In the first 30 minutes of Alan Ball's film adaptation of Alicia Erian's novel, "Towelhead", I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep watching. The abrasiveness was getting to me. The characters were not likable. Being a film fan, I stuck it out, and I'm glad I did.

"Towelhead" is brave, honest, real, and moving - this is why I fell in love with cinema. Alan Ball masterfully directs his piece and his actors in a brave way that is rarely seen in film today. This could easily be an Oscar grab, but it's not, which is why you'll see it rated very in between. Sure, our subjects go through changes and have experiences, but all of the results are very realistic to true life.

We follow 13 year old Jasira Maroun (Summer Bishil) as she moves in with her Father (Peter Macdissi) in a Texas suburb after being caught shaving her nether regions with her Mother's boyfriend (Chris Messina). Jasira deals with her budding sexuality, her controlling and hypocritical Father, racism, and adults who act like children on her way to her own sexual and emotional awakening.

Why the first act of this film is very tough to deal with is that it doesn't pull any punches on the audience. There are devices to ease us into the content which the film presents. It is blunt, and given the subject matter and outcome of the film itself, this is a good quality for it to have. It is very brave of a man like Alan Ball, who has never directed a feature prior to this, to present his first attempt in this way.

As the film progresses, we become well aware of what is in store for us. It is a tough watch, that's for sure. Not all films are going to be an hour and a half of smooth sailing, taking your eyes off the screen for minutes at a time, coming back and not being effected. "Towelhead" is excellent story-telling, and should be viewed as full and complete. Art can be tough on it's audience, and still considered of the highest quality.

What really holds this film together is it's performances. Aaron Eckhart's brave performance as Travis Vuoso, a 36 year old Army Reserve who takes a liking to Jasira, is one of the bravest and least selfish screen performances by a well known actor is recent years. There is no payoff for Eckhart or the man he portrays on screen, and for him to take such a role and do such a great job is a promising note for his future career.

Peter Macdissi is also very good in his role, which has little pay-off for the performer. A border-line (and sometimes over that line) abusive, possibly closeted homosexual, racist, and hypocritical Father. It can be stated that he is pretty much just a douche bag, in plainest English. The acting is very fearless from all angles. Not to mention our main character, played by a girl of 18 as a 13 year old, is beautifully done despite all the criticism aimed in her direction since this films opening. She is more than convincing.

Some might tell you that they have no belief in this story of that it is not realistic. My response that is that plenty of things go down in the world to many people. Some people's coming of age experience is much different than others. If you cannot open your mind and sit through 2 hours of someone else's, you probably shouldn't be voicing your opinion on film in the first place. You have every right to, but it will be taken with a grain of salt if your mind isn't open at all times.

Alan Ball's TOWELHEAD is as dark, and biting as American BEAUTY, but with a different slant as a young girl begins to experience the reality of life growing up in the suburbs of America. The cast is superb, the young actor, Summer Bishil, is tremendous in her role, and the film and story resonate with a young girl wanting to be accepted for who she is, but instead has to face incidents which would impale another young girl.

TOWELHEAD deals with prejudice, a multicultural American society that faces Iraq, and other issues, along with the sexuality of young men and women. This film has been lambasted for the sexual themes which it addresses, but in fact is a real picture into what youth must deal with in America today. The writing is crisp, brilliant and the characters and cast bring alive the story with incredible energy. Living in Southern California, I see TOWELHEAD as an important film for an audience to see and discuss for their children and families. Once again, Alan Ball has delivered a brilliant and thought provoking, and very controversial film of substance and value.

Towelhead's themes of racism, sexual development and the horrors that lie in the dark abyss of suburbia basically come down to one thing: stereotyping. The film goes through many different lives and stories, all through the eyes of 13-year old Jasira (played with great bravery and intelligence by Summer Bishil). Through her eyes we see how everyone around her is just stereotyped immediately by the people living in this world and even by the audience. The aggressive Arab-American, the ignorant redneck pedophile, the horny black teenager, the pregnant hippie, etc. All of these typical characters are alive in this world and while they do have some of the characteristics that you would expect from the stereotypes of the character, Alan Ball does a good job of making them more diverse, complex and simply human than you would expect.

There were some things I really liked and some that I really didn't like. It all felt kind of awkward to me, but I think that helped the themes of the story in a way. Either way, Aaron Eckhart gave a really fantastic performance. He uses that boyish charm and those unimaginably handsome looks to make a horrifically despicable character borderline likable until his final scenes. One of those performances where you know that he's only going to bring horrible things to the main character's life and he makes you so uneasy when he's in a room alone with her, but you can't take your eyes off of him. A truly fascinating performance. I really think he's one of the very best actors working today. Peter Macdissi and Summer Bishil were also great, just a little less-so than Eckhart.