Witness Protection
Witness Protection
| 11 December 1999 (USA)
Witness Protection Trailers

Would you be willing to walk away from everyone and everything you've ever known in exchange for your safety? This is the question facing career criminal Bobby "Bats" Batton (Tom Sizemore); on the outs with the mob and facing prosecution for a number of serious crimes, Batton is offered a deal by the FBI in which he will be given immunity in exchange for testifying against his former partners. However, Batton will have to join the Federal Witness Protection Program, which means that he, his wife, and his children will never again see their friends and family.

Reviews
Nonureva Really Surprised!
Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Staci Frederick Blistering performances.
kai ringler 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.
Steve Skafte 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.
meryl-2 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!!!
dewey22 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.