Liberty Heights
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Liberty Heights

Year:
Duration:
127 min | Germany:122 min
Genres:
Drama | Music | Romance
IMDB rate:
7
Director:
Barry Levinson
Awards:
2 nominations
Details
Country: USA
Release Date: 1999-11-17
Filming Locations: Baltimore County Courthouse - 401 Bosley Avenue, Towson, Maryland, USA
Earnings
Opening Weekend: $95,247 (USA) (21 November 1999)
Gross: $3,732,398 (USA) (2 April 2000)
Cast
Actor
Character
James Pickens Jr.
James Pickens Jr.
Liberty Heights
Kevin Sussman
Kevin Sussman
Liberty Heights
Adrien Brody
Van Kurtzman
Ben Foster
Ben Kurtzman
Orlando Jones
Little Melvin
Bebe Neuwirth
Ada Kurtzman
Joe Mantegna
Nate Kurtzman
Rebekah Johnson
Sylvia
David Krumholtz
Yussel
Richard Kline
Charlie, Nate's Assistant
Vincent Guastaferro
Pete, Nate's Assistant
Justin Chambers
Trey Tobelseted
Carolyn Murphy
Dubbie the Blonde
Frania Rubinek
Grandma Rose
Anthony Anderson
Scribbles
Kiersten Warren
Annie the Stripper
Evan Neumann
Sheldon
Gerry Rosenthal
Murray
Charley Scalies
Louie
Shane West
Ted
Cloie Wyatt Taylor
Gail
Susan Duvall
Teacher #2
Carlton J. Smith
James Brown at the Royal (as Carlton Smith)
Elizabeth Ann Bennett
Mary
Ellyn O'Connell
Anne Whittier
Doug Roberts
Assistant D.A.
Al Brown
Bailiff
Kenny Raskin
Burlesque Comic
Peter Wilkes
Butler
Kimberlee Suerth
Buxom Nurse
Mary Lynn Ray
Woman in Court #1
Marty Lodge
Defense Attorney
Gideon Jacobs
Ben Kurtzman - Age 8
Jan Austell
Judge
Timothy J. Scanlin Jr.
Nick
Ralph Tabakin
Phil, Spotlight Man at the Gaitey
Shelley Stokes
Box Office Attendant
Patsy Grady Abrams
Woman in Court #2
Jay Hillmer
Matt
Stan Brandorff
Morris
Katie Finneran
Mrs. Johnson
Kate Kiley
Nurse
Jake Hoffman
Turk
Joseph Patrick Abel
Lenny
Sekiya Billman
Halloween Stripper
Brenda Russell
Singer
Barry Black
Cantor
Dennis N. Math
Rabbi (as Rabbi Dennis N. Math)
Judith Knight Young
Teacher #1 - 1944
Stephen Williams
Wilbert Mosely
Ty Robbins
Sylvia's Mother
Emily Chamberlain
Ben's Teacher
Christian T. Dockins
Flame
Kenny Pitt
Flame
Zahmu Sankofa
Flame
Paul Majors
Party Fight Guy
Matthew Bowerman
Student - Orthodox Worshipper (uncredited)
Misha Collins
Guy
Christina DeRosa
Student (uncredited)
Jacques Derosena
Thug Member (uncredited)
Dawn Douglas
Concert Goer (uncredited)
Joe Gerety
FBI Agent #2 (uncredited)
Art Hall
Youth in Synagogue (uncredited)
Cathy Hurley
Prarie Girl / Ice Skater (uncredited)
Pete Karas
Graduation Goer (uncredited)
Stacy Keibler
Extra (uncredited)
Michael Luckeroth
Gym Teacher (uncredited)
John Martineau
Party goer (uncredited)
Matt Nicholas
Partygoer (uncredited)
Carolyn Rawleigh
Pedestrian (uncredited)
Norm Rebadow
Father (uncredited)
Did you know?
Trivia
Barry Levinson:  [Ralph Tabakin]  (Phil, Spotlight Man at the Gaitey) has appeared in every Levinson picture from Diner (1982) to Liberty Heights (1999).
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Part of a series of films based Barry Levinson's family and friends from Baltimore. The other films are: Diner (1982), Tin Men (1987) and Avalon (1990).
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In the scene where they are teeing off at the 'golf course', they are actually standing on the lawn in front of the Mansion House in Baltimore's Druid Hill Park. The Mansion House is the current day administrative offices for the Baltimore Zoo. There is no real golf course in Druid Hill Park.
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Goofs
When Nate goes to pick Ben up from Little Melvin the Key Bridge can be seen. The Key Bridge was not completed until 1977.
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The film takes place in 1954, but the melody of "Bayom Hahu," which the Cantor sings during the Rosh Hashanah services, was written by Michael Isaacson in the mid-1980s.
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The car driven through the pumpkins and crashing into the barn during the Halloween party sequence appears to be a 1960s Austin Healey. This car did not exist during the 50s period of the movie.
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Quotes
Dubbie the Blonde: Do you speak french?
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Ada Kurtzman: [about Ben's Halloween costume dressed as Hitler] Your father says you're not going out dressed that way.
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Nate Kurtzman: The government doesn't know from shit. They integrate the golf courses in '51, and schools in '54. Where's their priorities?
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Faq
Q
How does the movie end?
A
After visiting Trey (Justin Chambers) in the hospital in Virginia, Van (Adrien Brody) and Dubbie (Carolyn Murphy) get a motel room before heading back to Baltimore. Dubbie, who has been guzzling a bottle of booze all afternoon, falls off the bed and starts to cry. She pleads with Van to make love to her, then runs off to the bathroom and throws up. Nate Kurtzman (Joe Mantegna) and all the employees of the Burlesque House are arrested on charges of tax evasion and transporting girls across state lines for the purpose of prostitution after it is discovered that their business partner, Little Melvin (Orlando Jones), is dealing drugs on the side. Van is able to get Trey, whose father is a prominent Baltimore lawyer, to ask his father to delay the arrest until after Rosh Hashanah and the viewing of the new Cadillac. Ben (Ben Foster) and Sylvia (Rebekah Johnson) graduate from high school and surprise both sets of parents by kissing each other after the graduation ceremony. Ben and his two Jewish friends integrate the swimming hole by removing the sign saying "No Jews, Dogs, or Coloreds Allowed," and sitting on lawn chairs at the end of pier, each of them wearing a letter from "JEW" painted on their chests. In the final scene, Nate is led from the temple after kissing his wife and sons goodbye. As the credits roll, the new Cadillac model is displayed.
Q
Is "Liberty Heights" based on a book?
A
No. Liberty Heights is based on an autobiographical screenplay by American writer-director Barry Levinson.
Q
What is this movie about?
A
The movie tells the story of two Jewish brothers, Van (Adrien Brody) and Ben (Ben Foster) Kurtzman, and their coming of age in 1950s Baltimore.
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Photos from cast
James Pickens Jr. Kevin Sussman
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