Witness Protection (1999) Online

Witness Protection is another fine example of HBO's strong line of original films (Mistrial, Vendetta, RKO 281). In Witness Protection, Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan, Bringing Out the Dead) stars as a mob man who has recently had a hit put out on him by his own boss. In order to protect himself and his family he agrees to testify against his boss and enter the witness protection program. After entering the program he soon realizes the stress this puts on his family as everyone begins to take sides against everyone else in a struggle to make it. Sizemore one of the best actors in the business gives a strong lead performance adding to his list of impressive performances. Forest Whitaker (Blown Away, Species) adds a great supporting performance as the man who leads the family into the program. Highly recommended.

In Boston, when the mobster Bobby "Bats" Batton (Tom Sizemore) is attacked by a killer at home and escapes, he finds that he has fallen in disgrace with his boss since someone has falsely betrayed him telling that he has embezzled money from his funds. Without any alternative, Bobby seeks out FBI chief Sharp (William Sadler) to get protection to his family and him. Bobby accepts to snitch his boss; in return, his wife Cindy Batton (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), his teenage son Sean Batton (Shawn Hatosy), his little daughter Suzie Batton (Skye McCole- Bartusiak).and him will receive new identities and be relocated to Seattle. Along the next days, they move to a safe house to be trained in their new lives by Agent Steven Beck (Forest Whitaker) that shows that they are completely broken and without professional qualification. Meanwhile the family lives the drama to adapt to their new lives. Will they succeed?

"Witness Protection" is a HBO TV movie with a different approach of the witness protection program showing how does it works and how families are affected. In crime films, the procedure are shown in a shallow way; but this film uses the family of a mobster with wife, teenage son and little daughter to disclose the problems faced by the in their new location. Supported by great cast and direction, the most impressive are the odds to be successful, depicted when Agen Steven says 50% and his partner calls him optimistic. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Proteção à Testemunha" ("Witness Protection")

There's inherent limitations built into most TV movies. They tend to feel just a little closed in, without a lot of focus on cinematography. "Witness Protection" has the sense of being (literally) in a locked room. It provides an opportunity to focus almost completely on the actors and their performances. And there's some great performances, too. The three leads (Sizemore, Mastrantonio, Whitaker) get deep under the skin of their characters. The interaction between Sizemore and Mastrantonio, especially, reaches a level of tenderness and darkness that's totally unanticipated.

This film works well to director Richard Pearce's ability with actors, but doesn't provide him much in the way of visual opportunity like some of his stunning feature films (Threshold, Country, The Long Walk Home, A Family Thing). But, although "Witness Protection" sounds uninteresting and doesn't look much better, it is a numbing, dramatic punch to the face. There's a ton of depth to the writing here, brought to full bear by the actors. The only off-key note was with young Skye McCole Bartusiak, who is sometimes forced to express levels of emotion that she's not completely capable of getting across. Watch this film, though. You just might get something from it.

This movie is the kind that TV airs by the dozen late in the evening. It is not advertised as something special, just a nice thrill to entertain you before bedtime.

However, it is a very solid, well turned story, showing another side of the gangster/new identity tale that we have seen many times before. We get under the skin of a family forced into assuming a new identity. A son has to give up his access to a famous college and a daughter has to give up her friends at school and learn a whole new family history. Grand parents are said goodbye to, never to be seen again. All the difficulties of assuming a new identity are well described and explored in this film, and the acting is no-nonsense, to the point and convincing. Forest Whitaker is (as always) perfect in his role, but in fact all actors contribute convincingly to the story.

This movie was very good. Even though I should have probably known better, I was under the long term illusion that these witness protection people got a free ride for selling out to the government. This movie really gives a dose of reality that is pretty believable. You are torn between thinking "he really deserved it" and empathizing with him and his family and what they are giving up for the protection. I also thought the movie did a good job of showing how they have to find them selves and their family core once again to proceed with their new lives. Great jobs by Forest Whitaker and Mary Elizabeth.

I have recently found myself very impressed by some of the original series coming out of HBO. I was totally crushed to find out that this was a one-time movie and not the start of another series. I feel like HBO really tapped into a topic that hasn't been explored in depth before: the psychological stress that goes along with a family having to start over from scratch. The film shows the first five days of the family living in a safe house after entering the witness protection program, and the training that they have to go through to prepare for their new life.

I thought that this film was outstanding, ESPECIALLY for a cable television production. I LOVE mafia movies, but I think that that's because it's always seemed like such a fantasy world to me. This film focuses on the reality that the family must face when they have to leave all of their money and connections behind. I thought that it was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching.

Rock on HBO!!! Gimme MORE!!!

