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:

Demetri Martin, Henry Goodman, Edward Hibbert

8 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.

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Plot Keywords:

lsd | male full frontal nudity | catskills | concert | musician | 

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Taglines:

"A Generation Began In His Backyard."

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Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | History | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the end of the film, Michael Lang says he's going to San Francisco to organize a free concert with the Rolling Stones. He's referring to the infamous Altamont Free Concert, where four people ended up dead, one of them by homicide. Because of these violent events, the concert was later on viewed as the end of the hippie era.

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Goofs

When Elliott returns to the motel after sliding/playing in the mud, his clothes are clean and dry.

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Quotes

[the Chamber of Commerce discussing tourism ideas]
Frank: Well, okay. We got a lot of dairy farms around here, right? And a fair number of bulls. Okay, you've all heard of the running of the bulls in that town in Spain, Pampoona.
Elliot Tiber: Pamplona.
Frank: Well, no one's doing one in the Catskills. Seems to be a big draw over there.
Annie: It would be very amusing to see all those Jews from Levitsky's summer colony, you know, the ones with the black top hats and the curls, running for their lives chased by our local livestock. ...

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Cannes Film Festival 2009 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Stoned on the Range
Written and Performed by Don Puglisi

User Reviews

Captures the Spirit of Woodstock in a Unique Way

From reading some of the other comments it sounds like most people that are disappointed in this film were mainly put off due to their expectations for a film that focuses on the music.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I loved the unique focus on the small town that hosted the festival and how it affected all of their lives. I believe it was a great way to really capture the vibe of Woodstock without getting too rapt up in the actual musicians that were playing, which to me has been focused on enough over the years.

If you have been to a multiple day festival before you will have a wonderful sense of nostalgia. This movie completely captures how amazing people can be when they remove themselves from the hum drum monotony of their day to day lives and get together with like minded strangers for a few days of complete freedom and joy.

A great feel good movie with a lot of veiled depth about the people that helped make Woodstock one of the most famous events the world has known.

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Taking Woodstock

Filming Locations:

Cherry Plain State Park, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,457,760, 30 August 2009

Gross USA:

$7,460,204

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,975,737

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1