A strong, forthright motion picture that accurately offers few cut-and-dry answers and blessedly doesn't shy away from its socially demanding subject matter.
Comment
09/16/08
Towelhead (2008)
47
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:109
Fresh:51
Rotten:58
Average Rating:5.3/10
Consensus: This story of politics, race and, sexual awakening has moments that pack a punch, but overall, Towelhead never quite achieves the nuance of helmer Alan Ball's television work.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Oct 9, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $277,354
Synopsis: Alan Ball, who won an Oscar for his AMERICAN BEAUTY screenplay and an Emmy for the hit cable series SIX FEET UNDER, which he created, makes his feature-film directorial debut with the controversial... [More]
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello, Peter Macdissi
Director: Alan Ball
Reviews for Towelhead
An episodic, muddled movie that never quite finds its way.
09/15/08
Towelhead tries hard to be incendiary and gutsy, and it sometimes succeeds. But to what gain?
09/12/08
Top CriticThe movie belongs to the fifth-billed Bishil, a truly gutsy young actress who captures the essence of young female desire in all its adolescent confusion.
09/12/08
A movie that, for all its good intentions, feels thoroughly phony and mildly embarrassing, like an extended PSA about inappropriate touching.
09/12/08
This third-act redemption raises Towelhead several notches, but it still ends up feeling like a well-acted and well-intentioned after-school special, a long way from the vividness and texture of Ball's television work.
09/12/08
Towelhead is definitely not for all tastes, but it shows a bravery that's increasingly rare in American movies.
09/12/08
Towelhead is tough stuff. It's also brilliant stuff. Proceed, with caution, accordingly.
09/12/08
Too much of Towelhead is pitched on a hysterical, one-dimensional note, with Jasira being consistently mistreated in one way or another by pretty much everyone she encounters -- a reverse Candide for our cynical times.
09/12/08
As a first-time feature director, [Ball] seldom lets the material speak for itself.
09/12/08
Top CriticBall has found an insinuating, perversely smooth tone in his script, but his less-adept direction inadvertently adds dissonance.
09/12/08
If you're willing to take a chance on a daring film that's likely to make you laugh one moment and cringe the next, you may find it as haunting as it is uncomfortable to watch.
09/12/08
Although there's a plethora of iniquity on display in 'Towelhead,' no one comes off as completely evil or unsympathetic
09/12/08
A crude but scathing portrait of suburban life.
09/12/08
Top CriticScreenwriter Alan Ball is no stranger to daring stories, but in his awkward film directorial debut he seems unable to capture the soul of Alicia Erian's novel — and with a story like this, that's disastrous.
09/11/08
amidst the campy twists and unbelievable outbursts there can also be felt an indefinable honesty; something in far shorter supply these days than mere outrage.
09/11/08
Towelhead spreads itself thin trying to tackle too many issues, but the nuanced characters, and an absolutely stellar cast, make this an uncommonly complex and compelling drama.
09/11/08
A story that tries and often succeeds in transcending its particulars for a story about the personal and political struggle to come of age.
09/11/08
Ball knows one trick, and it's sure over.
09/11/08
Screenwriter Alan Ball ("American Beauty," HBO's "Six Feet Under") makes his directorial debut adapting Alicia Erian's novel from a particularly repellant male perspective.
09/11/08
Latest News for Towelhead
January 03, 2009:
In a movie that was once more aptly titled, Nothing Is Private, Towelhead kicks open the suburban bedroom door and exposes often silent personal terrors that are both rudely shocking and uncomfortably familiar. 
More...
December 29, 2008:
RT on DVD: A Matthew McConaughey Stinker or Event Horizon on Blu-ray?
It's officially the last DVD release week of the year, although much like the box office, most big-ticket new releases debuted last week in time for Christmas. Nevertheless,... More...
December 28, 2008:
In a movie that was once more aptly titled, Nothing Is Private, Towelhead kicks open the suburban bedroom door and exposes often silent personal terrors that are both rudely shocking and uncomfortably familiar.
More...
September 12, 2008:
Aaron Eckhart Talks Towelhead, Life After TDK
He's been around for awhile, but he's never starred in something as huge as "The Dark Knight" -- so what's it like being Aaron Eckhart right now? The Deadbolt's Jordan Riefe... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
40 Best Films of the 2000s
Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!
Worst Hollywood Remakes of the Decade
Movieline gets bravely swept away with the recycled refuse of the 2000s.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Win Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 prize packs
We're giving away a bunch of stuff from the upcoming Squeakquel.
IGN RSS Feeds