TOUCH

US, 1997, 96 minutes, Colour.
Skeet Ulrich, Bridget Fonda, Christopher Walken, Tom Arnold, Gina Gershon, Lolita Davidovich, Paul Mazursky.
Directed by Paul Schrader.

Touch raises a number of religious issues, especially that of miracles and the moral standing of the miracle-worker. The film finishes with a voiceover question, `What would God think...?'.

Touch is an adaptation of a novel by Elmore Leonard. Leonard is better known for his tough thrillers like Stick, Rum Punch, Glitz, 52 Pickup, many of which have been filmed. However, Touch is quite a different novel, more reflective, and tackling issues of God and the nature of religion and church.

The screen adaptation has been written by Paul Schrader. Schrader has a strong religious background, Calvinist, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, an austere Christianity. He wrote the screenplay for Taxi Driver and The Last Temptation of Christ for director, Martin Scorsese. Amongst his own films are American Gigolo, Mishima and The Comfort of Strangers.

Catholic audiences will recognise a great deal in Touch. However, Leonard and Schrader want their audiences to ponder the possibility of miracles and such phenomena as the stigmata (Jesus' wounds reproduced in such people as St Francis of Assisi). The central character, Juvenal, has been a Franciscan working in Brazil, where he found he could heal people. After leaving the order, he returns to Los Angeles and works with alcoholics in a Catholic shelter.

He is `discovered' by a smooth-talking former preacher who wants to exploit him on the media - especially a national TV talk show, in the papers and with a ghost-written autobiography. He is also discovered by a fanatical leader of a conservative Catholic group who go around demonstrating against changes in the Liturgy. Juvenal, a plain and direct young man, tries to avoid being used as his healing power comes and goes.

The tone of the film is comedy, sometimes farce, though Schrader invests his bizarre tale with some serious depths, especially the question of worthiness of the miracle-worker (especially with regard to sexual relationships). Juvenal and the screenplay quote Jesus challenging the Pharisees and there is a critique of church while supporting religion and the following of Jesus. When God sees a story like this, what does God think...?

Christopher Walken is the conman, Skeet Ulrich the earnest, somewhat nice and naive Juvenal, Tom Arnold is the fanatic. Bridget Fonda leads a strong supporting cast.

The film is brief and would have benefited from further elaboration of some of the characters and situations. But it is entertainingly provocative.

1.The novels of Elmore Leonard? Film versions? Expectations of slick gangster action films with a touch of the comic? Touch as different from the usual Elmore Leonard work? Paul Schrader's background in serious film-making? Serious issues, religious issues? His adaptation of Leonard, the comic touches and the satire?

2.The jauntiness of the opening credits with their colours, lettering, music? The atmosphere of Los Angeles, the centre, apartments, television stations? The church? The musical score and its moods? Different moods of music for different characters?

3.The title and its reference to Juvenal? The implications for physical touch, emotional and psychological touch? The healing effects of touch?

4.The basic premise of miracles and the possibility of miracles? The quality of the healer, the merit and goodness of the healer, moral stances? God working through ordinary human beings? The psychosomatic aspects of healings and such signs as the Stigmata? The effect of the miracle on those who are cured, on the psyche of those who are cured, transformations? Physical, emotional, psychological? The joy of the cures? People ready to exploit and use the healer and the healed? Especially in the '90s with con tricks and with mass media and financial contracts?

5.The introduction to the film with Virginia and Elwin? His being drunk, the TV, Virginia's blindness, his brutality towards her? Bill and his arrival, wanting to help? Tidying the room? Juvenal arriving, helping, touching Virginia, her being able to see? The blood from the Stigmata?

6.Bill Hill and his curiosity? His religious background, his own church and faith, outdoor type of thing in Georgia? His visit to Father O'Donohue and explanation of himself? His story? His bond with Lyn? His enthusiasm, trying to persuade her to find out about Juvenal, to infiltrate the AA? His rescuing her, his hopes, trying to build up her participation in the exploitation? The meeting with August and discussions with him, urging him on with his spiel? The contracts? Going to Katherine for the press rights and the ghost-writing of the book? Going to Debra and trying to get Juvenal on prime time, on several sessions, his variety of schemes for getting people involved? His meeting with Artie and trying to persuade him to be interested in products and records? The discussions with Juvenal and using him? His belief in Juvenal - or not? The amount of profit from the deals? Christopher Walken and his personal style? This just merely one episode in his life or having some kind of effect on him?

