What I'm Watching Now

I had heard of the indie movie, "Towelhead," but foolishly didn't pursue watching it because the title didn't tell me enough about it. Last night, I really wanted to watch a movie, and I saw that it was coming on. I thought, eh, why not? Wow - was I pleasantly surprised! The movie deals with some dark content, but the plot and excellent acting by everyone kept me riveted the entire time.
The story centers on 13-year-old Lebanese-American Jasira, growing up in Houston during the height of the Gulf War. At its core, the movie is about a girl trying to navigate through her burgeoning sexuality and the conflicting images of womanhood presented to her by the adults in her life.

Blamed by her mother for sexually "tempting" the mother's boyfriend, Jasira is sent to live with her Lebanese father, who is himself struggling with his identity as a traditional, domineering patriarch and that of a new citizen pursuing the "American Dream."

The characters in this movie are fascinating and complex- from the needy, lonely and demanding mother (played by Maria Bello) to the benignly-racist, entitled next door neighbor (Aaron Eckhart), who struggles (somewhat) with his lust for Jasira. Each adult in the film presents a different vision for who Jasira should be - as a Lebanese, as an American, and as a sexual creature. The actress who plays her does perhaps the best job I've ever seen at portraying the shifting fears, desires, and naivete of adolescent girlhood.

                                    

"Towelhead" is a complex and subtle story about identity, race, gender, sex, rape and puberty. It is definitely worth multiple viewings.