Review of Liberty Heights (1999) by Dan O — 20 Aug 2010

"Liberty Heights" was so not the movie I expected it to be. It was far better. A really enjoyable coming-of-age comedy set in 1950s Baltimore. The movie deals with issues like anti-Semitism, the integration of black people into 'white schools' in America, and interracial love. That may seem like a lot of issues for one film, but surprisingly they donâ??t overwhelm. They all fit pretty well together in the story.

The main characters of "Liberty Heights" are Ben (Ben Foster) and his Jewish family. Ben Foster is for the most part, a great actor. One of those young, completely underrated actors who have only had a few parts that actually demonstrate how great they are. Anyway there are three main storylines involving Ben's family. The first involves Ben falling in love with a 'coloured' girl named Sylvia. There's a great moment towards the beginning of the film where Ben's mother freaks out after hearing Ben call Sylvia "attractive". Then there is the story of Ben's brother (played by Adrien Brody) searching for his dream girl who he met by chance at a party. And finally there's Ben's father (Joe Mantegna) who has issues throughout the film with his dodgy, doomed business - a burlesque show.

"Liberty Heights" is actually one of the most original period pieces I've ever seen. The dialogue seems more realistic of how teenagers would have acted at that time, and how they would have perceived things. There are so many funny moments in this movie. Ben's brother and his friends yell out the window of a car, "Get ready folks, Jews are a-coming!" as they drive to a party over in what they call "Gentile-turf". Throughout the whole movie I was worried it would take a tragic turn or something, but it stayed pretty light. Light and enjoyable, but at the same time dealing with some tough issues.

There's another great moment where Ben dresses as Adolf Hitler for halloween - much to the horror of his mother. â??Mom, the war was over forever agoâ??, he complains. He does it as a joke, but only 9 years after the war ended I can see why his parents would not be amused. I really loved all the scenes with Ben and Sylvia, too. A white Jewish boy having a crush on a black Christian girl practically screams dramatic 'Romeo and Juliet' clichés, but it doesnâ??t really play out that way. I loved that. Ben was definitely my favourite character in the movie. He's a bit oblivious as to how he should act, what he should call things, what he should and should not do - according to his society. And Ben seemed like a better person for that. What will surprise a lot of people about "Liberty Heights" is the array of actors in it. Joe Mantegna, David Krumholtz, Justin Chambers, Shane West, and even Misha Collins of "Supernatural" appears in it a couple of times. Ben Foster and Adrien Brody shine in this movie though.

All ethnicities and religions face problems... and we all have so much in common. I think â??Liberty Heightsâ?? illustrates that really well, even if it is set 50 years ago. The movie probably should have ended about 7 minutes before it did, but the less-than-light ending didnâ??t change my opinions about the movie or anything. It was by no means a tragedy. Philosophical, perhaps. "Liberty Heights" is a bittersweet comedy â?? heavy on the sweetness and comedy. Thatâ??s the best way I can describe it.