TouchTheMovie.com

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.

+++

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.

More Background On TouchTheMovie.com

Among the many independent films produced during the early 2010s, Touch (2011) stands out as an intimate romantic drama that explored human connection through an unconventional setting: a Vietnamese-owned nail salon in Los Angeles. While modest in budget, the film attracted considerable attention on the independent film festival circuit because it highlighted a community that had rarely been portrayed authentically in American cinema. Its official website, TouchTheMovie.com, served as the central hub for audiences, critics, distributors, and festival organizers, documenting the film's production, release schedule, cast, awards, and eventual DVD and streaming availability.

Unlike many studio movie websites built primarily as marketing tools, TouchTheMovie.com also functioned as an archive of the filmmakers' journey. Visitors could learn about the inspiration behind the story, follow the film's progress through festivals, read biographies of the cast and crew, and access press releases announcing theatrical openings across the United States. Although the original site is no longer actively maintained, archived versions preserve an important snapshot of independent filmmaking during a period when filmmakers increasingly relied on their own websites and social media rather than large studio marketing campaigns.

The Purpose of TouchTheMovie.com

The website was created to promote Touch, written and directed by Minh Duc Nguyen, and produced by Mellissa Tong. Rather than serving as a simple promotional landing page, it was designed as a comprehensive resource containing:

• Film synopsis
• Trailer
• Production news
• Press releases
• Festival announcements
• Cast biographies
• Crew information
• DVD purchasing information
• Streaming availability
• Contact information for media and distributors

As the film progressed from production through theatrical release and finally home video distribution, the website evolved accordingly. Early archived versions focused on casting calls and production announcements, while later versions emphasized festival awards, theatrical engagements, and DVD sales.

The Story Behind Touch

At the center of the film is Tam, a Vietnamese-American nail technician working at V.I.P. Nails in Los Angeles. Her routine changes when Brendan, a struggling auto mechanic, begins visiting the salon daily.

Brendan's marriage is collapsing. His wife continually rejects his physical affection because his hands are permanently stained with grease from repairing automobiles. What begins as a practical attempt to clean his hands gradually becomes something much deeper.

Tam not only cleans Brendan's hands but also becomes his confidante, offering emotional guidance about relationships, loneliness, and love. As they spend more time together, an unexpected attraction develops, forcing both characters to confront difficult personal choices.

Rather than emphasizing melodrama, the screenplay focuses on:

• emotional intimacy
• loneliness
• immigration
• cultural identity
• sacrifice
• physical and emotional touch
• family obligations
• forbidden attraction

The title itself refers to much more than physical contact. Throughout the story, "touch" becomes a metaphor for empathy, healing, vulnerability, and the universal human need for connection.

Minh Duc Nguyen's Inspiration

Writer-director Minh Duc Nguyen drew upon his own experiences within the Vietnamese-American community.

After immigrating from Vietnam with his family during the post-war "boat people" migration, Nguyen grew up observing how many Vietnamese immigrants entered the nail salon business. By the late 2000s, Vietnamese-Americans owned the overwhelming majority of nail salons throughout the United States, yet very few American films had explored the lives of the workers behind the manicure tables.

Nguyen recognized the salon as a uniquely multicultural environment where immigrants and Americans from every background interact daily.

Rather than making the nail salon merely a backdrop, he made it central to the story.

The website repeatedly emphasized that approximately 75 percent of American nail salons were owned and operated by Vietnamese immigrants, making the industry an important but often overlooked chapter in Vietnamese-American history. This cultural observation became the foundation of the screenplay.

Education and Early Career

Minh Duc Nguyen studied filmmaking at the University of Southern California (USC), one of America's premier film schools.

While there he received the Jeffrey Jones Scholarship for Excellence in Screenwriting, recognition that highlighted his storytelling ability before he entered feature filmmaking.

Prior to directing Touch, Nguyen worked primarily as a screenwriter. The film represented his feature directorial debut and established him as an emerging voice interested in stories centered on immigrant experiences and cross-cultural relationships.

His approach combined quiet character development with visually restrained cinematography rather than relying on conventional Hollywood romance formulas.

Producer Mellissa Tong

Producer Mellissa Tong brought extensive independent production experience to the project.

A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) with an MFA, Tong had produced numerous:

• independent feature films
• documentaries
• television programming
• commercials
• online campaigns
• viral media

Her previous productions included:

• Talk To Taka
• My American Vacation
• The Water Ghost
• Click Three Times

Many of these productions had already appeared at film festivals before Touch entered production.

The partnership between Nguyen and Tong proved instrumental in bringing the modestly budgeted project from script to screen.

Production in Los Angeles

Production took place during late 2009 in Los Angeles.

