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‘Taking Woodstock’ rocks
If you’re planning your summer movie-going, take a note of this weekend. Aug. 15-18. That will be the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, and it’s also when director Ang Lee’s new comedy, ‘Taking Woodstock,’ will open in the States.
It’s yet another uplifting movie from Cannes, which isn’t usually known for its uplift and is more associated with edgy violence, sexuality and cutting-edge filmmaking.
Make no mistake. ‘Taking Woodstock’ isn’t a rehash of the music from the fantastic festival of 1969. Instead, it’s the story of the people behind the festival, mainly Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin) and his dysfunctional parents who run a dilapidated motel in the Catskills. When Tiber hears that a neighboring town has rejected having the music festival, he tells the organizers that his little burg would be the perfect place. And he puts the organizers in touch with dairy farmer Max Yasgur.
Most of the movie deals with the Tiber family dynamics. Elliot is a closeted gay who has not come out to his parents and has returned from Greenwich Village to help them run the motel for the summer. Henry Goodman plays his father Jake, and the wonderfully maddening Imelda Staunton plays his Russian Jewish immigrant mother, who is full of bossiness, as well as fear and loathing.
When Elliot starts the process that turns into one of the biggest free-love events of all time, the maelstrom of hippiedom transforms not only Elliot but also his parents. And it speaks to the power of a movement that has long since been in hibernation in America, regrettably.
Liev Schreiber has a great role as a cross-dressing former Marine who signs up to do security for Elliot and his family during the hippie invasion. And one of the greatest lines comes when Elliot asks him about his seemingly blossoming relationship with his parents. In particular, Elliot wants to know if his dad knows what kind of person has become his new friend. To which Schreiber’s character replies, “I know what I am, so that makes it easier for everyone.” Truer words never spoken.
The only sour note comes early, when a local Vietnam veteran played by Emile Hirsch starts having flashbacks. The scene seems false, and I’m not sure why, since Hirsch is a fine actor. But the rest of “Taking Woodstock” is a joy, although it might leave you wishing that those days had never ended. (Yes, I was a hippie, and I played the Woodstock album over and over in my teens.) It made me downright melancholic, but in a good way.
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By Dd
May 15, 2009 7:17 PM | Link to this
So it is not likely to get any awards, but it will be entertaining, right? It is good to know, because I’ve heard people said they were disappointed that it is a behind the scene making of the Wookstock, and we don’t get to see the actual festival.