Touch

 

This was the official website for the 2011 film, Touch about a mechanic looking to save his faltering marriage strikes up an unlikely friendship with a shy Vietnamese-American manicurist.
Content is from the site's 2007 - 2011 archived pages as well as other outside resources.

Minh Nguyen, Writer / Director
Ray Chim, Director of Photography
Mellissa Tong, Producer

 



Published on Jan 2, 2011
A mechanic looking to save his faltering marriage strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Vietnamese-American manicurist, who not only cleans his greasy hands but also gives him advice about his love life. This sensual film explores the sense of touch and its emotional impact -- how with just a simple touch, we can reveal our deepest longings and even heal a wounded soul.
Touch, a film by Minh Duc Nguyen, starring Porter Lynn, John Ruby, Melinda Bennett, Long Nguyen, and Hiep Thi Le.

 

Touch (2011) Synopsis

At V.I.P. Nails, a Vietnamese manicurist named Tam has a new customer: Brendan, a shy mechanic who literally has a problem on his hands. He can never get rid of the oil stains around his nails, and when he tries to be intimate with his aloof wife, she always rejects him with the same excuse: €œYour hands are filthy!€ Desperately seeking to save his marriage, Brendan goes to the nail salon every day, where Tam does more than scrub his hands clean. She also offers him advice on how to get his wife to love him again. But soon, Tam and Brendan find themselves drawn to each other, an attraction which becomes harder and harder to resist.

This sensual film explores the sense of touch and its emotional impact €” how with just a simple touch, we can reveal our deepest longings, give the utmost pleasure to others and even heal a wounded soul.

 

IMBd Review

11 July 2013 | by sidney76

As I state in the Message Boards section, in Judaism it is taught, "Words that come from the heart go into the heart." It is obvious that this film came from the heart of Minh Duc Nguyen and that of each of the other artists. This movie will go directly into the heart of everybody who views it. The performances of Porter Lynn and John Ruby are sensitive, highly believable and magnificent. Indeed, every actor and actress in the movie is superb. Ms. Lynn and Mr. Ruby and numerous other artists in the film will no doubt be seen in many quality films to come. Many years ago, the paperback version of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST included the blurb, "More, Mr. Kesey, More!" I borrow that entreaty. MORE, Minh Duc Nguyen, MORE! Many thanks to everybody who brought this film into being, most especially Minh Duc Nguyen. PLEASE make more movies! We desperately need films of this quality! Again, heartfelt thanks to every individual that made this film a reality.

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An aside: I saw Touch at the 2012 Asian American International Film Festival in New York City. That particular festival presented a number of memorable films, including Touch. Recently I searched for it on Netflix. I was anticipating a chill evening, sipping wine and watching Touch with my girlfriend. We had just bought a new round pillow dog bed from GoodNightDog for her Irish setter who often insists in sitting between the two of us on our sofa. I like dogs, but not that much. Well, Scotland (the dog) fell in love with his new round dog bed the moment we unpacked it. The online store, GoodNight Dog, where I bought it, obviously loves dogs- just love the photos they have on their site. What I really appreciated about the dog bed is that the fabrics they use are high end upholstery fabrics that you would normally see on furniture or drapes. I found a great toile that goes perfectly in our living room. I bet some folks will think it's just a large cushion to sit on and not actually a dog bed. Well, we were all set up, ready to watch, and I initially couldn't find the movie on Netflix. There was the 1997 comedy film called Touch, a 2011 TV show called Touch with Keifer Sutherland, The Touch a 2002 film about the only remaining descendants of a family of circus acrobats, plus two more films each named The Touch. I was about to give up and then I saw it. It proved to be just as enjoyable this second time as it was the first. Kudos.

 

POSTS

LATEST UPDATES

TOUCH Now Available On DVD And Digital Platforms
July 5th, 2013

Great news! TOUCH is now available on DVD. Our DVD has English, Vietnamese and French subtitles, and extras like outtakes and a deleted scene. Order it now by clicking on "BUY DVD" above.

You can also buy our DVD on Amazon or stream the movie instantly.
Other places to watch TOUCH include Hulu and Hulu Plus.

Lastly, we're trying to get Netflix to carry our movie. If you're a Netflix subscriber, you can help us achieve that goal by going to their website, type in TOUCH and click SAVE.

