Liberty Heights

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

Dec 31 1999 R 2h 7m
Drama, Music, Romance

This semi-autobiographical film by Barry Levinson follows various members of the Kurtzman clan, a Jewish family living in suburban Baltimore during the 1950s. As teenaged Ben completes high school, he falls for Sylvia, a black classmate, creating inevitable tensions. Meanwhile, Ben's brother, Van, attends college and becomes smitten with a mysterious woman while their father tries to maintain his burlesque business.

Plot

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.

Written by

Barry Levinson

Directed by

Barry Levinson

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Baltimore Spring Creek Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures

Languages

English, Deutsch

Awards

2 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
7,189
Average Rating
7 out of 10
Metascore
75
Popularity
NA