Secret Witness (1988 TV Movie) User Reviews

So short and yet so boring

[przgzr · 8 November 2004]

Who is this movie supposed to be for?

With two almost-teen kids among main characters the target population might be school age kids. But, according to this site 'Secret Witness' is a 'drama', and not a 'family' movie. It's not a surprise, because in USA you can't expect to have a secret relation between a divorced man and a woman just about to be divorced, kids watching love scenes spying through windows, or a twelve year old girl announcing she'll write novels about sex - all that in a movie for kids (last of that today maybe in any movie). If this film were European, this wouldn't be a problem, but if it were German a detective story would be emphasized and not so slow; if it were French a father-son relation would be far more developed and a mother would probably appear and take part in solving problems (or complicating them even more).

Adults would surely expect even more from a(ny) movie. You can't make drama just having father who doesn't take time enough with his son who lives with mother (who, as we can guess, treats him the same way). And you can't have a thriller or a crime movie when the murder happens in the second half of the movie; especially if you expect it from the start (due to the title). When something finally starts happening, this movie suddenly ends.

Acting is awful. Rasche and Corbin are worse than ever, and Le Mat can make us believe he is a weird artist, but transformation to a psychotic killer completely fails. (If younger, Anthony Perkins would be an ideal choice for the role.) Kids are acting much better but you can't lean on kids to save a non-kids movie.

I can't remember a single reason for anyone to watch this movie. I don't like action movies, but this one is too boring and too slow even for me. Only if you are a person easy to get offended - there is nothing that should offend anyone in this movie. Because there is nothing in this movie at all.

"This is better than Dallas!"

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 16 September 2021]

Okay, what adolescent boy would say anything like that? A boy like Joaquin "Leaf" Phoenix, that's who, snooping on the minister's wife, making out with a man not her husband. Phoenix and old pal Kellie Martin have been reunited when he goes to spend the time with father David Rasche in the country and ends up snooping in the lives of the villagers while exploring the local natural wonders. They stumble across a murder with a surprising twist.

Martin is the daughter of the local drunken sheriff who takes care of the prisoners and the sheriff so she feels that she can play peeping Tina on the locals including an older man who listens to opera while dressed in a frilly woman's robe. Then there's the vagrant who dressed in women's clothes then got arrested for getting drunk and performing "Hello Dolly!". Fortunately only an hour and in missing an interesting story is a real waste of time.

The local footage of this beautiful lake village is the only real interesting element of the film, and Phoenix with a breathy voice does show potential. But the kids don't speak like real kids, with the script filled with references that are evidence of the writer's desire to insert campy elements which is extremely inappropriate to the little story there is. Special tribute from me to the fun Paddie Edwards who is basically the British Selma Diamond and a ton of fun to watch.

The Leaf Years

[YackBower · 10/10 · 31 July 2021]

This was a fantastic made for tv movie that is hard to find. The early career of Leaf Phoenix was pockmarked throughout the 80s with genre heavy cult kid 80s adventure movies like Space Camp and Russkies. What I like to call the 80s kids on bikes subgenre that shows like Stranger Things are capitalizing on. Movies like goonies, the Explorers, frog dreaming and ET. This movie is a great murder mystery, filled w that 80s adventure set on a exotic Summer vacation island. This movie is Heavy with what a phrase that i like to call Retro-Patina. Filled with a great supporting cast, funny humor and well directed. Definitely worth a watch if retro stuff is your jam.

"Life Is Not Television!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 6 September 2022]

Young Drew Blackburn (Leaf aka: Joaquin Phoenix) arrives in a small island community to stay with his overly-busy dad. Drew and his friend Jennie (Kellie Martin) reunite, embarking on a summer adventure..

Unbeknownst to Drew, his life is about to get very interesting. Jennie introduces him to a mysterious drifter (Paul Le Mat), and also shows Drew the unseemly, scandalous underbelly of the tiny town. Their snooping soon leads to far more than expected.

SECRET WITNESS is a family-friendly, made-for-TV murder mystery. The ending is unexpectedly thrilling, with a nice twist.

This is also a showcase for the amazing, future-Oscar-winning Mr. Phoenix. He does all the heavy lifting and is in almost every scene. He's very good in his conflicted, sleuthing role.

Barry Corbin co-stars as the sheriff, the sort of role he seems born to play...