Liberty Heights (1999)

Anti-Semitism, race relations, coming of age, and fathers and sons: in Baltimore from fall, 1954, to fall, 1955. Racial integration comes to the high school, TV is killing burlesque, and ... See full summary »

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writer:

Barry Levinson

Stars:

Adrien Brody, Ben Foster, Bebe Neuwirth

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adrien Brody	...	Van Kurtzman
Ben Foster	...	Ben Kurtzman
Orlando Jones	...	Little Melvin
Bebe Neuwirth	...	Ada Kurtzman
Joe Mantegna	...	Nate Kurtzman
Rebekah Johnson	...	Sylvia
David Krumholtz	...	Yussel
Richard Kline	...	Charlie, Nate's Assistant
Vincent Guastaferro	...	Pete, Nate's Assistant
Justin Chambers	...	Trey Tobelseted
Carolyn Murphy	...	Dubbie the Blonde
James Pickens Jr.	...	Sylvia's Father
Frania Rubinek	...	Grandma Rose
Anthony Anderson	...	Scribbles
Kiersten Warren	...	Annie the Stripper

Storyline

Anti-Semitism, race relations, coming of age, and fathers and sons: in Baltimore from fall, 1954, to fall, 1955. Racial integration comes to the high school, TV is killing burlesque, and rock and roll is pushing the Four Lads off the Hit Parade. Ben, a high school senior, and his older brother Van are exploring "the other": in Ben's case, it's friendship with Sylvia, a Black student; with Van, it's a party in the WASP part of town and falling for a debutante, Dubbie. Sylvia gives Ben tickets to a James Brown concert; Dubbie invites Van to a motel: new worlds open. Meanwhile, their dad Nate, who runs a numbers game, loses big to a small-time pusher, Little Melvin; a partnership ensues.

---

Plot Keywords:

school | high school | motel | coming of age | concert | 

---

Taglines:

You're only young once, but you remember forever.

---

Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for crude language and sex-related material

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Yiddish

Release Date:

17 November 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dometi slobode

Filming Locations:

Baltimore County Courthouse - 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$95,247 (USA) (19 November 1999)

Gross:

$3,732,398 (USA) (31 March 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Baltimore Pictures, Spring Creek Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

127 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Barry Levinson:  [Ralph Tabakin]  (Phil, Spotlight Man at the Gaitey) has appeared in every Levinson picture from Diner to Liberty Heights.

---

Goofs

James Brown in 1954/55 was not a headliner, and he didn't record and release "Please Please Please" with a great deal of planning - it was cut with a single mike in a very haphazard way.

---

Quotes

Nate Kurtzman: The government doesn't know from shit. They integrate the golf courses in '51, and schools in '54. Where's their priorities?
Louie: They integrated the cricket field in Clifton Park back in '50. Can't find a colored person who plays cricket.
Pete, Nate's Assistant: I beg to differ. That was part of the separate but equal ruling. The coloreds could only play cricket on Tuesdays.
Louie: You can't find a colored person who wants to play cricket on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Kiss-My-Tuchis-Day.
Charlie, Nate's Assistant: For that matter, you can't find a white ...
[...]

---

Connections

References The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse: Marty (1953)

---

Soundtracks

"Backstage at Gaiety"
Written by Curt Sobel & Gary Schreiner

User Reviews

Nostalgia, many plot threads and evocative

This movie is challenging on many levels and best of all is it does not insult the viewer's intelligence with pat plot lines and easy resolutions. It is very much a slice of life movie and provokes serious thought about growing up and the meaning of prejudice and racial barriers. It is a lovely film and I have resolved to see some other efforts from Barry Levinson as his is a rare talent. He lovingly captures Baltimore in the fifties in all its facets of neighbourhoods, the cast is stellar, not a false note among them, the music is wonderful and all the plot lines come together. I felt sad that it was over, I found myself quite involved with the characters who were multi dimensional with teasing snippets of background as in the disturbed Dubbie saying to Van she did not like spending time with her father and his boyfriend. And Sylvia's family being black and wealthiest by far than the others and she was following her mother and grandmother into a Black College so she could preserve the continuance. 8 out of 10. Recommended.