Taking Woodstock (2009)

Director:

Ang Lee

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

28 August 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music

Tagline:

"A Generation Began In His Backyard."

Plot:

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:

1969 | Concert | Motel | Abstract Painting | Interior Decorator

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Henry Goodman	...	Jake Teichberg
Edward Hibbert	...	British Gentleman
Imelda Staunton	...	Sonia Teichberg
Demetri Martin	...	Elliot Tiber
Emile Hirsch	...	Billy
Paul Dano	...	VW Guy
Kelli Garner	...	VW Girl
Clark Middleton	...	Frank
Bette Henritze	...	Annie
Sondra James	...	Margaret
Jeffrey Dean Morgan	...	Dan
Christina Kirk	...	Carol
Gail Martino	...	Town Clerk
Lee Wong	...	George the Doorman (as Takeo Lee Wong)
Adam LeFevre	...	Dave

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

France:110 min (Cannes Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #45200) | New Zealand:R16 | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/16 | Ireland:16 | Hong Kong:III | Singapore:R21 | Germany:6 | Australia:MA | Netherlands:12 | Mexico:B15

Filming Locations:

Cherry Plain State Park, New York, USA

Company:

Focus Features

Trivia:

According to The Washington Post, screenwriter and producer James Schamus told reporters at the Cannes Film Festival that the biggest challenge in casting extras for the film was to find people "who were not working out all the time, and who still had pubic hair."

Goofs:

Factual errors: When they are going to the concert we hear Melanie singing "Beautiful People" and it is daylight. Melanie actually performed at 11:00 PM when it was dark.

Quotes:

Carol: Everyone with their little perspective. Perspective shuts out the universe, it keeps the love out.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Late Show with David Letterman: (#16.194)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

America

Does a great job of focusing on the side story, rather than the obvious big picture.

I like how director Ang Lee offers something different with every film. The first tim ei laid my eyes upon his work was with 2003's "Hulk".....now a lot of people hated that movie, but i found it very enjoyable. Then of course there is "Brokeback Mountain", in which i found it rather bland. But his last movie, "Lust Caution" was probably the one i disliked the most. However, each of his films are very different......no, not just with their stories, but the way they are each presented.......and in my eye, he presents them very well. And honestly, i cannot wait to see him take a hack at a period piece such as Woodstock. Here is something i liked more than anything in the movie.......rather than WOW you with awesome music, or have them cut the camera away to show Janis Joplin or Jimi Hendrix.......they actually focus on the how this all came together, which was great......because not only was the story very entertaining, but it created this essence about the concert, that it was something far off in the distance that you would never see, and you only heard people talking about it......i mean you obviously know now what it was all about.....but it takes you on this incredible journey of this small town family, and when you finally get a small glimpse of the concert......oh my goodness, it was enough to take your breathe away. Mainl because you see all this preparation, and all these people.....you want to see what all this fuss is about, but it never goes deep inside, and that is what i loved about this movie. It focused its lense on the people to the side, the ones who were the most important, and it showed how they viewed this concert. But the one thing that i must talk about is the scene when our main character first arrives at the actual field......hence, the acid phase. Now im sure you have seen some cool stuff in other movies like "Fear in Loathing" or "Yellow Submarine", because i surely have........but i can assure you this.......that was probably the realist acid trip ever caught on camera. At times, i literally had to look away from the screen and wipe the drool off my face, because it was too real. It captures the feeling of being at an actual festival, better than anything i have ever seen on film before. Job well done in that department. Bottom Line.......great movie. That is it. Now im sure most of you want the whole, hey lets meet the bands and what not......if you want that, you can watch a million documentaries about it on VH1. But this movie takes you on a much different trip. One that i actually liked. Let's face it.....i have lived that life, and it is now gone from me........but it certainly created those old feelings in my soul once more. Fantastic period piece. Easily my favorite Ang Lee film to date.