Touching Home

Touching Home is just one of those movies destined to become a classic and part of Ed Harris' best work as an actor. Right along movies such as Radio, Stepmom and Pollack, this ranks among his best work as an actor and it wouldn't be a surprise if he is nominated or even wins the Oscar for Best Actor for his touching and excellent performance as Charlie Winston, an alcoholic who is struggling to keep himself alive for his day to day existence. Debut directors Noah and Logan Miller make this film as realistic as it can get and their performances as Ed Harris' sons struggling to accept their father's disease. Overall great acting and a heart tugging script make this small indie film worth seeking out and seeing.

After attending a screening of "Touching Home" I can't say enough about this movie. This is a true tale of how twin brothers honor their commitment to their homeless father, showing both the good times, which were few, and the other times and how they learned to live with it. The Miller brothers not only wrote the story, but they produced, directed and starred in this film. The end product is simply amazing, particularly since they had no prior experience doing any of these things. This is the epitome of a labor of love with a thoughtful, heartfelt portrayal of their life with their alcoholic, homeless dad. It is remarkable that these brothers managed to function in such a dysfunctional family but they never lost hope that things would get better. In many ways these situations can apply to anyone with an alcoholic love one which left the audience quite thoughtful even after the film was over. I found myself thinking about the film and the act of making this film for days after the screening. I must add that the film, based in Marin County, in the San Francisco bay area, does a nice job of capturing the beauty of this rural area. I am seldom this enthused about a film of this nature but this is a must-see. Run to the theater when it opens in your area.

A very worthwhile movie.

I was fortunate to be given a chance to see this film before its general release. By now, many of you will have heard the story about twin brothers with an alcoholic and homeless father, about how the brothers made a movie about their story etc. It might sound a little like a strawberry pie kind of scenario. No spoilers here - but you should not let past experiences influence your future opinions.

The acting in the movie takes a little while to warm-up. I do not know if the entire movie was shot in sequence (unlikely) but I found that as the movie progressed, particularly after the 30 minute mark, all the players seemed to interact more comfortably and naturally together. In other words, in the first 30 minutes, I was in the theater to watch a movie - after that time, I was completely wrapped up in the story.

The brothers did an amazing job of ignoring all those who told them that they could not do what they did. They should be considered a genuine inspiration for all film students and existing film makers who seem to find it oh so easy to complain rather than facing a situation, and dealing with it the best way they can.

Ed Harris - well, what can I say? Being from England, I have skepticism woven in to my DNA. Some people go to Disney World to see Mickey Mouse. I see an hourly wage earner in a plastic uniform. But Ed's performance was, really, incredible. Seriously, really incredible. For fans of Ed Harris, you will not be disappointed. For those who, for some reason, dislike Ed Harris, if this movie does not make you a fan, there is something wrong with you.

The casting of Ishiah Benben was also inspired. A beautifully played piece - I am sure we will see a lot more of this talented actor in the near future.

The movie locations are beautifully shot, camera work fits together very well (although some too obvious filtering was a minor distraction), and the editing and soundtrack pull it all together.

Go and see this movie - not just to support two young men who have already done more than many will do in a lifetime, but also to experience a very well executed production.

And congratulations to the sponsors of the movie, and the California Film Institute for seeing the potential, and making this production a reality.

I received a last minute invite thru Yelp for a private screening of this movie in San Rafael last week. I am not an avid movie reviewer, just a graduate student who was impressed with the film! Needless to say, I came into this movie without knowing much about it, thinking this was just going to be some strange indie flick. I was pleasantly surprised at how well made the film was and this film more than exceeded my expectations.

The actors/writers/directors Noah and Logan Miller tell a very heart wrenching tale about their alcoholic father and their dream of playing professional baseball, which hit a lot of personal notes with me as I too come from a family where members have suffered from the same disease. My boyfriend also played baseball professionally so we were both pleasantly surprised with baseball being a major theme in the movie. I found myself tearing up at some of the scenes! Ed Harris was wonderful in the role of their father. Brad Dourif was also very believable as their uncle.

I highly recommend reading their book too, You're Either In or In the Way, which goes behind the scenes to explain how the film came to be, it really is a story of pure luck as well as people being genuinely impressed with the Miller brothers.

Best of luck to the Miller brothers, this truly was a story that needed to be told and they did an awesome job telling it.

I like Ed Harris; he is a quality actor, but I hated his character in this film. I really wanted him to die as quickly as possible because everyone connected with him would have been a lot better off. The guy even ruins everyone's Christmas in addition to stealing his son's hard-earned money. What a scumbag father; I dont care if he made some crappy album of his son's achievements. He was a lowlife who stunted the advance of his twin sons, who deserved much better than him. I had absolutely no sympathy for him whatsoever. It is his sons I really felt sorry for and the wife we never get to know.