Help us spread the word by posting a review on Amazon, Hulu and Netflix. We need your support. And don't forget to go to our Facebook page (link above) and click LIKE.

 

August 3, 2009

A Gray Picture is now casting for its upcoming ultra-low-budget feature, TOUCH, to be shot in Los Angeles from October €“ November 2009.

Storyline: A funny, unexpected friendship between an American car mechanic and a Vietnamese-American manicurist deepens in modern Los Angeles.

CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS

LEAD ROLES:

BRENDAN: (early 30s, male, non-Asian) Mechanic. Handsome, rugged, and clueless with women. Full nudity required.
TAM: (late 20s, female, Vietnamese) Nail tech. Cute, playful, and passionate. Fluent in Vietnamese and English. Full nudity required.

SUPPORTING ROLES:

BICH: (30s, female, Vietnamese) Owner of the nail salon. Chesty, bitchy, and outrageous. Fluent in Vietnamese and English.
FATHER: (50s, Vietnamese) Gardener. Strict, disabled, and depressed. Fluent in Vietnamese. Full nudity required.
HONG: (20s, female, Vietnamese) Nail tech. Outgoing, pot-smoking raver. Fluent in Vietnamese and English.
KY: (early 30s, male, Vietnamese) Engineer. Bookish but romantic, a hidden gem. Fluent in Vietnamese and English. Full nudity required.
LINH: (30s, female, Vietnamese) Nail tech. Gossipy and bad-mannered. Fluent in Vietnamese and English.
LITTLE TAM: (5, girl, Vietnamese) Cute, quiet, and tender.
MOTHER: (30s, Vietnamese) Stay-at-home wife. Kind and nurturing. Fluent in Vietnamese.
QUYEN: (late 40s, female, Vietnamese) Nail tech. Wise, elegant, and classy. Fluent in Vietnamese and English.
SANDIE: (early 30s, female, non-Asian) Corporate lawyer and wife of a mechanic. Beautiful, accomplished, and a workaholic. Full nudity required.

DAY PLAYERS:

CUSTOMER #1/#2/#3: (30s and older, female, non-Asian) Large-body type, loud personality.
CUSTOMER #4: (30s and older, female, Latino or African-American) A hard-working mother.
DR. VU: (30s and older, male or female, Vietnamese) Psychiatrist. Calm and observant. Fluent in Vietnamese.
SECRETARY: (25 and older, female, non-Asian) Professional and disciplined.
VIETNAMESE SINGER: (late 40s and older, female) An experienced singer with a great voice.

 



 

PRESS RELEASES

For Immediate Release

June 2012

Touch to Open in New York on August 10th

LOS ANGELES €” Touch, an independent film written and directed by Minh Nguyen, is slated for release in New York starting on August 10th, showing exclusively at AMC Empire 25.

Touch is a romantic drama. A mechanic looking to save his faltering marriage strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Vietnamese-American manicurist, who not only cleans his greasy hands but also gives him advice about his love life. This sensual film explores the sense of touch and its emotional impact €” how with just a simple touch, we can reveal our deepest longings and even heal a wounded soul.

Making her cinematic debut in Touch, actress Porter Lynn will pleasantly surprise audiences with her mature poise and unassuming strength in portraying Tam. Her moving performance won her Best Actress award at Boston International Film Festival. She is costarring with John Ruby, Melinda Bennett, Long Nguyen (Journey from the Fall), and Hiep Thi Le (Heaven & Earth).

During its film festival tour, Touch has captured numerous awards: Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at Vietnamese International Film Festival; Best Actress, Best Story Line, and Best Cinematography at Boston International Film Festival; Best First Feature at Santa Rosa International Film Festival; Jury Award at Atlanta Asian Film Festival; Remi Special Jury Award at WordFest Houston.

In America, 75% of the nail salons are owned and operated by Vietnamese. The nail salon industry provides countless job opportunities for Vietnamese immigrants, but their stories have never been told on-screen. For the first time, we have a film that poignantly depicts the lives of women working in a typical nail salon. This is the inspiration for the story, written by Minh Nguyen (also making his directorial debut), who sees the nail salon as the perfect setting to tell a multicultural story. But the movie also touches on universal themes such as love, loss, and the importance of human contact.

Touch has already played in San Jose, Orange County, Houston, Dallas and Vietnam. Now it€™s making its way to New York. For more info, contact mellissa (at) touchthemovie.com, minh (at) touchthemovie.com, or visit touchthemovie.com.

