 Following the success of The Dark Knight , Eckhart next appeared in Alan Ball 's Towelhead ( 2008 ) , an adaption of the Alicia Erian novel of the same name , in which he played a Gulf War Army reservist who sexually abuses his 13 @-@ year @-@ old Arab @-@ American neighbor . The film was screened under the name Nothing is Private at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival . When he was first approached for the role , Eckhart revealed that he did not want to play a " pedophile " . When asked about the sex scenes , Eckhart said : " Those were difficult times .... The way I did it was to really trust Alan . It was in the words . I really trusted Summer [ Bishil ] , and I tried to get her to trust me , to build a relationship when we were doing physical scenes . We 'd really rehearse them mechanically , and I 'd say , ' OK , I 'm going to put my hand here , I 'm going to do this . ' ... I think I found it more difficult . " Towelhead was critically and financially unsuccessful . 
