Ang Lee's movies can be awfully serious. Think about the filmmaker's two most recent works,
Lust, Caution (2007) and
Brokeback Mountain - Review (2005), a tragic tale of espionage gone awry and a closeted gay love affair that ends in despair. No such sorry fate awaits the immensely likable Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin) in Lee's lighthearted comedy
Taking Woodstock.
In his adaptation of Elliot Tiber's memoir, Lee follows Teichberg's small but crucial role in the the planning stages of the now infamous music festival, currently celebrating its fortieth anniversary. In the course of the film, Elliot also takes acid in the back of the van with two random hippies (a long haired Paul Dano and Kelli Garner). He also kisses a boy. Perhaps most importantly, he stands up to his mother, the formidable Imelda Staunton.
Elliot is hard at work trying to save his parents' motel in the Catskills when he reads that a neighboring town has pulled the plug on the fest. He contacts the producer Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff with the requisite curly hair) and offers a town permit -- and the rest is history. We watch the hilarious antics of the Earthlight Players, the hippie theater group who rent the Teichberg's barn. We're treated to the gentle and amusing performance of Liev Scrieber, who wears a dress for the role of Vilma, a beefy transexual who provides security at the motel. We are introduced to Max Yasgur (Eugene Levy), the farmer of the iconic Joni Mitchell song who happily welcomes the festival to his cow fields - for a price.
Taking Woodstock is enormous fun. Lee doesn't focus on the festival itself. You won't see any of the actual music performed (to satisfy that need, you have
Woodstock, the classic, recently rereleased documentary). Instead, the film focuses on the frantic days of preparation leading up to the festival, as a small sleepy community deals with the overwhelming infestion of long haired youth. Lee captures the sudden anarchy that takes over the Catskills: the steady flow of hippies who clog the once quiet city streets, who climb the fences, and swim naked in local ponds. There's plenty of casual nudity in
Taking Woodstock.
In the midst of so much chaos, Elliot comes of age. Demetri Martin is terrific in his first starring role. As the conflicted, responsible son, he is funny and smart -- certainly someone to root for. Jimi Hendrix might be on stage a couple of miles down the road making history, but Elliot never hears it. He returns home to eat breakfast with his parents.
Taking Woodstock
Starring: Henry Goodman, Edward Hibbert, Imelda Staunton, Demetri Martin, Kevin Chamberlin
Directed by: Ang Lee
Produced by: Michael Hausman, James Schamus, Celia D. Costas
Running Time: 2 hrs.
Release Date: August 28th, 2009 (limited)
MPAA Rating: R for graphic nudity, some sexual content, drug use and language.
Distributors: Focus Features
