Touched with Fire (2015)

Two bipolar patients meet in a psychiatric hospital and begin a romance that brings out all of the beauty and horror of their condition.

Director:

Paul Dalio

Writer:

Paul Dalio

Stars:

Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Christine Lahti

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Katie Holmes	...	Carla
James Lecesne	...	Man at Book Reading
Angela Pierce	...	Book Reading Attendant
Luke Kirby	...	Marco
Patrick Byas	...	Demonix
Roca	...	Ravenous
Jennifer Falu	...	Nyorican MC
Christine Lahti	...	Sara
Griffin Dunne	...	George
Kim Rosen	...	Hospital Receptionist
Maryann Urbano	...	Dr. Strinsky
Stephen Beach	...	Police Officer
Rachel Zeiger-Haag	...	Hospital Waiting Room Receptionist
Paul Dalio	...	Paul
Marcy Harriell	...	Psych Ward Nurse

Storyline

Carla and Marco lead somewhat parallel lives, albeit in different ways. Both suffer from bipolar disorder. Both channel especially their manic periods into art in both being poets, Carla published. Both decide unilaterally to go off their medication in wanting to feel instead of being in a numb state. Both have parents in their lives - Marco only his father - who love them and want them to be well, although their parents have a different view of what is best for them than they do. And both have an obsessive focus on an orb - Carla the sun, Marco the moon - although part of the obsession for both is the light associated with it. Where they differ is that Carla wants to discover more about her illness in being told when she was diagnosed in her early adulthood that there was some sort of trigger in her life, what that issue was she doesn't know, while Marco sees his being as who he inherently is, which he believes is someone not of this Earth. Although they come into the situation in a ...

---

Plot Keywords:

love | mental illness | bipolar disorder | new york city | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, a disturbing image, brief sexuality and drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director/Screenwriter Paul Dalio has the small role of Paul, the psychiatric hospital patient immediately in front of Marco and Carla in the medication line.

---

Quotes

Carla: Why did you name yourself Luna?
Marco: Because the lunatic looks to the moon as if asking it how he got stuck down here.

---

Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Ryan Reynolds/Katie Holmes/Thomas Rhett (2016)

---

Soundtracks

The Little Prince
Composed by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

User Reviews

Extreme

It felt like it's promoting for such kind of love. There's been times during the film where I was like "I want to experience a love like that". I rarely watch romance unless there is an idea behind it and this film was radical, a ball of energy, and actually enjoyable.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 May 2017 (Philippines)

Also Known As:

Mania Days

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,816, 14 February 2016

Gross USA:

$146,487

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$146,487

Company Credits

Production Co:

40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1