Liberty Heights (1999)
84%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: 2 nominations
A moving film with moments of humor, Liberty Heights succeeds in capturing the feel of the ’50s with great performances and sensitive direction
Liberty Heights is like a time machine that takes you back to the 1950s in Baltimore. The movie is a perfect blend of nostalgia, humor, and drama. The characters are so rich and well-developed that you feel like you know them personally. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the attention to detail is impressive. It’s like the filmmakers took a trip back in time and brought back a piece of history. If you’re a fan of coming-of-age stories, this movie is a grand slam! Plus, it’s a great way to learn about the fashion and landmarks of the 1950s without having to sit through a boring history lesson.
Production Company(ies)
Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Baltimore County Courthouse – 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, Maryland, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for crude language and sex-related material
Year of Release
1999
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital SDDS
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 7m
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Language(s):English, German, Yiddish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 17, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 30, 2005
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
Liberty Heights, Barry Levinson, Comedy, Drama, Adrien Brody, Ben Foster, Orlando Jones, Bebe Neuwirth, Joe Mantegna, Rebekah Johnson, directed by Barry Levinson, written by Barry Levinson, produced by Barry Levinson, produced by Paula Weinstein, reviewed by David Ansen, reviewed by Marc Savlov, reviewed by Peter Brunette, reviewed by Todd McCarthy, reviewed by Michael Thomson, reviewed by Armond White, reviewed by Mark Halverson, reviewed by Jeffrey M Anderson, reviewed by Judith Egerton, starring Adrien Brody as Van Kurtzman, starring Ben Foster as Ben Kurtzman, starring Orlando Jones as Little Melvin, starring Bebe Neuwirth as Ada Kurtzman, starring Joe Mantegna as Nate Kurtzman, starring Rebekah Johnson as Sylvia, R rating, box office gross of $3.7M, 1950s, Baltimore, Jewish family, race relations, coming of age, high school, college, burlesque business, illegal numbers operation, hydrogen bomb, Atom bomb, 50s elements, satire, nostalgia, cinematography by Chris Doyle, Warner Bros Pictures, Surround, DTS, SDDS, Dolby Digital
Worldwide gross: $3,736,868
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,707,782
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,086
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 731,492
US/Canada gross: $3,736,868
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,707,782
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,724
US/Canada opening weekend: $95,247
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $170,971
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,723
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ben Foster – Ben Kurtzman
Orlando Jones – Little Melvin
Bebe Neuwirth – Ada Kurtzman
Joe Mantegna – Nate Kurtzman
Rebekah Johnson – Sylvia
Director(s)
Barry Levinson
Writer(s)
Barry Levinson
Producer(s)
Barry Levinson, Paula Weinstein
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (7)
By focusing on such a specific milieu, he keeps the genre alive with his great ear for small talk, an elegant eye and a warm, forgiving heart. This is nostalgia bottled and aged with care.
March 6, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
March 21, 2001 | Rating: 4.5/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Delivers the emotional goods.
January 1, 2000
Peter Brunette
Film.com
TOP CRITIC
A grand slam!
January 1, 2000
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/5
Michael Thomson
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Offers a deeper immersion in that old ’50s feeling than any other Hollywood film in recent memory.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3.5/5
Stephen Holden
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
It’s atrocious. Twisted sociology.
June 28, 2019
Armond White
New York Press
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
Liberty Heights is worth a look, with its rich characters and dialogue, and its gorgeous cinematography by Chris Doyle.
May 26, 2006
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Excellent re-creation of the clothing and landmarks of Baltimore in the 1950s.
June 28, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
June 6, 2003 | Rating: 5/5
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
October 30, 2002 | Rating: 3/5
Sarah Hall
ViewLondon…
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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Adrien Brody plays the older brother, Van Kurtzman, in Liberty Heights.
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