{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Liberty Kid | image = | alt = | caption = | director = Ilya Chaiken | producer = Larry Fessenden<br />Roger Kass<br />Mike King<br />Mike S. Ryan<br />Claude Wasserstein | writer = Ilya Chaiken | starring = Al Thompson<br />Kareem Savinon<br />Anny Mariano<br />Rayniel Rufino | music = Jeff Grace | cinematography = Eliot Rockett | editing = Dave Rock | studio = Glass Eye Pix | distributor = | released = {{Film date|2007|06||Los Angeles Film Festival}} | runtime = 92 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''Liberty Kid''''' is a 2007 low-budget American film directed by Ilya Chaiken.
==Plot== Two friends Derrick and Tico lost their jobs at a concession stand at the Statue of Liberty because of the September 11 attacks. In order to make money, they become drug dealers and participate in insurance scams. Derrick wants to go to college and has to support his two kids. When recruiters from the army come, Derrick decides to join the army<ref name="New York Times">{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/movies/09libe.html |title=Two Drifting Life Rafts on a Sea of Circumstance |accessdate=2010-01-08 |last=Catsoulis |first=Jeannette |date=2008-01-09 |work=New York Times }}</ref> because he is told that he'll get money for college and live rent free. When he tells his mom his decision, she says that she is afraid that he'll have to go to war. The recruiter tells him that his mom is only worried because it is her job as a mom.<ref name="Pop Matters">{{cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/liberty-kid |title=Liberty Kid |accessdate=2010-01-08 |last=Fuchs |first=Cynthia |date=2008-02-11 |work=Pop Matters |archive-date=2012-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310000017/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/liberty-kid/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Reception== The film got 87% on Rotten Tomatoes out of 15 reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/liberty_kid/ |title=Liberty Kid (2007) |accessdate=2010-01-08 |work=Rotten Tomatoes }}</ref>
Stephen Farber of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' said that even though "Liberty Kid" is a small film, much of it is deeply poignant; it enhances our compassion for all the ghosts of Sept. 11. Its cautiously optimistic conclusion also strikes a welcome note without falling into sentimentality.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp?&rid=9464 |title=Liberty Kid |accessdate=2010-01-08 |last=Barber |first=Stephen |date=2007-07-06 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129154631/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film/reviews/article_display.jsp |archivedate=January 29, 2010 }}</ref> Bilge Ebiri of ''The Nerve'' said that a lesser director would have played this story for cheap emotions. But to her eternal credit, Chaiken keeps her movie grounded in her characters, allowing Thompson and Savinon's true-to-life performances to carry us through what is, on paper, an elaborate plot.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nerve.com/filmlounge/review/thelibertykid/index.aspx |title=Liberty Kid |accessdate=2010-01-08 |last=Eberi |first=Bilge |work=The Nerve }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Don Willmot of ''Film Critic'' said that Thompson and Savinon are a terrific pair and deserve big parts in bigger films.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/reviews/Liberty-Kid |title=Liberty Kid |accessdate=2010-01-08 |last=Willmott |first=Don |year=2008 |work=Film Critic }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Awards== The film won Best Film at the New York Latino Film Festival.<ref name="Pop Matters"/> The film won Critics' Pick from both ''The New York Times''<ref name="New York Times"/> and ''New York Magazine''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/listings/movie/liberty-kid/ |title=Liberty Kid |accessdate=2010-01-09 |work=New York Magazine }}</ref>
==Film festivals== The film played at New York Latino Film Festival,<ref name="Pop Matters"/> the Woodstock Film Festival,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/festival2007/details.php?id=17776 |title=Liberty Kid |accessdate=2010-01-08 |work=Woodstock Film Festival |archive-date=2009-09-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090919153437/http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/festival2007/details.php?id=17776 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the Atlanta Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://atlanta.bside.com/2008/films/libertykid_atlanta2008 |title=Liberty Kid |accessdate=2010-01-08 |work=Atlanta Film Festival |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708103121/http://atlanta.bside.com/2008/films/libertykid_atlanta2008 |archivedate=2011-07-08 }}</ref>
==DVD release== The DVD has an audio commentary by Chaiken, Thompson, and Saviñon, deleted scenes, behind the scenes featurette, photo gallery, and conversations with Iraq War veterans as special features. The DVD is in 5.1 stereo sound.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.libertykidmovie.com/ |title=Liberty Kid |accessdate=2010-01-08 |work=Official website |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527063643/http://www.libertykidmovie.com/ |archivedate=2010-05-27 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|0850307|Liberty Kid}} * {{Rotten-tomatoes|liberty_kid|Liberty Kid}}
Category:2007 films Category:2007 drama films Category:Films based on the September 11 attacks Category:American drama films Category:2007 English-language films Category:2007 American films Category:English-language drama films