A 1999 American Dramedy written and directed by Barry Levinson set in the 1950s of a Jewish family living in a Suburban neighborhood in Baltimore. One of the sons, Ben (Ben Foster), meets a young black girl, Sylvia (Rebekah Johnson) as schools desegregate as a theme of race relations at the time as the two form a friendship.
The movie also stars Adrien Brody, Bebe Neuwirth, Joe Mantegna, and David Krumholtz.
It was released on November 17, 1999.
Tropes for the film:
- Appeal to Flattery: Little Melvin is able to charm the woman at the Royal into letting him in without paying. Scribbles, Little Melvin's bodyguard, tries to charm the woman as well by telling her how pretty she looks. For him, it doesn't work, and she won't let him in without paying.
- Backfire on the Witness Stand: Played for Laughs; when Van is called on to testify at a trial involving Trey's drunk driving accident, and is being sworn in as a witness, to the question, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?", he answers, "No." (this is done to help the defendant). Needless to say, the trial ends in a mistrial.
- Brick Joke: At the beginning of the movie, Ben and his friends go to an outdoor public pool that has a sign reading, "No Jews, Dogs, or Colored Allowed". Near the end of the movie, Ben and his friends go back to the pool, tear the sign down, and go into the pool.
- Civil Rights Movement: Set during integration.
- The '50s: Set in 1954.
- Historical Domain Character: Ben meets Sylvia to go see James Brown.
- I Have Your Wife: Little Melvin ends up kidnapping Ben to get Nate to give him his Cadillac to make up for the money he owes.
- Love at First Sight: When Van sees Dubbie at Halloween party, he's instantly smitten with her.
- Period Piece: Set during the Civil Rights Movement.
- Refuge in Audacity: Ben does this twice:
- First, he decides to dress up as Adolf Hitler for Halloween. Needless to say, his parents won't allow him to go out unless he changes his costume.
- Then, near the end, when he and his friends go to the public pool they were barred from because they were Jewish (see Brick Joke above), the three of them spell out "Jew" on their chests.
- Serious Business: When Sylvia's father drives Ben home, Ben won't step out of the car until the Frank Sinatra song finishes playing on the radio, because, as he says, "You don't walk out on Frank, sir. You see, it would be too disrespectful."
- Shout-Out: Van thinks Dubbie is dressed up as Cinderella when he sees her at the Halloween party.
- Troubled, but Cute: Dubbie is a rare female version. Van is in love with her as soon as he sees her, but as her ex-boyfriend Trey tells him, she's "dangerous - handle with care", which Van finds out when she gets drunk, starts laughing and then starts crying for no discernible reason.
- Vomit Discretion Shot: While she and Van are in a motel room, Dubbie at one point vomits in a toilet, though we only see her from the back.