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January 2012

Touch to Open in San Jose on March 9th and Orange County on March 16th

LOS ANGELES €” Touch, an independent film written and directed by Minh Duc Nguyen, is slated for release in selected cities, starting with San Jose on March 9th and Orange County on March 16th, showing exclusively at AMC Eastridge 15 and AMC Block 30.

Touch is a romantic drama. A mechanic looking to save his faltering marriage strikes up an unlikely friendship with a shy Vietnamese-American manicurist, who not only cleans his greasy hands but also gives him advice about his love life. This sensual film explores the sense of touch and its emotional impact €” how with just a simple touch, we can reveal our deepest longings and even heal a wounded soul.

Making her cinematic debut in Touch, actress Porter Lynn will pleasantly surprise audiences with her mature poise and unassuming strength in portraying Tam. Her moving performance won her Best Actress award at Boston International Film Festival. She is costarring with John Ruby, Melinda Bennett, Long Nguyen (Journey from the Fall), and Hiep Thi Le (Heaven & Earth).

During its film festival tour, Touch has captured numerous awards: Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at Vietnamese International Film Festival; Best Actress, Best Story Line, and Best Cinematography at Boston International Film Festival; Best First Feature at Santa Rosa International Film Festival; Jury Award at Atlanta Asian Film Festival.

In America, 75% of the nail salons are owned and operated by Vietnamese. The nail salon industry provides countless job opportunities for Vietnamese immigrants, but their stories have never been told on-screen. For the first time, we have a film that poignantly depicts the lives of women working in a typical nail salon. This is the inspiration for the story, written by Minh Duc Nguyen (also making his directorial debut), who sees the nail salon as the perfect setting to tell a multicultural story. But the movie also touches on universal themes such as love, loss, and the importance of human contact..

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March 2011

Touch to World Premiere at Boston International Film Festival

LOS ANGELES €” Touch, an independent feature film written and directed by Minh Duc Nguyen, and produced by Mellissa Tong, is having its world premiere at the Boston International Film Festival on April 23rd, 2011, 8:15 PM, at AMC Theatres, 175 Tremont Street, Boston Common.

Touch is a comedic drama that begins at V.I.P. Nails, where a Vietnamese manicurist named Tam has a new customer: Brendan, a shy mechanic, who literally has a problem on his hands. He can never get rid of the oil stains on his hands and nails, and when he tries to be intimate with his wife, she always rejects him with the same excuse: €œYour hands are filthy!€ Desperate to save his marriage, Brendan goes to the nail salon every day, where Tam does more than scrub his hands clean. She also offers him advice on how to get his wife to love him again. But soon, Tam and Brendan find themselves drawn to each other, an attraction which becomes harder and harder to resist.

This film explores the sense of touch and its emotional impact €” how with just a simple touch, we can reveal our deepest longings, give the utmost pleasure to others and even heal a wounded soul. Like Ang Lee's critically acclaimed sensual film, Lust, Caution, Touch features an Asian female lead. Making her cinematic debut in Touch, actress Porter Lynn will pleasantly surprise audiences with her mature poise and unassuming strength in portraying Tam. She is costarring with John Ruby, Melinda Bennett, Long Nguyen and Hiep Thi Le.

In America, 75% of the nail salons are owned and operated by Vietnamese. The nail salon industry provides countless job opportunities for Vietnamese immigrants, but their stories have never been told on-screen. For the first time, we have a film about the hidden life of women working in a typical nail salon, told from their point-of-views. This is the inspiration for the story, written by Minh Duc Nguyen, who was born in Vietnam and immigrated to America with his family in the 1980s as part of the "boat people" exodus. Mr. Nguyen sees the nail salon as the perfect setting to tell a multicultural story, a place where the Vietnamese workers interact daily with their American customers that come from all walks of life. But the movie also touches on universal themes such as love, loss and the importance of human contact.

Touch marks the feature directorial debut for Mr. Nguyen, who studied film at the University of Southern California, where he received the Jeffrey Jones Scholarship for excellence in screenwriting. On Touch, Mr. Nguyen collaborated with Mellissa Tong, a prolific producer with work ranging from independent feature films, TV and radio commercials, to documentaries, online and viral campaigns and TV programming. Ms. Tong is a MFA graduate from the California Institute of the Arts. Her other credits include Talk To Taka, My American Vacation, The Water Ghost and Click Three Times. All have won awards at major film festivals around the country.

