Touched by Love (1980)

A young nurse becomes determined to reach an unresponsive teenage cerebral palsy patient by encouraging her to write to her favorite rock singer, Elvis Presley.

Director:

Gus Trikonis

Writers:

Lena Canada (based on the book by: "To Elvis With Love"), Hesper Anderson (screenplay)

Stars:

Deborah Raffin, Diane Lane, Michael Learned

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Deborah Raffin	...	Lena Canada
Diane Lane	...	Karen
Michael Learned	...	Dr. Bell
John Amos	...	Tony
Cristina Raines	...	Amy
Mary Wickes	...	Margaret
Clu Gulager	...	Don Fielder
Twyla-Dawn Vokins	...	Monica (as Twyla Volkins)
Clive Shalom	...	Topper - Child
Jason Bates	...	Child
Joseph John Bondok	...	Child
Beverly Chapman	...	Child
Jennifer Collins	...	Child
Cathy Corns	...	Child
Rhonda De Jong	...	Child

Storyline

A young nurse becomes determined to reach an unresponsive teenage cerebral palsy patient by encouraging her to write to her favorite rock singer, Elvis Presley.

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Plot Keywords:

cerebral palsy | elvis presley | based on short story | pen pal | independent film

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 October 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

To Elvis, with Love

Filming Locations:

Banff, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Rastar Films, Dove

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original broadcast title was "To Elvis with Love" but the name was changed to "Touched By Love" for the reruns.

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Crazy Credits

(Closing dedication) This film is dedicated to Lena for her gift of love and conviction... To Karen for courage and determination... And, above all, to all the Karens everywhere who may need a friend to say "I care"... a friend like you.

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Soundtracks

"Don't Be Cruel"
Written by Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley

User Reviews

Didn't anybody else see this?

I was surprised to find only one other comment about this movie. I remember watching this on HBO many times in the 80s. It's a tearjerker-type movie for sure, but the fact that it's a true story saves it from being just a cheap manipulation of the viewer's emotions.

The plot concerns Lena (Deborah Raffin), a nurse who befriends a young girl, Karen (Diane Lane) who has a handicap. I believe it was Cerebral Palsy, although I'm not 100% sure. In any case, Karen is a unique individual, and Lena forms a special bond with her. Karen is a big fan of Elvis Presley, and she decides to write him letters. Karen fully expects Elvis to write back, despite the fact that Lena tries to explain to her that the volume of Elvis's fan mail is enormous and that she will probably never hear from her idol personally. Karen remains undaunted, until some time goes by and she still finds her letters unanswered. Karen becomes despondent because she takes this personally, and Lena becomes frustrated when she sees Karen's spirit slipping.

Suddenly the entire situation is completely reversed when Elvis really does start to respond to Karen. He gives her an alternate address to write to where she can reach him personally, and he begins to send her gifts and letters quite frequently, remembering her birthday and holidays as well.

Now this is where my memory begins to slip. I am not sure if Elvis was really writing to her, or if it was someone Karen knew. I know it wasn't Lena, because I remember Lena's surprise when the letters from Elvis began to come. I guess you'll have to watch the movie to find out.

The reason I remember this movie so fondly is that it was not really about Elvis, but about Karen, and how she made a much bigger difference in the lives of the people who loved her. The 70s was rife with these kinds of 'tearjerker' dramas, but this one is based on reality, and that makes it all the more meaningful. Check this one out if you get the chance, it's more than just a passable time filler.