp : Are you enjoying your reading?

  John Book : Oh yeah. I'm learning a lot about manure. Very interesting.

• Rachel Lapp : [as she and Samuel are walking through the police station with Book]  When can we leave the city?

  John Book : We're trying to get this done as quickly as possible, then you can go. But, Samuel's probably gonna have to come back to testify. I'm sorry.

  Rachel Lapp : No, you are not, you are glad.

  John Book : Huh?

  Rachel Lapp : Because now you have a witness.

  John Book : Yeah, now I got a witness.

  Rachel Lapp : I just don't like the idea of my son spending all this time with a man who carries a gun and goes around whacking people!

  John Book : [in disbelief]  Whacking?... whacking?

• Rachel Lapp : I should tell you this kind of coat doesn't have buttons. See? Hooks and eyes.

  John Book : Something wrong with buttons?

  Rachel Lapp : Buttons are proud and vain, not plain.

  John Book : Got anything against zippers?

  Rachel Lapp : Are you making fun of me?

  John Book : No.

  Rachel Lapp : Like the tourists, staring all the time. Sometimes they come into the yard, it's very rude. They seem to think we're quaint.

  John Book : Can't imagine why they'd think that.

• John Book : What happened to Hochleitner?

  Rachel Lapp : He went home. He's a friend of the family... he's like a son to Eli.

  [Notices John planing a board] 

  Rachel Lapp : You know carpentry. Can you do anything else?

  John Book : Whacking. I'm hell at whacking.

  Rachel Lapp : Whacking is not much use on a farm.

• Rachel Lapp : We're all very happy that you're going to live, John Book. We didn't know what we would do with you if you'd died.

• Rachel Lapp : [Book and Carter are driving around a rough neighborhood looking for a suspect that fits Samuel's description, with Rachel and Samuel in tow]  Where are you taking us?

  John Book : I'm sorry... we're looking for a suspect in the area, we'd like the kid to take a look at him.

  Rachel Lapp : You have no right to keep us here.

  John Book : Oh, yes I do. Your son's a material witness to a homicide.

  Rachel Lapp : You don't understand. We want nothing to do with your laws.

  John Book : Doesn't surprise me. A lot of people I meet are like that.

  John Book : [after Samuel and Rachel converse in German]  What'd he say?

  Rachel Lapp : He asked who you are, your name. I told him we didn't need to know anything about you.

  John Book : Book... John Book!

• Rachel Lapp : Your sister says you don't have a family.

  John Book : No, I don't.

  Rachel Lapp : She thinks that you ought to get married and have children of your own, instead of trying to be a father to hers.

  John Book : Yeah.

  Rachel Lapp : Except she thinks you are afraid of the responsibility.

  John Book : That's interesting... anything else?

  Rachel Lapp : Mm hm... she thinks you like policing because you think you are right about everything and you're the only one who can do anything, and when you drink a lot of beer you say things like 'none of the other police know a crook from a bag of elbows!'. At least I think that's what she said.

• Rachel Lapp : You said we'd be safe in Philadelphia!

  John Book : Well I was wrong!

• John Book : How do I look - I mean, do I look Amish?

  Rachel Lapp : [nods]  You look plain.

• [Samuel opens the drawer to John's bedside table and finds his gun] 

  John Book : DON'T MOVE!...

  [Samuel is startled, Book calms down] 

  John Book : What are you doing?

  [sits on bed next to Samuel, says calmly] 

  John Book : Come here, Samuel... this is a loaded gun. This is very dangerous. Never, ever touch a loaded gun. Here, I'm gonna take the bullets out. Now it's safe. I don't want you to get hurt. I don't mean to yell at you, I just don't want you to get hurt. If you want to handle it, you can handle it... while I'm here.

  Samuel Lapp : Okay, John Book.

  [Rachel enters the room, John takes the gun from Samuel. Rachel glares at both of them] 

  Rachel Lapp : Samuel, wait for me downstairs.

  [Samuel leaves] 

  Rachel Lapp : John Book, while you are in this house I insist you respect our ways!

  John Book : Right... here, put it somewhere where he won't find it.

• John Book : [John appears in Amish clothes before going to town with Eli, Rachel laughs, John approaches Rachel]  My gun, I need my gun.

  [Rachel gets the gun out of the cupboard, John turns to leave] 

  John Book : The bullets? Not much good without 'em.

  Rachel Lapp : Of course.

  [Rachel takes an almost empty can of flour and pours the bullets and remaining flour into John's hand] 

  John Book : Thanks.

  [John blows the flour off his hand] 

  John Book : How do I look, I mean, do I look... Amish?

  Rachel Lapp : You look plain.

• Mrs. Yoder : Everyone here has an idea about you and the Englishman Book.

  Rachel Lapp : [forcing a smile]  All of them charitable, I'm sure.

  Mrs. Yoder : [straight-faced]  Hardly any of them.

• Eli Lapp : You know there has been talk. Talk about going to the Bishop and having you shunned.

  Rachel Lapp : That is idle talk.

  Eli Lapp : Do not take it lightly. Rachel. They can do it. They can do it just like that. You know what it means, shunning? I cannot sit at table with you. I cannot take a thing from your hand. I cannot go to worship with you. Child... do not go so far.

  Rachel Lapp : I am not a child.

  Eli Lapp : But you are acting like one.

  Rachel Lapp : I'll be the judge of that.

  Eli Lapp : No. They will be the judge of that, and so will I. If you shame me...

  Rachel Lapp : You shame yourself.

• John Book : [as Rachel holds up Amish menswear]  What's that?

  Rachel Lapp : Your clothes are stained with blood. I have them soaking. You can wear these.

  John Book : They your husband's?

  Rachel Lapp : Yes. It's good that someone can have the use of them. Besides, in your clothes you'd stand out to strangers. Oh, I should tell you that this kind of coat doesn't have buttons. See? Hooks and eyes.

  John Book : Something wrong with buttons?

  Rachel Lapp : Buttons are hochmut. Proud and vain. It's not plain.

  John Book : Got anything against zippers?

• Rachel Lapp : I've committed no sin.

  Eli Lapp : Maybe. Maybe not yet, but, Rachel, it does not look. You know there has been talk, talk about going to the bishop and having you shunned.

  Rachel Lapp : It is idle talk.

  Eli Lapp : Do not take it lightly. Rachel! They can do it. They can do it just like that. You know what it means? Shunning? I cannot sit at table with you. I cannot take a thing from your hand. I cannot go to worship with you. Oh, child, do not go so far.

  Rachel Lapp : I'm not a child.

  Eli Lapp : But you're acting like one.

  Rachel Lapp : I'll be the judge of that.

  Eli Lapp : No! They will be the judge of that, and so will I, if you shame me.

• Rachel Lapp : [as Book planes a piece of wood]  Can you do anything else?

  John Book : Whacking. I'm hell at whacking.

  Rachel Lapp : Whacking's not much use on the farm. Tomorrow I'll let out those trousers for you.

  John Book : Good.