It's 1954. Ben Kurtzman (Ben Foster) comes from the northwest section of Baltimore in a Jewish neighborhood. There is institutionalized anti-Semitism. He lives with his older brother Van (Adrien Brody),mother Ada (Bebe Neuwirth),father Nate (Joe Mantegna) and grandma. Integration is bringing in blacks and Ben falls for Sylvia as she introduces him to black culture. Van obsesses over blonde WASP princess Dubbie. Her complicated boyfriend Trey Tobelseted takes him under his wing to the confusion of his racist friend Ted. Nate runs the numbers and has a burlesque theater as his legitimate business. Small-time weed pusher Little Melvin (Orlando Jones) hits it big on the numbers.

Filmmaker Barry Levinson brings his Baltimore hometown onto the screen. I don't find Ben Foster's side of the story that compelling when it probably should be the A story. The more fascinating story is Adrien Brody and his obsession with Dubbie and her complicated relationship with Trey. Also Yussel is a funny character. There is some great music like James Brown in the movie and it's a terrific era for that. I wish the movie has more period rock music integrated into its tone.

One of Barry Levinson's many movies about growing up in Baltimore, "Liberty Heights" portrays a Jewish family in 1954-55. Specifically, patriarch Nate (Joe Mantegna) runs a burlesque house, older son Van (Adrien Brody) has the hots for a Grace Kelly lookalike but may have trouble getting to her, and younger son Ben (Ben Foster) develops a relationship with an African-American girl in his class.

This movie isn't intended as a massive historical epic or period piece (although I certainly got the feeling of the 1950s). I interpreted it mostly as a look at the changing world - namely school integration - that the family inhabits. The movie looks at racism: Nate and his friends are selling their business to African-American fast talker Melvin (Orlando Jones (happy birthday, Orlando!)),which the authorities clearly don't like. But it also looks at anti-Semitism: there's a particularly memorable scene in which a Jewish teenager pretends to be Scandinavian (and I mean all of Scandinavia). But the world is clearly changing, whether in learning about "the other kind" or determining the descending order of racial condescension.

Overall, I recommend it. Maybe it isn't Levinson's best movie, but worth seeing. Also starring Ralph Tabakin and Carolyn Murphy...and let me tell you: SHE IS REALLY HOT!!!!!!!!!!

I found "Liberty Heights" an immensely entertaining movie which shows great talent, especially actor-wise. The movie is a great portrayal of how things looked like in America in the 50's, showing religious, racial, social and other differences and also showing how these differences can easily be overcome once a person realizes(or as was the case in this movie-doesn't even consider) that different only and always means worse. Ben Foster steals the show from the first scene and Adrien Brody is in close second place. And because they had such screen persona, or power if you will, I found if distracting and a bit out of place when at the end the story shifted too much to Joe Mantegna, their movie father. I have much respect for the man, he's an immense and always fun-to-watch actor, but in this movie it was him that was overshadowed, which is ironic since HE was the one who usually did this. A great, lightheaded growing-up movie that begins and ends with a nostalgic note, once again making me wish I'd have a chance to live in that day and age. Much praise to Barry Levinson for composing "Liberty Heights". 8/10