Alan Ball’s adaptation of the novel Towelhead is a searingly funny look at sexuality and race in America, and it kicked my ass at Sundance (read the review here). It’s the kind of movie I’m shocked anybody makes in this country, since it is so uninterested in pointing fingers and making people bad guys. And while I know this is going to get seen as a swipe at The Dark Knight, Towelhead might have Aaron Eckhardt’s career best performance as a patriotic Texan who gets to like his 13 year old neighbor just a little too much. And Summer Bishil – who is of legal age, by the way – is magnificent as that 13 year old girl.
The trailer is finally here for the film, and I think it’s pretty good, capturing the film’s humor and Ball’s lovely direction. Towelhead hits August 8th; make some room in your summer for a real movie.