For more info, please contact Mellissa Tong at 424-270-0281, or visit our website at touchthemovie.com.

 



 

 

CAST

 

 

Touch (2011) the movie, Porter Lynn

Porter Lynn (Tam)

Porter Lynn is from the Silicon Valley in Northern California. She moved to Los Angeles after studying Biology/Psychology at UC Davis, in order to pursue her love of acting. Her theater credits include Bye Bye Birdie and Under the Sea. She has also appeared in many short films, such as McConnell Blvd. and All at Once, but Touch is her first feature film and lead role.

Touch (2011) the movie, John Ruby

John Ruby (Brendan)

A native of Wisconsin and a graduate of Northwestern University, John Ruby is proud to be making his living as an actor in Los Angeles. His film credits include You, Me and Dupree, Ricky, and Touch. He recently made appearances on the television shows Cougar Town, Perfect Couples, and The Event. His theater credits include The Sting and Heaven Can Wait. John recently completed writing and directing his first short film, Endgame , which was accepted into the prestigious Beloit International Film Festival. Recently, John has appeared in Castle, 2 Broke Girls, CSI: NY and The Client List.

Touch (2011) the movie, Melinda Bennett

Melinda Bennett (Sandie)

Melinda was born in a very small town in southern Virginia. At the age of 8, she fell in love with dancing and acting. After receiving her BFA in Dance/Theatre from ECU in NC, she saved her pennies and moved to LA. Her TV credits include LuckyWill and GraceSpin CityTerminator, Pushing Daisies, and the new TNT show Franklin and Bash. She has appeared in 7 independent films, including Touch and The Price of Happiness. Melinda's latest booking is an assassin film where she will play a socialite spy called The Quiet Hit.

Touch (2011) the movie, Tony LaThanh

Tony LaThanh (Ky)

Tony LaThanh was the last actor that came in to audition for the role of Ky and left a lasting impression. His film and TV credits include Night Boys, Drake and Joss, Underpass and Touch. He also has appeared in numerous plays: FOB, Shape of Things and Soldiers Don€™t Cry.

Touch (2011) the movie, Long Nguyen

Long Nguyen (Father)

Long caught the acting bug in 1992 when he followed a friend to an open audition for Oliver Stone€™s Heaven and Earth and has been acting since. His film credits include: Heaven and Earth, Operation Dumbo Drop, Into Thin Air/Death On Everest, Coyote Waits, Green Dragon, Living in Seduced Circumstances, and Touch. His TV credits: CSI: NY, American Dreams, JAG and John Doe. He won €œBest Actor€ for Journey From the Fall at the 2006 Newport Beach Film Festival and also for Aspara at the 2003 California Independent Film Festival. Recently, Long has a supporting role in Seven Psychopaths.

Touch (2011) the movie, Hiep Thi Le

Hiep Thi Le (Mother)

Living in the Oakland projects in 1992, Hiep Thi Le took the fateful decision of following her sister to an audition in the trade off that she could hitch a ride to her favorite flea market. That audition landed her the lead role in Oliver Stone€™s Heaven and Earth alongside Tommy Lee Jones. Her natural talent quickly landed her many diverse roles in movies such as LGBT cult classic Bugis Street, Tracy Ulman€™s Tracy Takes On, Singapore€™s first horror revival Return to Pontianak and the award winning Timothy Linh Bui€™s Green Dragon.

Touch (2011) the movie, Trisha Nguyen

Trisha Nguyen (Little Tam)

Trisha Nguyen is seven years old. She was born and raised in Orange County, California. She loves to sing, act and dance since she was two years old. Trisha landed the role of Little Tam in Touch when her mother brought her to our open audition. On the set, she charmed everyone with her big smile. At school, her favorite subjects are math, reading and writing. Her favorite sport is baseball. Her role model and favorite actress is Selena Gomez. Currently, Trisha is learning how to play the piano because she wants to be in a band someday.

Touch (2011) the movie, My Lan

My Lan (Bich)

My Lan is a Vietnamese singer living in Westminster, CA. She has been singing since she was nine years old, carving out a successful solo career from Vietnam to America. She has recorded many albums and sung for Thuy Nga and Asia Entertainment. My Lan brought her two youngest boys to our open audition, hoping to find a role for them, but while she was there, the director asked her to read for the part of the nail salon owner Bich, and the rest is history. Touch marks her acting debut.

