Movie Make-out

American Beauty screenwriter and Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball makes his feature directorial debut with the upcoming adaptation of Alicia Erian’s novel, Towelhead. The film had previously been retitled Nothing Is Private, but apparently the producers decided to stick with the book’s title anyway.

The coming-of-age story revolves around Jasira (Summer Bishil), a 13-year old half-Lebanese girl sent to live with her strict father (Peter Macdissi) in Houston. Aaron Eckhart returns to his In the Company of Men roots as a contemptible mother fucker (or in this case would-be child fucker), as a neighbor who takes a rather unsettling interest in the girl.

The trailer demonstrates a similar sensibility to Ball’s previous work, a pensive sort of malaise that should unfold in a less sensationalistic manner than the events seen in the trailer may lead you to expect. Towelhead premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, but finally makes its proper release on August 8, 2008.