Witness Protection is a great film from HBO about a family that is forced to entered the witness protection program after their lives become endangered. However it is NOT what you might think, shootouts, narrow escapes, and a face off between mobster boss and betrayed loyal soldier, instead it is turned into a drama about a family disintegrating under the pressures of the situation they are in, and what an excellent drama it is ! The performances are all a knock out, in particular that of Mastroantonio, as the wife who stands by her man and whose life of luxury starts unraveling, this actress has a range that had never been exploited until now, her confrontation with her husband in the kitchen is to be remembered, she is so good that I am really upset about how many more roles she could play if only we had known. Sismore plays the mobster connected husband to perfection, his known ability to play sinister hoods is utilized to play a husband that keeps emotionally exploding as his life and family start to crumble. The actors playing their children are also in top form. The young child playing the daughter is amazing as a girl that is becoming traumatized on a daily basis by a stress filled environment. Finally there is Forrest Whitaker, his performance is fine for the role but again, Forrest is a monotone actor, he plays every character the same way, I never understood what the big hoo-ha-ha is about him, but in this role his demeanor is exactly what his role needs and it complements a movie that has absolutely no flaws. Kudos to the director for bringing out such performances from such unlikely actors. As someone here mentioned, I don't know why this film was not a theatrical release because it would have brought Oscar nominations for everyone involved, it is one of the best films of the year.

How could anyone say the characters were shallow in this movie? If the characters had any more depth, the viewer would drown in the emotions being displayed.

This film is the only one I have ever given a 10 to. It is filled with sturm and drang. There is more angst than one could imagine. The characters are drowning in their own stress and dysfunctionality. One reviewer said that Mastrontonio was shrill. She was not, but her character was and justifiably so. Can anyone view the argument (fight) between her and Bobby (Sizemore) and not feel how overwhelmed she is and how much she feels betrayed?

Everyone associated with this film has risen to the occasion and gives the performance of a lifetime. Kudos to the Director, Richard Pearce for so artfully staging the brilliant script written by Daniel Therriault. And, as for the actors, each performs brilliantly. Applause to Whitaker, Sadler, Shawn Hatosy (the son) and Skye McCole Bartusick (the daughter). In fact, as a psychologist, I wonder if Skye was slightly traumatized after the role was over, having to portray a 5 year old who has lost her ability to rely on the world and her family. She is fear personified.

Special hats off to Mastrontonio for a superb performance as the wife who stands by her man until he breaks the last straw.

Finally, what can be said about Sizemore's performance except it is MASTERFUL! His Bobby Bats makes Gandolfini's Tony Soprano look like an altar boy. Are he and Gandolfini secret twins, as it is hard now to look at one and not think of the other? The breadth of emotion portrayed by Sizemore show that here is a talent to notice. I thought he was good in The Florentine (see it), but this is superior by tenfold.

This is a giant of a film. Were it a commercially produced product versus one by HBO, I suspect it would have led to nominations for Best Actor and Actress, Best Suppporting Actor, Best Writer, Best Director and Best Film, that's how good this film is.

This is a movie which should be seen by anyone who thinks that the "witness protection" is a free ride for criminals. Very well done by everyone, it shows the gut wrenching changes that must be made by the "witness" and his/her family.Entertaining and disturbing it should be seen by all.

Great movie that shows the viewers what takes place the first week of entering the infamous WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM. Characters are a little shallow, but the scenes and atmosphere help overcome the short comings. HBO does another great film. Word to the first time viewer: Not for children! Some pictures show murder scenes that may be disturbing.

The sad thing about HBO original films is that they air pretty quick and without notice, then are scarcely heard from again, despite having really good stories and production design to boast, with no theatrical crowd to ever share them with. Witness Protection is one among many of these, a brilliant, surprisingly thoughtful mobster melodrama starring Tom Sizemore in a rare and commanding lead role. He plays Boston area gangster Bobby 'Bats' Batton here, a wiseguy who gets a rude awakening one night when a violent attempt is made on his life by rival crime factions, striking at home while his family are there. His lifestyle has inadvertently put those he loves in danger and now there are consequences, as grimly outlined by Forest Whitaker's sympathetic FBI agent. Bobby, his wife (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is so great, why isn't she in stuff anymore?), son (Shawn Hatosy) and young daughter (Sky McCole Bartusiak, who famously died young a few years ago) are relocated into the witness protection program run by the Feds, given new identities, their lives uprooted and their future uncertain. Now, I searched for this film for years (it's near impossible to find) thinking there'd be some kind of actuon intrigue angle, a few gunfights as his enemies tracked him down, but such is not the case. This is a mature film, a meditation on what it takes to change who we are when our choices endanger the lives of those we are supposed to protect. Bobby is a man of violence who grew up in a certain way, and he has transformed that into his livelihood. But it's also a risky creed to cling to, and eventually a line is crossed, the line between balancing a chaotic life, or letting it run away from you. He's forced to change, to show honesty and the will power to go straight, and this causes intense strain on the relationships with each of his family members, both individually and as a group. It's equal parts fascinating, heartbreaking and hopeful to see a family go from one extreme to the other, and every facet of the situation is explored in a script that feels authentic and unforced. Sizemore and Mastrantonio deliver powerhouse work that stuns and stings, inhabiting uncomfortable moments of personal anguish with gravity to spare. This one isn't your typical crime drama, and is all the better for it.

Meet the Battons, living comfortably in an upper middle class lifestyle in suburban Boston. The truth is Bobby Batton (Tom Sizemore) is a mobster. Unbeknownst to him, Batton's boss has decided to terminate Bobby. Batton is tipped to the plot against him when he foils a kidnap attempt on Batton's daughter Suzie.