7.Juvenal as the young Franciscan who had left his order? His way of dressing, speaking, beard? The social worker? Going to visit Virginia, his care for her, healing her? His work at the centre and its ordinariness? The build-up of his story about his being in the Amazon, the healings, the reaction of the Franciscans? His decision to leave the congregation? The discovery of his miraculous power and his calm acceptance of it? The support of Father O'Donohue and the people at the centre? August and his trying to persuade him to be a figurehead for his reform movement? Persuading him to go to St Isidore's? The encounter with Lyn, being able to read her mind and know what she was wanting? His straightforward dealings with her? The discussions, his help of her, her telling the truth? Her seeing him at the washbasin with the Stigmata? Her helping him to leave St Isidore's after he was drawn to heal the young boy with the cancer? His going to her apartment, her washing the clothes, their discussions about their lives? His going back to work, not responding to Bill? Going to find Lyn, attracted towards her, the sexual encounter? Lyn's concern about this behaviour as being appropriate for a miracle worker and for God working through him? His explanations of himself, leaving the Franciscans, the story of the encounter with the prostitute, his alcoholic binge, going to the centre and his being rehabilitated? The nature of the Stigmata (and the tradition of St Francis)? His side, his hands? Knowing that he was being used and allowing Bill to exploit him? Thinking that was not exploitation because he agreed? Wanting to get away, the holiday with Lyn, on the roller coaster, in the eccentric hotel room? The proposal and the plan to marry? The interview with Kate and her wanting a scoop? Debra and the television plans? His sensing that something had changed, going to the mall, his inability to heal the palsied man? The miracle power gone? His disappointing August - though August continuing to blame Lyn? The doctored photo and his reaction? August's intrusion and his defending Lyn? August falling over the balcony? His going on the television, his suit, his earnest talking with Debra, her trying to lead him on? Bringing on August - and the feeling of power to heal him? His going off into obscurity and ordinariness with Lyn? The discussions about God acting through him and his love for God? His belonging to the church but his critique of the church? The possibility of God working miracles through him? His continued references to the gospels and the scribes and Pharisees and their lack of belief and yet Jesus being sincere and a healer?

8.Lyn and the background of her experience, her having worked with Bill? Her marriage to a Catholic? Drinking, Bill persuading her to get smashed and go as an AA member? Meeting Juvenal, her questions, being affected by him and his sincerity and probing honesty? Seeing the wounds? Not wanting to work with Bill and walking out of his lunch? Going to meet Artie at the airport, her work for him? Going to the church, rescuing Juvenal, washing his clothes? The intimacy of their talking together and sharing their lives? His return, the sexual encounter, her being puzzled? Going on the holiday with him, the proposal? The doctored photo and her searching for him? The reconciliation and August's intrusion? Watching the discussion on TV, going onto the set, trying to rescue Juvenal? Leaving with him at the end? Their future?

9.August and Tom Arnold's comic style? First seeing him in court, the clash with the priest? The organisation and his wanting to restore the Roman aspects of the Catholic Church, Latin, Holy Ghost instead of Holy Spirit etc? His fanaticism? Righteousness? His presumption and barging into people's houses and interviews? The publication of books? His conservative stances? The confrontation with Father O'Donohue about Juvenal? Getting the old Franciscan from St Isidore's and pushing him along? The interviews with Juvenal, persuading him to come on the Sunday? The experience of the healing? His wanting to get major publicity, going to Kathy Worthington, the discussions about the articles and her research, his anger that he was eliminated from the article? His disgust with Lyn and Juvenal's behaviour? His attitude towards guns - and threatening to shoot anybody who threatened him, no matter what God did in terms of forgiveness? His imagining that he would shoot Lyn? The discussions with Bill - and imagining himself part of a Roman passion movie? The build-up to the attack, his being injured? Coming into the television, his forgiving Juvenal, his being healed - and immediately responding to Debra and being glad to be on prime time television? The film's critique of the right-wing self-righteous Catholic?

10.The TV interviewer, the initial sequence and the walk-off of the celebrity? The parody of contemporary '90s talk shows? The discussions with Bill, the deals, her responding to his proposition about ratings? Hoping for a miracle on air? The interview with Juvenal, her questions, rising to the occasion - the miracle, talking with August and forgetting about Juvenal?

11.The crowd at St Isidore's church, the traditional hymns, vestments, processions? Antoinette and Richie, Richie being drawn to Juvenal and his being healed? His rapid recovery, sequences with his mother at home? Antoinette as tough, dancing at a topless bar - a selling point to get her on Debra's show? The discussions with Artie and the visit to the nightclub, her discussions about being baptised as a Catholic? The discussions with August and her despising him? Her TV appearance?

12.Father O'Donohue, the centre, the rehabilitation of people? Alcoholics - and August's despising of alcoholics as not worthy of his religious interest?

13.The old Franciscan - and his dysentery and his continued need to go to the toilet?

14.August's disciples, the printing press, the demonstrations? The comedy in the courtroom at August's trial and his wanting to get notoriety?

15.The film as a comedy and farce about serious issues, American style?

16.The importance of touch, healing, the wounded hands of Jesus? The healing hands? The response of people who were touched?

17.Themes of God and church? Images of the crucified Jesus? Discussions about Jesus, his ministry, passion and crucifixion? St Francis and the Stigmata? The continued reference to the Pharisees and their self-righteousness and not being able to communicate grace?

18.The description of the press release: Can a saint survive in the modern world of slick promoters, religious crackpots and couch potato controversy? The final question of the film: What was God thinking?