Liberty Heights (1999)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writer (WGA):

Barry Levinson (written by)

Release Date:

17 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Anti-Semitism, race relations, coming of age, and fathers and sons: in Baltimore from fall, 1954, to fall...

Plot Keywords:

School | High School | Anti Semitism | Burlesque | Brother

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated R for crude language and sex-related material.

Runtime:

127 min | Germany:122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Yiddish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:12 (video rating) | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Baltimore Pictures

Trivia:

Director Barry Levinson wanted someone with a Grace Kelly appeal to play the role of Dubbie the Blonde. Model Carolyn Murphy was cast, although she was ironically dubbed "The Blond Haired Gene Tierney" by Elle. She auditioned for the role after her agent encouraged her to do so, and unlike many other models turned actresses, she was praised for her work.

Goofs:

Continuity: The toilet seat in the hotel room: down, then up, then down again just when she runs to it to vomit.

Quotes:

Grandma Rose: Get a haircut.

Movie Connections:

References "The Milton Berle Show" (1948)

Soundtrack:

When Love Walked In

Well done

Liberty Heights illustrates Anti Semitism and race relations in the 1950's very well. It shows how two Jewish brothers find that there is a whole different world outside their insular Jewish community. Liberty Heights is an excellent film. Barry Levinson has created a gem of a film, another of the Baltimore series.