MovieChat Forums > No Way Out (1987) Discussion > Dumb Witnesses

Dumb Witnesses

posted 5 years ago by MavKilledGoose (859)
5 replies | jump to latest

I still dig this movie despite the multitude of plot-related problems.

One of the witnesses cannot describe movie star Kevin Costner, yet picks Lt. Commander Tom Farrell out of a crowd unprompted. Farrell has a deer-in-headlights look, then explodes into a sprint, but nobody else manages to identify him. The witness doesn't even say the suspect is dressed in uniform whites. Or that's he's a thin, Caucasian male with light hair and above average height?

Their brilliant idea is to take a fat guy and a pirate room-to-room in the biggest building in the world. This is deemed plausible because Sec. Brice moans, "But it's the biggest building in the world."

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

which building was it?

[–] MavKilledGoose (859) 5 years ago

The Pentagon.

[–] PaladinNJ (21509) 5 years ago

The witness described him as average. In his mind he blended in. I believe Dennis Burkley had a good three or four inches on Costner so to him he probably didn't consider him above average height.

Also the reason they went room to room was so they wouldn't draw attention to the investigation. That way the "Bookends" could dispose of him quietly once they had identified him. Admittedly that plan backfired big time.

[–] MavKilledGoose (859) 5 years ago

"The witness described him as average."

One witness described him as average. Even still there's a lot of information to go on. We know he's male, so that eliminates females. He's not exceedingly tall or short. He's not old or Black. The witness should also know what Costner's currently wearing. Also, you may see customers every day, but you presumably do not rent out your boss's boat on the down-low. You'd probably get a good look at the guy who's claiming to know how to sail said vessel.

"In his mind he blended in. I believe Dennis Burkley had a good three or four inches on Costner so to him he probably didn't consider him above average height."

They were about the same height.

"Also the reason they went room to room was so they wouldn't draw attention to the investigation."

People already knew there was an investigation. The reason for not allowing people to file past is because Pritchard was afraid of television news vans, but that would have been the case anyway because the building was already on lockdown.

[–] VanHellion (655) 2 years ago

Okay then... let's go find this "average sonofabitch".