Towelhead (2007) Nothing Is Private (original title)

Director:

Alan Ball

Writers (WGA):

Alan Ball (written for the screen by)
Alicia Erian (novel)

Release Date:

26 September 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

How Can You Find Yourself if No One Can See You?

Plot:

A young Arab-American girl struggles with her sexual obsession, a bigoted Army reservist and her strict father during the Gulf War.

Plot Keywords:

Neighbor | Boy | Gulf War | Girl | School

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Summer Bishil	...	Jasira Maroun
Chris Messina	...	Barry
Maria Bello	...	Gail Monahan
Peter Macdissi	...	Rifat Maroun (as Peter MacDissi)
Gemmenne de la Peña	...	Denise
Robert Baker	...	Mr. Joffrey
Eamonn Roche	...	School Photographer
Aaron Eckhart	...	Travis Vuoso
Carrie Preston	...	Evelyn Vuoso
Chase Ellison	...	Zack Vuoso
Irina Voronina	...	"Snow Queen" Centerfold
Cleo King	...	Sales Clerk
Michael McShae	...	Middle School Jerk
D.C. Cody	...	Middle School Jerk
Soledad St. Hilaire	...	Janitor
Nathalie Walker	...	"Golf Girl" Centerfold
Kim Knight	...	Topless Golfer (as Kimberly Knight)
LoriDawn Messuri	...	Topless Golfer (as Loridawn Messuri)
Lorna Scott	...	French Teacher
Lynn Collins	...	Thena Panos
Toni Collette	...	Melina Hines
Eugene Jones III	...	Thomas Bradley (as Eugene Jones)
Shari Headley	...	Mrs. Bradley
Randy J. Goodwin	...	Mr. Bradley (as Randy Goodwin)
Matt Letscher	...	Gil Hines
Larry Cedar	...	Glamour Photographer
Virginia Louise Smith	...	Nurse
Lee von Ernst	...	OR - OB / GYN Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lisa Catara	...	Taxi Cab Model (uncredited)
Alejandro Patino	...	Waiter (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Ball

Writing credits (WGA)
Alan Ball		(written for the screen by)
Alicia Erian		(novel "Towelhead")

Produced by
Alan Ball	....	producer
Anne Carey	....	executive producer
Ted Hope	....	producer
Christina Jokanovich	....	associate producer
Peggy Rajski	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Thomas Newman

Cinematography by
Newton Thomas Sigel		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Andy Keir

Production Design by
James Chinlund

Art Direction by
Alexander Wei

Set Decoration by
Fainche MacCarthy

Costume Design by
Danny Glicker

Makeup Department
Brian Steven Banks	....	additional hair stylist (as Brian Banks)
Tonya Cryer	....	additional hair stylist
Rosie Duprat Fort	....	assistant makeup artist
Elisabeth Fry	....	makeup department head
Mimi Jafari	....	additional hair stylist
Greg Johnson	....	prosthetics
Marie Larkin	....	hair stylist
Dan Rebert	....	prosthetics
JoAnn Stafford-Chaney	....	hair department head
Brian A. Tunstall	....	assistant hair stylist (as Brian Andrew Tunstall)

Production Management
Jonathan Ferrantelli	....	post-production supervisor
Samson Mucke	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lisa Chu	....	second second assistant director (as Lisa Chu Dietze)
Noga Isackson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Isaac Amondson	....	on-set dresser
Andrew Birdzell	....	art department assistant
Christopher Branan	....	carpenter
Michael Duncan	....	propmaker
Eduardo H. Esparza	....	general foreman
Laura Evans	....	set decorations buyer
Kristina Fuangkasae	....	assistant props
Diana Goodwin	....	art department coordinator
Roger Kelton	....	construction coordinator
Jeffrey Mossa	....	assistant art director
Joshua Brandon Pancer	....	art department assistant
Jill Rolie-December	....	assistant set decorator (as Jill Rolie)
Grant Samson	....	lead man
Hillel Chaim Smith	....	on-set dresser
Thomas Spencer	....	set decorating gang boss
Amanda J. Flick	....	set painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer
Lawrence L. Commans	....	boom operator
Martin Czembor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Fay	....	utility sound
Dan Fulton	....	assistant sound editor
Mariusz Glabinski	....	sound effects editor
Avram D. Gold	....	supervising sound editor
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Jackson	....	adr supervisor
Kate Jesse	....	additional boom operator
Jason King	....	sound effects editor
Dan Korintus	....	dialogue editor
Andrew Kris	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Lisa Pinero	....	additional sound mixer
Brad Sherman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ira Spiegel	....	sound effects editor
Jody Thomas	....	foley artist
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Mark Weingarten	....	sound mixer

Visual Effects by
Jean-Pierre Boies	....	visual effect supervisor: fly studio
Louis Morin	....	visual effects supervisor
Nathalie Tremblay	....	digital compositor
Antonin Messier Turcotte	....	digital artist

Stunts
Lou Simon	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ismael Araujo Jr.	....	grip
Greg Brooks	....	dolly grip
Jon Callesen	....	best boy electric
Vidal Cohen	....	key grip
Michael DiGiovanni	....	grip
Tulio Duenas	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Chris Fisher	....	assistant camera
John Garrett	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Jimmy E. Jensen	....	assistant camera
Bob E. Krattiger	....	gaffer
Damon Marcellino	....	set lighting technician
Dale Robinette	....	still photographer
Michael A. Savage	....	grip

