Cast: Adrien Brody, Ben Foster, Orlando Jones, Bebe Neuwirth, Joe Mantegna, Rebekah Johnson, David Krumholtz, Justin Chambers, Carolyn Murphy
Director: Barry Levinson
Producers: Barry Levinson, Paula Weinstein
Screenplay: Barry Levinson
Cinematography: Christopher Doyle
Music: Andrea Morricone
U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers
Few will argue that director Barry Levinson is at his best when making small, personal movies. One needs only to compare a sampling of cinematic magic like Avalon to a bloated and unwieldy product like Sphere to see the difference. Liberty Heights is another genial, nostalgic drama with an autobiographical flavor. It also forms the fourth installment in Levinson's overstuffed "Baltimore Trilogy" (joining Diner, Tin Men, and Avalon). And, for those who are looking for a lower-key, intimate film during a season that is ripe with big, prestigious motion pictures, Liberty Heights may be the answer.
The movie begins in the Fall of 1954, and follows the lives of the three male members of the Kurtzman family: our narrator, Ben (Ben Foster), his older brother, Van (Adrien Brody), and their father, Nate (Joe Mantegna). According to Ben, who relates the story as a reminiscence (with sparingly used voiceovers), his family lived in an all-Jewish neighborhood in northwest Baltimore. When he was young, he thought everyone was Jewish. It wasn't until he started attending public school that he recognized that there was "the other kind." By the time Liberty Heights takes place, Ben is a senior in high school, and his brother, Van, has already graduated. Nate is a wealthy man as a result of an illegal numbers racket he runs, and he uses his profits to take care of his wife, Ada (Bebe Neuwirth), and children. For the most part, the film is a series of tiny vignettes strung together to form a cohesive and likable whole, but three narrative strains eventually emerge - one for each of the male characters. Ben becomes attracted to Sylvia (Rebekah Johnson), the lone black girl in his home room, and, despite racial boundaries and parental objections on both sides, he attempts to build a relationship with her. Van is also involved in a romantic dilemma - he meets his "dream girl" (Carolyn Murphy) at a Halloween party and is so flummoxed that he forgets to ask her name. And, when he finally discovers who she is, it turns out that she's dating the son of one of Baltimore's wealthiest men. Meanwhile, Nate finds himself in trouble when a small-time drug dealer, Little Melvin (Orlando Jones), strikes it big on the numbers. Nate ends up owing Little Melvin more cash than he has in reserve, and the impatient winner wants his money.
One of the more pleasant aspects of Liberty Heights is that it never strains our credulity or places us in an uncomfortable position. The film doesn't shy away from difficult issues, like racial and religious prejudice, but it plays up the absurdities of such bigotry without becoming heavy-handed. For example, there's a scene in which a black and a Jew are discussing how their races are viewed by White America, and the conversation devolves into an argument about which group has been more oppressed. The moment could have been tense and angry, but Levinson keeps things light, resulting in a sequence that is genuinely funny, but, at the same time, makes a point. The movie is also pragmatic in the way it depicts Jewish/non-Jewish relationships. Many things have changed in the last 45 years, not the least of which is how members of different races interact. Today, a romance between a black girl and a Jewish boy wouldn't raise an eyebrow; in the '50s, it was scandalous. In fact, there was even an element of inequality in a friendship between a Jew and a non-Jew. Witness the condescension with which Trey (Justin Chambers) treats his "buddy", Van.
Liberty Heights adopts a predominantly playful tone. There are conflicts, but no real villains. Violence is kept to a minimum - there is a fight between school boys and a scene in which someone is kidnapped at gunpoint. In the latter case, however, there's no real sense of danger or menace. In fact, aspects of the kidnapping are played for laughs. To a certain extent, the entire movie is like that. Levinson effectively treads the line between comedy and drama, never venturing too deeply into either territory. As a result, the film is neither too serious nor too fatuous.
Levnison's use of lesser-known performers enables us to become immersed in the story without being distracted by too many familiar faces. The two most recognizable members of the cast, Bebe Neuwirth and Joe Mantegna, are both capable performers, but they are not card-carrying representatives of Hollywood's "A-list." Their work here is effective, although there are times when Mantegna's baggage as a mafioso works against him. Orlando Jones is delightful as Little Melvin, a character who's more bark than bite. Adrien Brody (Summer of Sam) and Ben Foster do solid jobs as the leads, and they are ably supported by a roster of young character actors.
Liberty Heights is smart in the way it views the adolescent years. Most movies about high school romances like to pretend that a couple who kisses at the prom will live happily ever after. Of course, the reality is that most high school boyfriends and girlfriends do not get married - and that's a truth that Levinson effectively captures. Through Ben's voiceover, the director also observes that we remember certain key moments in life with a clarity that never diminishes, while more mundane memories fade into a fuzzy blur. Levinson may not have constructed this story specifically out of events from his own life, but the quality of the remembrances depicted here have an authentic feel.
Liberty Heights is not a perfect film. The running time is a little on the long side, and there are a few slow spots during the movie's midsection. There are also some problems with the ending. Nate's subplot is resolved a little too neatly and there's a feeling of incompleteness surrounding Van's. (There seems to be a scene missing.) Only Ben's story achieves a fully satisfying sense of closure. Overall, however, the movie is so well developed and enjoyable that these flaws aren't as noticeable or intrusive as they might be in a lesser effort. Liberty Heights functions as a pleasant and worthy addition to a strong series of films.
© 1999 James Berardinelli