IMDb RATING
5.9/10
6.1K
YOUR RATING
A janitor who claims he's seen a murder becomes romantically involved with the glamorous TV reporter covering the story.A janitor who claims he's seen a murder becomes romantically involved with the glamorous TV reporter covering the story.A janitor who claims he's seen a murder becomes romantically involved with the glamorous TV reporter covering the story.
Sharon Chatten
- Israeli Woman
- (as Sharon Goldman)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSigourney Weaver's character was based on an object of infatuation that Steve Tesich had with a Washington, D.C. anchorwoman. He recorded her broadcasts and had pictures of her like William Hurt's character had in the film of Weaver. The actual anchorwoman was brought in by Peter Yates for technical support to make Weaver's character more believable.
- GoofsThere is a security camera very obviously placed in the outer office outside of where the murder takes place, yet during the investigation no mention is made of it.
However, perhaps (circa 1981) it's a closed-circuit, live feed only (no recordings made), and no one viewing the live security screens noticed anything unusual.
- Quotes
Lt. Jacobs: When he was a kid, Aldo must have wanted to be a suspect when he grew up.
- Alternate versionsRuns 93 minutes long on Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED), also commonly known RCA Selectavision Videodisc.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Sneak Previews: Eyewitness/Tess/The Competition/The Dogs of War (1981)
- SoundtracksPiano trio no. 1 in D minor, op. 49: ii. Andante con moto tranquillo
Written by Felix Mendelssohn
[Performed at the Sokolows' house concert]
Featured review
Vietnam war hero and Manhattan janitor Daryll Deever (William Hurt) is obsessed with hard-nosed TV reporter Tony Sokolow (Sigourney Weaver). A shady Vietnamese businessman is murdered in his office building. He was complaining about Daryll's racist fellow vet coworker Aldo (James Woods). Aldo has an alibi in Daryll's girlfriend and Aldo's sister Linda (Pamela Reed). It's a lie and he's come into a lot of money. Tony investigates the story and concentrates on Daryll who secretly found the body and pretends to know something to stay close to her. Her Jewish activist boyfriend Joseph (Christopher Plummer) is hiding a secret. Police detectives Lt. Jacobs (Steven Hill) and Lt. Black (Morgan Freeman) are investigating. Mysterious Vietnamese men are watching.
There are some great actors in this. I checked this out despite never heard of it. It has lots of interesting bits. This would work better with a creepier Hurt. He's very capable and his obsession starts that way. I think Linda gets into the way and she's not a necessary character. There are little disjointed and oddly superfluous moments like his dog attacking. Then the movie takes a really outlandish turn. It's too bad because this could have been a solid simple thriller. The turn ties together two parts of the story that really has no connection to each other. It becomes flat at that point.
There are some great actors in this. I checked this out despite never heard of it. It has lots of interesting bits. This would work better with a creepier Hurt. He's very capable and his obsession starts that way. I think Linda gets into the way and she's not a necessary character. There are little disjointed and oddly superfluous moments like his dog attacking. Then the movie takes a really outlandish turn. It's too bad because this could have been a solid simple thriller. The turn ties together two parts of the story that really has no connection to each other. It becomes flat at that point.
- SnoopyStyle
- Dec 3, 2016
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Consigna: Matar al testigo
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $8,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $6,400,000
- Gross worldwide
- $6,400,000
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