One of the more interesting historical documents preserved on TouchTheMovie.com is the original casting announcement released during pre-production.

The production company, A Gray Picture, announced open casting for an "ultra-low-budget feature" scheduled to shoot between October and November 2009.

The casting notice revealed remarkable detail about every principal role, including:

• age ranges
• ethnicity
• language requirements
• personality descriptions
• bilingual Vietnamese-English dialogue
• nudity requirements where applicable

The announcement reflected the filmmakers' commitment to authentic representation by specifically seeking Vietnamese actors for many principal roles rather than casting broadly Asian performers.

This level of specificity was relatively uncommon for independent productions of the period and demonstrated Nguyen's desire to portray the community realistically.

Building an Authentic Vietnamese-American Cast

One of the film's greatest strengths was its cast.

Rather than relying exclusively on established Hollywood actors, Nguyen assembled a mixture of newcomers, experienced character actors, respected Vietnamese performers, and television veterans.

The ensemble created an authenticity that critics frequently praised.

Porter Lynn (Tam)

Making her feature film debut, Porter Lynn delivered what many critics considered the breakout performance.

Originally from Northern California, she had studied Biology and Psychology at UC Davis before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting.

Her portrayal of Tam balanced quiet strength with emotional vulnerability, avoiding stereotypes while creating a deeply sympathetic protagonist.

Her performance earned Best Actress honors at the Boston International Film Festival, significantly raising both her own profile and the visibility of the film.

Supporting Cast and Notable Performances

Although Porter Lynn and John Ruby carry much of the emotional weight of Touch , the supporting cast gives the film a sense of authenticity rarely found in independent dramas centered on immigrant communities.

John Ruby (Brendan)

John Ruby portrays Brendan, the auto mechanic whose failing marriage sets the story in motion. A graduate of Northwestern University , Ruby had already appeared in films such as You, Me and Dupree and later made guest appearances on television series including Castle , CSI: NY , 2 Broke Girls , and The Client List .

His performance avoids portraying Brendan as either a villain or a hero. Instead, he depicts a man struggling with emotional isolation, making the audience sympathetic even as Brendan develops feelings for someone outside his marriage. The chemistry between Ruby and Porter Lynn became one of the film's strongest assets.

Melinda Bennett

Playing Brendan's wife, Sandie , Melinda Bennett brings complexity to what could have been a one-dimensional role. Rather than depicting Sandie simply as cold or uncaring, the screenplay reveals a woman consumed by professional ambition whose emotional distance contributes to the couple's deteriorating relationship.

Bennett already possessed extensive television experience, including appearances on:

• Will & Grace
• Spin City
• Pushing Daisies
• Franklin & Bash

Her experience helped ground the marital storyline in believable emotional conflict rather than melodrama.

Celebrating Vietnamese-American Talent

One of the film's most important achievements was bringing together numerous Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American performers whose careers had often been divided between American independent cinema and Vietnamese-language entertainment.

Notable cast members included:

• Long Nguyen
• Hiep Thi Le
• My Lan
• Tuy Thanh
• Eliza Ngo
• Tony LaThanh
• Bety Le
• Diem Lien

Several of these performers were already well known within overseas Vietnamese communities but had rarely appeared together in an English-language American feature.

For example:

• Hiep Thi Le became internationally recognized after starring opposite Tommy Lee Jones in Oliver Stone's Heaven & Earth .
• Long Nguyen had earned acclaim for Journey from the Fall and numerous television appearances.
• My Lan and Diem Lien were celebrated Vietnamese singers with large fan bases throughout the Vietnamese diaspora.
• Tuy Thanh had spent decades performing in Vietnamese theater and variety productions.

This blending of established Vietnamese performers with emerging American actors gave Touch a unique identity that resonated strongly with Vietnamese-American audiences.

Cinematography and Visual Style

Director of Photography Ray Chim adopted a restrained visual style that complemented the film's intimate storytelling.

Rather than relying on elaborate camera movements or highly stylized imagery, the cinematography emphasizes:

• close human interaction
• facial expressions
• hands
• body language
• quiet conversations
• warm interior lighting

The nail salon itself becomes almost another character.

Rows of manicure tables, bottles of polish, fluorescent lighting, and the constant rhythm of customers coming and going create an environment that feels lived-in rather than constructed for the camera.

The repeated visual emphasis on hands serves as both a literal and symbolic motif throughout the film. Grease-stained mechanic's hands, carefully manicured nails, gentle touches between characters, and moments of hesitation all reinforce the screenplay's central theme that physical touch communicates emotions words often cannot.

Critics frequently praised the cinematography for its elegance despite the film's modest budget.

