Review of Liberty Heights (1999) by Mitchell Y — 17 Jul 2007

I loved this movie - and no one seems to know about it. It was released in the year of the Matrix, but I find this character study of a bunch of jewish kids battling racial prejudices (both towards them and from them towards the black neighborhood), girl troubles, impending college acceptances, and family drama in a small suburb of 1950's Baltimore.

The performances are all understated, but nuanced - the humor is comfortable, like that of A Christmas Story. The story covers a range of racial issues, but stays centered on the small cast of characters and that's what makes it work so well.