Touch and Go (1986)

Director:

Robert Mandel

Writers:

Alan Ormsby (written by) and
Bob Sand (written by) ...

Release Date:

22 August 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

Plot:

An ice hockey star is accosted by a youth gang who attempt to rob him; after he chases them off he catches...

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Hockey | Motherhood | Mother Son Relationship | Celebrity

Cast

Michael Keaton	...	Bobby Barbato
Maria Conchita Alonso	...	Denise DeLeon
Ajay Naidu	...	Louis DeLeon
John Reilly	...	Jerry Pepper
Maria Tucci	...	Dee Dee
Richard Venture	...	Gower
Max Wright	...	Lester
Michael Zelniker	...	McDonald
Jere Burns	...	Levesque
D.V. DeVincentis	...	Lupo
Dennis Duffy	...	Lynch
Steve Pink	...	Green
Lara Jill Miller	...	Courtney
Claire Dolan	...	Courtney's Girlfriend
Carri Levinson	...	Courtney's Girlfriend (as Carri Lynn Levinson)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | UK:15 | Finland:K-12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Glenview, Illinois, USA

Company:

Kings Road Entertainment

Quotes:

Bobby Barbato: Which apartment do you live at?
Louis DeLeon: [looks at Barbato and says nothing]
Bobby Barbato: Fine, we'll knock on them all. With your head.
[throws Louis at a door]

Movie Connections:

References Scarface (1983)

Soundtrack:

Tangent Tears

Simply not entertaining

I did not like this movie. I did not like Michael Keaton either, or Maria Conchita Alonso, or them getting together. I did like the kid played by Ajay Naidu a little. The kid is Luis and one evening he and three others including the dangerous Lupo try to rob Bobby Barbato (Keaton) who is the hockey star from Chicago. Luis claims he was only a helper. Bobby feels a little sorry for the kid so he takes him out to dinner and delivers him with his mom Denise (Alonso). Luis' mother wants to make up with Bobby and take him out to dinner. They end up in bed, what is very normal for Bobby, and for him it has to end there. Since this is a romantic comedy it can't end there, so it doesn't. Luis, a troubled kid, and his actions make sure Bobby and Denise keep seeing each other. As little sub-plots we have Bobby's hockey and the Lupo-situation. Especially that second sub-plot is stupid and is only there to show what kind of hero Bobby van be in the end.

Why I didn't like most of the characters? Bobby can't make up his mind. He is not a nice guy in my opinion. We see how aggressive he gets in a hockey game, we see how he treats people (mostly women, although they probably don't mind), how he talks to reporters and how he handles the Luis/Denise situation. All this is egocentric and suddenly something hits him and he becomes a nice fellow. I didn't buy it, probably because I disliked him too much before he became a nice guy. And for Denise, she really is annoying. Although Bobby is a jerk to her too, most people probably would have done the same to her. She gets on your nerves. May be I am a little too hard for her because sometimes she can be charming, but never in a way Audrey Hepburn, Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts can be charming. The only character a little likeable was Luis but even he gets on your nerves. It seems he has to make a problem of everything just to drive the plot into the next scene where Bobby and Denise have to meet again. Personally I could never really like the kid, he is just too much of a trouble maker.

As for the performances, they are pretty good. It is that the characters are annoying and not believable but Michael Keaton and Maria Conchita Alonso do the best they can. The best performance in the movie comes from the kid Ajay Naidu. You believe him when he is angry or sad, even when it doesn't make any sense. They all deserve better characters, a better plot and definitely a better ending. If you are a fan of romantic comedies you will find some nice things but if you have a choice you want to see a different movie.