''Touched'' is a 1983 American

romantic drama film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...

directed by John Flynn starring

Robert Hays Robert Blakely Hays (born July 24, 1947) is an American actor, known for a variety of television and film roles since the 1970s. He came to prominence around 1980, co-starring in the two-season domestic sitcom ''Angie (TV series), Angie'', and ...

and

Kathleen Beller Kathleen Jennifer Beller (born February 19, 1956) is an American actress who was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in ''Promises in the Dark (film), Promises in the Dark'' (1979) a ...

Premise

Two residents of a mental institution, a man named Daniel and a woman named Jennifer, are not as ill as the psychiatrists at the institution perceive them to be. Daniel and Jennifer escape to make lives for themselves together in the world at large.

Cast

as Daniel *

as Jennifer *

Ned Beatty Ned Thomas Beatty (July 6, 1937 – June 13, 2021) was an American actor. In a career that spanned five decades, he appeared in more than 160 film and television roles. Throughout his career, Beatty gained a reputation for being "the busiest ac ...

as Herbie * Gilbert Lewis as Ernie *

Lyle Kessler Lyle Kessler is an American playwright, screenwriter and actor, best known internationally for his 1983 play ''Orphans''. Career Actor Born in Philadelphia, Kessler began his career as an actor. His first professional appearance was in the Phi ...

as Timothy *Farnham Scott as Thomas * Meg Myles as Jennifer's Mother *Mady Kaplan as Arlene *E. Brian Dean as Dr. Willoughby *Victoria Boothby as Adele * Clarence Felder as Ralph

Production

''Touched'' was filmed under the working title ''Some Sunny Day''. It features extensive scenes shot on the boardwalk in

Wildwood, New Jersey Wildwood is a city in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city, and all of Cape May County, is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, and is part of the Philadelphia- Wilmington- Camden, PA-NJ- DE- MD combined ...

, including locations on and near

Morey's Piers Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks is a seaside amusement park located on The Wildwoods' boardwalk in Wildwood and North Wildwood, New Jersey. The park has been family owned and operated since 1969 and was run by second generation Morey Br ...

, during the end of the summer season and the beginning of the off-season in 1982. Other amusement piers, including Hunt's Pier, can be seen in the backgrounds of scenes.

Music

In addition to the instrumental score by

Shirley Walker Shirley Anne Walker (née Rogers; April 10, 1945 – November 30, 2006) was an American film and television composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood during her career. Walker was one of ...

, the film also features the love ballad " Find Me", written by

David Shire David Lee Shire (born July 3, 1937) is an American songwriter and composer of stage musicals, film and television scores. Among his best known works are the motion picture soundtracks to '' The Big Bus'', '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' ...

and Carol Connors, and sung by

Laura Branigan Laura Ann Branigan (July 3, 1952 – August 26, 2004) was an American singer. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 single " Gloria", stayed on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 36 weeks, then a record for a female artist, peaking a ...

, featured on her second hit album '' Branigan 2''.

References

External links

* 1983 films 1983 romantic drama films American romantic drama films Films directed by John Flynn Films set in psychiatric hospitals Films scored by Shirley Walker Films shot in New Jersey 1980s English-language films 1980s American films English-language romantic drama films {{romantic-drama-film-stub