Touch (2011) the movie, Tuy Thanh

Tuy Thanh (Quyen)

Tuy Thanh has been acting for more than 40 years. Well-known for her improvised skills, she has appeared in countless Vietnamese plays, skits and variety shows, including the upcoming Dai Nhac Hoi Kich Song Tuy Hong. Her recent film credits include Sad Fish and Touch.

Touch (2011) the movie, Eliza Ngo

Eliza Ngo (Linh)

Born in Saigon, Vietnam, Eliza Ngo and her family moved to the United States in the 1990s, where she began taking acting lessons in her late teens. Her feature credits include Touch and The Obligation. Her TV credit includes a recurring character on the dramatic series Bolsa Love Story. Eliza is also very active in the Vietnamese community. Along with her mother, the poet Ngo Tinh Yen, they have organized fund-raising events for non-profit organizations like V.O.I.C.E (Vietnamese Overseas Initiative for Conscience Empowerment) and SMF (Somaly Mam Foundation), whose mission is to prevent the sex trafficking of Vietnamese women.

Touch (2011) the movie, Bety Le Bety Le (Hong)

Bety Le holds a BFA in acting from CalArts. Her film/TV credits include Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Pretty Little Liars, and Touch. Her theater credits: Peter Pan w/ 3D(Tootles/Peter Pan understudy), and Cats w/ CMT (Sillabub).

Touch (2011) the movie, Charmain L. Crook

Charmain L. Crook (Customer #1)

Charmain L. Crook is an actress/writer who resides in LA by way of Alabama. She received her MFA in Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa where she originated many roles. Her theater credits include Hollywood, Misery Street and Live Nude Girl. Charmain has done several independent films and can be next seen in the films Sweet Dreams and Touch.

Touch (2011) the movie, Marlene Sharp

Marlene Sharp (Customer #2)

Marlene Sharp wears many hats, including that of animation producer and Director of Development at Rubicon Studios in Los Angeles. Noteworthy performance credits include the upcoming film Larry Crowne (written by, directed by, and starring Tom Hanks), the sitcom pilot Donny Clay (written by, directed by, and starring Jason Alexander), and the animated series MixMaster: Final Force. She is the proud stage mother of Blanche DuBois Sharp, a darling Bichon Frise'-poodle mix, who is dying to break into showbusiness (or at the very least, someone's craft services). All inquiries about the mother/doggie daughter acting duo will be given priority consideration.

Touch (2011) the movie, Chris Farah

Chris Farah (Customer #3)

Chris Farah was born and bred in Southern California. She studied and performed at South Coast Repertory and holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Loyola Marymount University. She has worked on many commercials, plays, comedy sketches, TV shows and films. Her recent credits include Low Rollers, NYC Mosque Commercial, Farewell Mr. Kringle and Touch.

Touch (2011) the movie, Karen-Eileen Gordon

Karen-Eileen Gordon (Customer #4)

Karen-Eileen Gordon is a veteran of over 300 voice-overs, dozens of commercials, piles of plays, an abundance of ADR, oodles of improv and a slew of scripts/skits/ speeches/spots. Her starring role in the indie comedy feature Panama City is now in post-production€¦her hilarious role in 20th Century Fox's Bachelor Party 2 can be seen in regular rotation on Comedy Central (and got her singled out by online reviewers as delivering "the funniest female part in the movie")€¦and her romp on Curb Your Enthusiasm is often seen on HBO.

Touch (2011) the movie, Ashley Popichak

Ashley Popichak (Secretary)

Ashley Popichak studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her theater credits include This Is Our Youth, A Chorus Line and Waiting for Hefty. She recently appears in the film The Unfiltered, Mother of the Year and Touch.

 

Duc Vuong (Dr. Vu)

Duc Vuong has appeared in several television and film projects including Bolsa Love Story and Touch.

Touch (2011) the movie, Diem Lien

Diem Lien (Vietnamese singer)

Diem Lien is a famous Vietnamese pop singer. Known for her strong and passionate vocal, she has recorded many albums and made regular appearances on the popular variety shows produced by Asia Entertainment. She is often on the road, performing in concerts all over America. She also dabbles in acting, playing the lead role in Ham Tran€™ s critically-acclaimed film Journey from the Fall.

 

 

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