Taking Woodstock (2009)

A man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers:

James Schamus (screenplay), Elliot Tiber (book),

Stars:

Henry Goodman, Edward Hibbert, Imelda Staunton

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Henry Goodman	...	Jake Teichberg
Edward Hibbert	...	British Gentleman
Imelda Staunton	...	Sonia Teichberg
Demetri Martin	...	Elliot Teichberg
Kevin Chamberlin	...	Jackson Spiers
Lee Wong	...	George the Doorman (as Takeo Lee Wong)
Anthoula Katsimatides	...	Esther
Clark Middleton	...	Frank
Bette Henritze	...	Annie
Sondra James	...	Margaret
Jeffrey Dean Morgan	...	Dan
Christina Kirk	...	Carol
Gail Martino	...	Town Clerk
Emile Hirsch	...	Billy
Adam LeFevre	...	Dave

Storyline

A man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.

---

Plot Keywords:

catskills | concert | motel | undressing | town name in title | 

---

Taglines:

"A Generation Began In His Backyard."

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual content, drug use and language

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Aconteceu em Woodstock

Filming Locations:

Cherry Plain State Park, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,457,760 (USA) (28 August 2009)

Gross:

$7,443,007 (USA) (25 September 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although no actual Woodstock footage was used, the movie included re-enacted scenes of the original Woodstock movie being made as background to the action. Two examples are the film crew on the road to the festival getting the walking nuns to flash the peace sign and the toilet-cleaning "Port-O-San" man being interviewed.

---

Goofs

The song Maggie M'Gill by The Doors was used in one of the scenes. It was not released until 1970 and appeared on the Morrison Hotel album.

---

Quotes

Billy: I remember this hill.
Elliot Tiber: Like "remember" remember or "Vietnam flashback" remember?

---

Connections

Featured in Peace, Love and Cinema (2009)

---

Soundtracks

"America"
Written by Paul Simon
Produced by Sourcerer
Performed by Ken Strange, Jeff Paris and Robert Hackl (as Bob Hackl)

User Reviews

Highly Entertaining

Taking Woodstock is a hilarious film, beautifully photographed and filled with performances that capture the idealism of the '60s. Ang Lee does a masterful job capturing the madness and chaos associated with trying to stage a major rock festival in a rural community, even to the point of borrowing split-screen techniques from the Woodstock documentary.

Demetri Martin plays Elliot Tiber (Teichberg) and does a fine job as the son torn between independence and duty to his aging parents, Imelda Staunton and Henry Goodman (five-star performances by both). Eugene Levy plays the shrewd Max Yasgur with a twinkle in his eye, and Liev Schrieber is unforgettable as the ex-Marine and transvestite who provides security for the Teichberg family's motel.

Taking Woodstock is a highly entertaining movie.