His only way out is Witness Protection and a new identity. We see the pressure cooker turned up when Bratton and his family confronts the limitations of the work-a-day world and have to learn their cover stories. Bob Batton is particularly peeved that he must get a job. He holds the working class in especial contempt.

Forest Whitaker plays Steve Beck the FBI coach with great aplumb when he must tell Batton how to get a job. Why do you care? Batton exasperated with Beck's tenacity asks . Because it's my job, comes the smug reply.

Cindy Batton is played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Agent Beck tells her she's worth maybe $35 G on the labor market if she finishes her paralegal degree and returns to work in a law firm. How are we going to live on that?

I won't agree that Witness Protection really does all that this US government propaganda movie says it does to trap real criminals. I do find the concept of adjusting to a completely new life interesting.

this is a pretty decent movie about a mob turncoat going into the Wiess Protection Program. it shows the effects of what happens to you're life and how it disintegrates immediately not just for you but for you're whole entire family,, Sizemore is our Mob informer, his wife in the movie, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is great in here, Forrest Whitaker gives a good performance as well. there is lot's of tension in the movie as the plot keeps moving right along till it's inevitable conclusion,, unlike other mob movies this one doesn't harp on the ,, hey you sold me down the river and i'm gonna kill you thing, not a lot of mobsters per say in the movie at all,, it's just a pretty decent movie that shows what really happens when you enter the world of the Witness Protection Program.

I thought that this was just another "made for cable" movie that would be just to watch once and forget. I was very wrong. This movie showed a different view to the unknowing public as to what really goes on in the witness program and it is not what we all think. This movie also had also no dull moments. I tried playing a game with my wife later and called her Joan (as in Joan Cooper) to try to slip her up, and sure enough, it is real easy to tell people things they can use against you. Great movie for all except for anyone under 10. Great job by Tom Sizemore, Forrest Whitaker, Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio and William Sadler, and the 2 actors that played their children. Keep it up HBO.

A fictionalized account of a mobster taking his family into the Witness Protection program. Every aspect of what the life must be like is taken into account. Tom Sizemore and Forrest Whitaker are terrific. Mary E. Mastrantonio is a bit shrill, but good.

I watched this last week on my new DVD player(Yahooo),beats video hands down. I'm a big fan of Tom Sizemore,Mary Elizabeth Mastriantonio and Forrest Whitaker. I was expecting a lot more from the movie and maybe my expections were too high!! It started out well with the attempted assasination on Bobby and his subsequent efforts to convince his bosses that he's clean and not on the take. I thought for a guy of his standing in the Mob his protestrations would be taken a little more seriously but no, no one believes him. Not even a sit down! I don't know, maybe I'm watching too much of the excellent Sopranos,but this smacked of lack of imagination or laziness on the filmmakers part. Then it's immediatly off to the witness protection programme, hence the imaginitive title?? Here we meet nice Steve played convincingly by Whitaker who's maybe a little too nice. We know he wants to help but he got more and more wholesome as the film progressed and I soon became irritated with Mr. Goody Two Shoes. Tom Sizemore was good but as the film progressed he looked as though he was just going through the motions.Mastriantonio tryed to give it here best but hysteria and melancholy are hard to portray in what was becoming a more and more soap opera style of film. Sizemore,after his pep talk with Whitaker,was just too quick too change his outlook and accept his new way of life. It seemed to me everybody wanted to wrap it up and pick up their paychecks. This might be unfair to the actors who did their best with a very dull script, lazy and unimaginative direction and a hokey ending,especially the son's decision not to posse outta Dodge at the earliest opportunity. You wouldn't have seen my heels for dust,especially as he had a crazy about him girlfriend and he's supposed to be 18. Did these guys ever hear of hormones? Good for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

This movie features excellent acting as well as an honest portrayal of the havoc a criminal's life wreaks on his family's. Witness Protection demonstrates the difficulty that readjustment with a different identity and life is...

What should be a documentation on the witness protection programme quickly fizzles into a domestic drama. And not a very good one at that. Performances are average but with no real chemistry between the characters. This stuff isn't released as a big movie for a reason. Mainly because it's not any good. "Witness Protection" is as un-memorable as movies come. 4/10.

This is surprisingly good film for a TV production. I am surprised that producer could not see this one coming.

Anyway,... I was sitting at home one day, watching TV, and than the movie started. Never heard of it before, but when I saw the actors that are in it I new that it had to be at least a good movie. Tom Sizemore rules, and Shawn was star to come in next couple of years, and he showed it. 11:14 and Alpha dog are good movies. And then a true star, a man that should have already won an Oscar, Forest Whitaker, he proved himself over and over again.

At the end I ask a question: Why is this a TV movie??? Should have been in cinemas.

This is a very powerful made for television movie. Tom Sizemore is excellent as Bobby "Batts" Batton. The whole film takes place inside a facility that teaches families under the witness protection program to relocate and become new people. Overall satisfying, and never dull.