Watch Liberty Heights

Liberty Heights is a heartwarming drama movie that explores the lives of two brothers growing up in 1950s Baltimore, Maryland. The film stars Adrien Brody, Bebe Neuwirth, and Joe Mantegna. The movie revolves around the Kurtzmans, a Jewish family living in a predominantly white neighborhood. Ben (played by Ben Foster) and his older brother Van (played by Adrien Brody) are the main characters of the story.

The movie opens with Ben attending a new, all-white school after being expelled from his previous school for bringing a black girl to a dance. This incident sets the tone for the movie, which discusses race relations, anti-Semitism and assimilation in America.

Van, meanwhile, is drawn to a black girl named Sylvia (played by Rebekah Johnson). They start to date, which raises eyebrows in their respective communities. The scenes that follow deal with the harsh realities of segregation, discrimination, and prejudice experienced by the black community.

The Kurtzmans own a burlesque theater, which brings them into contact with Mob underworld figures who control the city, and who are in it for a piece of the action. Throughout the movie, we see how the family struggles to maintain their traditions and hold on to their values in a rapidly changing world.

Liberty Heights shines a light on the social issues of the time, and does so in a sensitive manner. It explores a range of complex and controversial topics such as forbidden love, racial division, class struggles, and organized crime.

The acting in the movie is solid, with Brody delivering an excellent performance as an older brother struggling to find his place in the world. Bebe Neuwirth, who plays the mother, shines in her emotional and compelling portrayal of a woman struggling to hold on to her family.

The film's high point is its exploration of family dynamics. Director Barry Levinson crafts a nuanced and moving portrayal of the Kurtzman family, showing their struggles, challenges, and triumphs, as they navigate life's challenges.

Liberty Heights is a must-watch if you enjoy drama movies that explore complex social issues. It offers an honest reflection of an era in American history that was marked by injustice, discrimination, and inequality, while highlighting the beauty and resilience of the human spirit.

Liberty Heights is a 1999 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 7 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0 and a MetaScore of 75.