Casting Department
Nick Anderson	....	casting associate
Lucy Bennett	....	casting assistant
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting
Ross Meyerson	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stephanie Portnoy Porter	....	costumer (as Stephanie Portnoy)
Silvia Raiano	....	set costumer
Cheryl Scarano	....	costume supervisor
Lorie Shew	....	set costumer
Behnaz Shokouhi	....	costumer
Marta Villalobos	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Robert Berman	....	first assistant editor
Ned Harvey	....	post-production assistant
Kevin L. James	....	post-production Executive (uncredited )
Julia Nessling-Douglas	....	digital intermediate producer
Christian Prejza	....	digital intermediate producer
Misako Shimizu	....	assistant editor
Jimmy Fusil	....	digital intermediate producer (uncredited)

Music Department
George Doering	....	musician
Jim Dunbar	....	music coordinator
Larry Mah	....	digital score recordist
Randall Poster	....	music supervisor
Joe Rudge	....	music clearances
Thomas Vicari	....	scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Charley Bob Burnham	....	transportation coordinator
Al Burton	....	transportation coordinator
Gary Jackson	....	driver
Ted Joneson	....	driver
Robert Mckee	....	picture car mechanic

Other crew
Prarthna Arias	....	video playback services
Mike Barry	....	set production assistant
Kara Blanchard	....	assistant: Mr. Hope
Alasdair Boyd	....	location manager
Kami Calevro	....	first assistant accountant
Rachel Chapman	....	assistant to the producers
Marjorie Chodorov	....	production accountant
Sarah Clifford	....	animal coordinator
Sarah Clifford	....	live kitten trainer
Alison S. Cohen	....	production counsel
Brad Comfort	....	production intern
Michael Counts	....	production intern
Aidan Orion Crawford	....	office production assistant
Dennis Curlett Jr.	....	production assistant
Joe Dornich	....	key set production assistant
Michael Godinez	....	stand-in
Shelly Helgeson	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Himelstein	....	dialect coach
Cameron Wayne Keith	....	production assistant
Jina Kim	....	production secretary
Eloy Lara	....	key set medic
Joanna Lara	....	production coordinator
Crystal McAlerney	....	assistant production coordinator
Andrea McGee	....	production assistant
Megan Miller	....	additional set production assistant
Sean Oliver	....	adr loop group
Claire Pacacha	....	assistant: Ms. Carey
Daniel Penhale	....	production assistant
Kyle Roumillat	....	production intern
Tracy Scott	....	script supervisor
Gianna Sobol	....	assistant: Ms. Rajski
Nate Taylor	....	key assistant location manager
Karla Torres	....	production coordinator
Daneka Vallejo	....	stand-in
Daneka Vallejo	....	stand-in
Daneka Vallejo	....	stand-in: Summer Bishil
Brandon Vedder	....	production intern

Production Companies

• Indian Paintbrush
• Scott Rudin Productions (uncredited)
• This Is That Productions
• Your Face Goes Here Entertainment

Distributors

• International Film Distribution Consultants (2008-2009) (Non-USA) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Roadshow Films (2008) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Bir Film (2009) (Turkey) (all media)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (2010) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2008) (Romania) (all media)
• TFM Distribution (2008) (France) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Masters FX (prosthetics)
• Fly Studios (visual effects)
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates (opticals)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Checkmark  funding
• Hollywood-DI  HD screening services
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  transportation
• Ovasen Post Production  post-production services and facilities
• Ovasen  post-production services and facilities
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility
• Tandem Sound  post-production facilities
• Wilshire Stages, The  ADR recording facility

Also Known As:

"Nothing Is Private" - USA (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong disturbing sexual content and abuse involving a young teen, and for language

Runtime:

USA:116 min (DVD version) | USA:124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Arabic | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Norway:15 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Netherlands:12 | USA:NC-17 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Chino, California, USA

Company:

Indian Paintbrush

Trivia:

This film, based on the book Towelhead by Alicia Erian, debuted at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival with the non-controversial title Nothing is Private. However, after consultation with Erian and Warner Brothers, the filmmakers decided to release the movie in the United States and other countries with the same title as the book, obviously an ethnic slur. The title was met with controversy and protests from the Arab-American community. Some complained about the slur itself, others accused Warner Brothers of choosing a buzz-generating controversial title that was misleading since the story centers more on Jasira's sexual behavior than her ethnicity. This and other topics are discussed on the DVD's two panel discussions.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Although the movie was set in 1990-91 (as the story starts before the Gulf War and concludes soon after the war ends), the microwave in the father's house looked current, the airport looked really modern, the nudie mags didn't look that old, and most of the clothes throughout the film looked wrong for the era.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Barry:You're beautiful just the way you are, Jasira. Those other girls are just jealous because you're growing up faster than they are. And you're prettier than they are. Listen, don't let it get you down. Stupid names they're calling you. This year - just gimme a second
[wets the razor]
Barry:this year, your gonna shut them up. Only, probably you shouldn't tell your mom about this.

Movie Connections:

Features "Married with Children" (1987)

Soundtrack:

Falling to Pieces

Breaks stereotypes while remaining mostly realistic.

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.