Themes Beyond Romance

Although Touch is often described as a romantic drama, the film addresses several broader themes.

Immigration

Tam's family represents many first-generation Vietnamese immigrants who built new lives through hard work after arriving in the United States following the Vietnam War.

The nail salon becomes a symbol of economic survival and entrepreneurship.

Family Obligation

The story explores traditional expectations surrounding family responsibility.

Tam's decisions are influenced not only by her own desires but also by obligations to her parents and her cultural upbringing.

Emotional Isolation

Several major characters experience loneliness despite being surrounded by other people.

Brendan feels disconnected within his marriage.

Tam suppresses her own needs while caring for others.

Even secondary characters reveal private struggles beneath their outward confidence.

Physical Touch as Communication

The title Touch operates on multiple levels.

Touch can represent:

• affection
• healing
• attraction
• forgiveness
• empathy
• trust

Throughout the film, small gestures often carry more emotional significance than lengthy conversations.

Film Festival Premiere

Touch officially premiered at the Boston International Film Festival in April 2011.

The premiere represented a major milestone for first-time feature director Minh Duc Nguyen.

Festival audiences responded enthusiastically, particularly to Porter Lynn's nuanced performance and the film's fresh cultural perspective.

The official website documented the premiere through press releases, emphasizing not only the screening itself but also the filmmakers' desire to introduce mainstream audiences to stories from the Vietnamese-American community.

Awards and Festival Recognition

Although produced independently and on a relatively small budget, Touch accumulated an impressive list of awards during its festival run.

Among its most notable honors were:

• Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film Vietnamese International Film Festival
• Best Actress Boston International Film Festival (Porter Lynn)
• Best Story Line Boston International Film Festival
• Best Cinematography Boston International Film Festival
• Best First Feature Santa Rosa International Film Festival
• Jury Award Atlanta Asian Film Festival
• Remi Special Jury Award WorldFest-Houston

These awards helped establish credibility for the film and generated additional opportunities for theatrical distribution.

Independent films often rely heavily on festival recognition to secure exhibitors, distributors, and media coverage, and Touch followed that path successfully.

Theatrical Release Strategy

Rather than pursuing a nationwide release immediately, the filmmakers adopted a gradual city-by-city strategy common among independent productions.

According to the official press releases, the rollout included screenings in:

• San Jose
• Orange County
• Houston
• Dallas
• New York
• Vietnam

New York screenings began at AMC Empire 25 , while Northern California audiences saw the film at AMC Eastridge 15 , and Southern California engagements included AMC Block 30 .

This targeted release focused on metropolitan areas with significant Vietnamese-American populations while also appealing to broader independent film audiences.

The strategy allowed the filmmakers to maximize publicity through local media, community organizations, and word-of-mouth recommendations before expanding to additional markets.

Critical Reception

While Touch never received the wide theatrical exposure of a major studio release, it earned consistently positive responses from audiences interested in independent cinema and multicultural storytelling. Reviewers frequently noted the film's quiet, observational style and willingness to allow characters to develop naturally rather than relying on dramatic plot twists.

Professional critics often highlighted three particular strengths:

• the authenticity of the Vietnamese-American setting
• the chemistry between Porter Lynn and John Ruby
• the film's emotionally restrained screenplay

Many reviewers remarked that Touch avoided stereotypes commonly associated with immigrant stories. Instead of focusing on trauma or overt social conflict, the film presented everyday working people navigating love, family obligations, and cultural expectations.

Audience members who discovered the film through festivals or streaming platforms frequently praised its sincerity and emotional honesty.

Audience Reviews

One of the better-known audience reviews came from IMDb, where a viewer who attended the Asian American International Film Festival in New York described the film as one that "came from the heart." The reviewer praised virtually every aspect of the production, including the performances, screenplay, and direction, concluding with an appeal for Minh Duc Nguyen to continue making feature films.

The same reviewer recounted searching through multiple unrelated movies titled Touch before finally locating the 2011 independent film on a streaming platform, illustrating one of the marketing challenges the filmmakers faced. Sharing a title with numerous earlier films and later television productions made discoverability more difficult despite the film's positive reputation.

Although the review represented one individual's opinion, it reflected a recurring theme among audience reactions: viewers frequently described the film as heartfelt, sincere, and emotionally affecting rather than sensational or commercially driven.

The Website as a Marketing Hub

Before streaming platforms became the primary method of promoting independent films, dedicated movie websites played a central role in connecting filmmakers with audiences. TouchTheMovie.com exemplified this approach.

