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Grade: B+
DVD » Director/screenwriter Alan Ball's blunt R-rated coming-of-age movie, "Towelhead," about a 13-year-old Arab-American girl's (Summer Bishil) struggles with racism and sexuality, isn't for everyone. Yet thanks to Ball's trademark sardonic sensibility and Bishil's beautifully restrained performance, this quiet story seems groundbreaking in the way it deals honestly with the shame of burgeoning womanhood, unlike last year's wannabe-liked "Juno." Extras include earnest panel discussions about the impact of the politically incorrect title.
--- Ellen Fagg Weist
