Ben is not the only member of the Kurtzman family dealing with what his mother calls “the other kind.” His older brother, Van (Adrian Brody), becomes obsessed with a rich, blond shiksa goddess (Carolyn Murphy). Their father, Nate (Joe Mantegna), who always drives this year’s Cadillac, doesn’t buy it with the money he makes at his dying vaudeville theater but by running numbers. When a small-time drug dealer named Little Melvin (Orlando Jones) wins 100 grand on a number–more than Nate has–Kurtzman has to play dirty to stay afloat, with unexpected consequences for his family.
Fifties coming-of-age tales have become a cliche unto themselves, but Levinson’s reverie feels handcrafted. By focusing on such a specific milieu, he keeps the genre alive with his great ear for small talk, an elegant eye and a warm, forgiving heart. This is nostalgia bottled and aged with care.