The homepage prominently featured:

• the official trailer
• synopsis
• cast information
• production credits
• festival announcements
• theatrical release dates
• DVD ordering information
• streaming options
• Facebook links
• press releases
• production updates

Rather than directing visitors to numerous third-party platforms, the website consolidated virtually all information about the film into one easily navigable location.

For journalists, festival programmers, and distributors, the press section provided ready-made production notes and media materials. For audiences, it offered a straightforward way to follow the film from its festival debut through commercial release.

Production Updates and Community Engagement

The site's news section documented the film's progression over several years.

One notable update announced the July 2013 DVD release , informing visitors that the home video edition included:

• English subtitles
• Vietnamese subtitles
• French subtitles
• deleted scenes
• outtakes
• bonus features

The filmmakers also encouraged viewers to support the project by:

• purchasing the DVD
• streaming the movie
• writing reviews
• recommending it on Netflix
• following the film on Facebook

This direct appeal reflected the realities of independent filmmaking, where audience participation can significantly influence a film's commercial longevity.

Instead of relying on large advertising budgets, the production depended heavily upon word-of-mouth recommendations and grassroots promotion.

Distribution Beyond Theaters

Following its theatrical engagements, Touch expanded onto multiple home entertainment platforms.

According to announcements on the official website, viewers could watch the film through:

• DVD
• Amazon
• Hulu
• Hulu Plus
• Digital streaming services

The filmmakers also publicly campaigned for inclusion in Netflix's catalog, encouraging supporters to add the film to their Netflix Save lists and submit reviews to demonstrate audience interest.

Although streaming rights have changed over time, these efforts illustrate how independent filmmakers increasingly embraced digital distribution during the early 2010s, recognizing that online platforms could dramatically expand their audience beyond theatrical markets.

Representation of the Vietnamese Nail Salon Industry

Perhaps the film's greatest cultural contribution lies in its depiction of the Vietnamese nail salon industry.

For decades, Vietnamese immigrants have played an extraordinary role in shaping the American beauty industry. By the early 2010s, Vietnamese ownership dominated nail salons throughout the United States, creating economic opportunities for thousands of immigrant families.

Despite this remarkable success story, relatively few American films had portrayed these businesses from the perspective of the workers themselves.

Touch addressed that gap.

Rather than treating the nail salon merely as an exotic backdrop, the film depicts it as:

• a workplace
• a community gathering place
• an immigrant support network
• a family business
• a setting where cultures intersect daily

Customers from different backgrounds interact naturally with Vietnamese employees, illustrating the multicultural relationships that define many urban American neighborhoods.

Cultural Significance

The importance of Touch extends beyond its romantic storyline.

The film occupies an important place within Asian American independent cinema because it combines universal emotional themes with culturally specific experiences.

Unlike many earlier films featuring Vietnamese characters, Touch does not focus primarily on the Vietnam War or refugee trauma.

Instead, it portrays second-generation and immigrant Vietnamese Americans living ordinary contemporary lives.

That shift represented an important evolution in Asian American filmmaking.

Characters discuss work, romance, marriage, parents, and personal aspirations rather than serving merely as historical symbols.

For many viewers, especially Vietnamese Americans, this everyday representation proved both refreshing and meaningful.

Legacy of TouchTheMovie.com

Although the official website is now preserved primarily through internet archives, it remains an excellent example of how independent filmmakers documented and promoted their work before social media became the dominant marketing channel.

Its archived pages preserve:

• original production announcements
• casting notices
• festival milestones
• theatrical release history
• award announcements
• biographies
• production photographs
• promotional materials

Researchers studying independent cinema, Asian American filmmaking, or early digital film marketing can still reconstruct much of the film's journey through these archived materials.

In that sense, TouchTheMovie.com serves not only as a promotional website but also as a historical record of an independent production that successfully reached audiences through persistence, festival recognition, and community support.

Lasting Impact

More than a decade after its release, Touch continues to be remembered as a thoughtful independent drama that approached romance through empathy rather than spectacle.

Its success demonstrated that stories rooted in specific immigrant communities could resonate with broad audiences when told honestly and with emotional authenticity.

For director Minh Duc Nguyen , the film established him as a filmmaker willing to explore underrepresented communities with sensitivity and realism. For actress Porter Lynn , it provided a breakout leading role that earned significant festival recognition. For viewers, it offered a rare glimpse into a world that millions of Americans encounter every day but seldom see portrayed on screen.

TouchTheMovie.com chronicled that journey from a low-budget Los Angeles production to an award-winning festival favorite and ultimately to home audiences around the world. Even though the website itself has become an archived artifact of the early 2010s internet, it continues to document an important chapter in independent filmmaking—one that celebrated cultural diversity, human connection, and the transformative power of simple acts of kindness.

TouchTheMovie.com