Touchy Feely
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Disappointing indie drama portrays drug use positively.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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What's the Story?
Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt) is a successful massage therapist who suddenly develops an aversion to touching human skin, which prevents her from working. This also affects her relationship with her boyfriend, Jesse (Scoot McNairy), even though they were planning on moving in together. Meanwhile, Abby's withdrawn brother, dentist Paul (Josh Pais), suddenly finds that he has the ability to cure his patients who have TMJ pain, and his failing business springs back to life. These twists in the characters' lives cause them to re-assess their connections with others, including Paul's daughter, Jenny (Elliot Page), and Abby's colleague, Bronwyn (Allison Janney). A flirtation with Ecstasy also brings new realizations.
Is It Any Good?
It's puzzling that Lynn Shelton followed up her successful Your Sister's Sister with such a strange, muddled failure. Your Sister's Sister was an impressively intuitive movie, totally in touch with its characters, their surroundings, and their inner emotions. TOUCHY FEELY begins as four characters gather for dinner, and it's not entirely clear who they are or how they know one another. This shapeless quality continues throughout, as the movie employs a kind of supernatural device -- Abby's sudden revulsion to skin and Paul's sudden ability to heal -- in a naturalistic setting. What's more, the movie doesn't really go anywhere with these weird changes. Supporting characters, like Page's Jenny, don't have much to do. Shelton incorporates lazy montages and odd dead-ends, and everything comes down to a dreamy, Ecstasy-fueled exploration that simply ends the movie. With such aimlessness, the characters are often lost, and many moments are strained. Only singer Tomo Nakayama provides a moment of gravity.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the characters' use of the drug Ecstasy in Touchy Feely. Is it portrayed as a positive experience? Is there a negative side to it? What are some realistic consequences of drug use?
Is there any such thing as a "healing touch"? What's special about humans connecting through touch?
How does the movie portray sex? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Does the movie's violent scene -- the angry dental patient -- seem out of place? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: September 6, 2013
- On DVD or streaming: December 10, 2013
- Cast: Elliot Page, Josh Pais, Rosemarie DeWitt
- Director: Lynn Shelton
- Inclusion Information: Non-Binary actors, Queer actors
- Studio: Magnolia Pictures
- Genre: Drama
- Run time: 89 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language, some drug use and brief sexuality
- Last updated: March 20, 2023
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