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IMDb > Taking Woodstock (2009)
Taking Woodstock
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Taking Woodstock (2009) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 18 | slideshow) Videos (see all 20)
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.
Taking Woodstock (2009) -- Clip: Meet some groovy people
Taking Woodstock (2009) -- Interview: Imelda Staunton "On Ang Lee"
Taking Woodstock (2009) -- Trailer based on the true story of how the Woodstock music festival came to be
Taking Woodstock (2009) -- Movieplayer.it - Italian Trailer (Flash)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   3,577 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 48% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers (WGA):
James Schamus (screenplay)
Elliot Tiber (book) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Taking Woodstock on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
28 August 2009 (USA) more
Genre:
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. | full synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
User Comments:
Enjoyable but music is missing more (39 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual content, drug use and language.
Runtime:
France:110 min (Cannes Film Festival)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
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
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
No authentic Woodstock footage was inserted into the film. According to director Ang Lee all the crowd and concert footage was shot specifically for the film. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: 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. more
Quotes:
Vilma: You should see what I'm packing up here. more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Essen more

FAQ

Do they use any of the music from Woodstock?
Who plays the musicians at the concert?
What is the song playing in the second half of the trailer?
more
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful.
Enjoyable but music is missing, 17 October 2009
7/10

I saw this movie being very attracted by the trailer which seemed to offer fun and deep involvement. Now I have seen it, and I can say that it is enjoyable, but not fully convincing. Obviously, Ang Lee drifts attention from the concerts and the music of those three epic days in 1969 to focus on the personal story of a young man and his odd family who worked and lived in the background of this great event. The characters are engaging, very well interpreted, but in the end I missed the real protagonist, music, being it the powerful means through which these young people gave voice to their need for change and revolution and which was revolutionary, indeed. The atmosphere of those days is rendered vividly, we get many physical perceptions, of naked bodies, mud, rain, sun, but not acoustic ones, and I perceived this as a flaw throughout the movie. In the end you ask yourself: wasn't Woodstock mainly a three-day concert? Where is music? The movie is solidly directed, the director knows perfectly what kind of product he wants to offer, and in the end we get fun and reflection around, but never inside an event, which never comes to be explicit. Very good actorial interpretations (Imelda Staunton playing the mother is simply wonderful), although the characters themselves appear to be looking for a soundtrack which lacks till the end.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Taking Woodstock (2009)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Does anyone like this movie? Megan4KSU
What the hell Mao has anything to do with woodstock? zenbutt
WOW.... junkerhaenn
Stay away from this pile of *beep* Thedoorsss
Simpsons Reference bluejeff12
Ang Lee is all over the place with this one davatel2
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