Taking Woodstock (2009) directed by Ang Lee

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Director: Ang Lee

Writers (WGA): James Schamus (screenplay)
Elliot Tiber (book)
Tom Monte (book)

Release Date: 11 June 2009 (Biografilm Festival, Italy)
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.

A generation began in his backyard. From Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), comes Taking Woodstock, a new comedy inspired by the true story of Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin) and his family, who inadvertently played a pivotal role in making the famed Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the happening that it was.

Its 1969, and Elliot Tiber, a down-on-his-luck interior designer in Greenwich Village, New York, has to move back upstate to help his parents run their dilapidated Catskills motel, The El Monaco. The banks about to foreclose; his father wants to burn the place down, but hasnt paid the insurance; and Elliot is still figuring how to come out to his parents.

When Elliot hears that a neighboring town has pulled the permit on a hippie music festival, he calls the producers, thinking he could drum up some much-needed business for the motel. Three weeks later, half a million people are on their way to his neighbors farm in White Lake, NY, and Elliot finds himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life, and American culture, forever.

Awards: 2009 Golden Palm Nomination to Ang Lee, Cannes Film Festival
2010 GLAAD Media Award Nomination as Outstanding Film - Wide Release
2009 World Soundtrack Award Nomination as Film Composer of the Year to Danny Elfman (Also for Milk (2008) and Notorious (2009))

@IMDb
@Amazon: Taking Woodstock
@Netflix











Cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification
Demetri Martin ... Elliot Tiber
Darren Pettie ... Paul
Liev Schreiber ... Vilma
Jonathan Groff ... Michael Lang
Henry Goodman ... Jake Teichberg
Edward Hibbert ... British Gentleman
Imelda Staunton ... Sonia Teichberg
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
Eugene Levy ... Max Yasgur
Andy Prosky ... Bob
Dan Fogler ... Devon
Carmel Amit ... Earthlight Player
Zachary Booth ... Earthlight Player
Jennifer Merrill ... Earthlight Player
Ivan Sandomire ... Earthlight Player
Matthew Shear ... Earthlight Player
Darcy Bledsoe ... Earthlight Player
Halley Cianfarini ... Earthlight Player
Jesse Kile ... Earthlight Player
Ashley Middlebrook ... Earthlight Player
Bec Stupak ... Earthlight Player
Gabriel Sunday ... Steven
Mamie Gummer ... Tisha
Stephen Kunken ... Mel Lawrence
Adam Pally ... Artie Kornfeld
Kevin Sussman ... Stan
Pippa Pearthree ... Miriam
Skylar Astin ... John Roberts
Daniel Eric Gold ... Joel Rosenman
Leonard Berdick ... Angry Diner Patron
Sharon J. Giroux ... Angry Diner Patron
William B. Ward Jr. ... Angry Diner Patron
Louisa Krause ... Hippie Girl
Spadaque Volcimus ... Hippie Guy
Bill Coelius ... Inspector
Nick Taylor ... Inspector
Michael Izquierdo ... John Morris
Katherine Waterston ... Penny
Will Janowitz ... Chip Monck
Jeremy Shamos ... Steve Cohen
Malachy Cleary ... Wes Pomeroy
Richard Thomas ... Reverend Don
Sebastian Beacon ... Assistant
Kelly Klein ... Assistant
Garett Ross ... Woodstock Ventures PA
Andrew Katz ... Hippie in Line
Patrick Cupo ... Charlie
Boris McGiver ... Doug
Caitlin Fitzgerald ... Young Woman
Michael J. Burg ... Journalist
Stefano Da Fre ... Young Man
Taunia Hottman-Hubbard ... Journalist
David Lavine ... Journalist
Michael Zegen ... Young Man #1 (Bernie)
Andrew Zox ... Sam
Angus Hamilton ... Hairy Pretzel
Christopher Meier ... Hairy Pretzel
Richard Phelan McGreal ... Hairy Pretzel
Casson Rugen ... Hairy Pretzel
Joseph Ulmer ... Hairy Pretzel
Harry Zittel ... Young Guy at Phone
Alyssa May Gold ... Young Girl at Phone
Gaston Jean-Baptiste ... Bongo Player
Michael McGinnis ... Flautist
Dan Knobler ... Guitar Player
Jon Seale ... Congo Player
David Wilson Barnes ... News Reporter
James Hanlon ... State Trooper AJ Hamilton
Don Puglisi ... Dealer
Kirsten Bach ... Bra Burner
Kevin Chamberlin ... Jackson Spiers
Rachel Morrall ... Bra Burner
Anthoula Katsimatides ... Esther
Marjorie Austrian ... St. Paul Lady
Kyle Plante ... Interviewer
Lew Zucker ... Worker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lee M. Cunningham ... Georgette's Girlfriend
Jason Antoon ... Abbie Hoffman (uncredited)
Spencer Aste ... Parked Hippie (uncredited)
D.M. Atlas ... Hippie (uncredited)
Seth Barrish ... Angry Townsperson (uncredited)
David Breitenstein ... Regional Press (uncredited)
Kevin T. Collins ... Guy at Motel (uncredited)
Jeff Delauter ... Documentary Soundman (uncredited)
Adam Desautels ... Concert Staff (uncredited)
John Francis Duggan ... Film Crew Member (uncredited)
Jordan Fish ... Documentary Filmmaker (uncredited)
Joe Forbrich ... Cop (uncredited)
Michael Grantland ... Cameraman (uncredited)
Becca Greenwald ... City Girl (uncredited)
Eugene Kim ... Hippie (uncredited)
Damian Kulash ... Singer (uncredited)
Aaron Lambert ... Office worker (uncredited)
Ronete Levenson ... Girl In Hotel (uncredited)
David MacNutt ... Documentary Filmmaker (uncredited)
Michael Peavey ... Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
Ian Pickus ... Hippie (uncredited)
Steve Ricard ... Hippie (uncredited)
Bill Richards ... Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
Joshua Safdie ... Documentary Cameraman (uncredited)
Skip Shea ... Angry Townsperson (uncredited)
Nicole Signore ... The Wandering Hippie (uncredited)
Darcy Singer ... Hippie (uncredited)
Victoria Stankiewicz ... Hippy Chick (uncredited)
Jay Storey ... Reporter (uncredited)
Ray Tintori ... Documentary Cameraman (uncredited)
Adam Van Der Voort ... College Wannabe Hippie (uncredited)
Amber Lea Voiles ... Political Activist (uncredited)
Bob Weisz ... Documentary Soundman (uncredited)

       
Elliot & Wilma

       
Paul & Michael

Comments

[lab-jazz.livejournal.com]

I love this movie and I can't understand why it got so many bad reviews. I saw it in the cinema and when it came out on DVD I went and bought it

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

LOL, you are fast! I still need to post my comment about it. But yes, also I wondered why it hadn't much exposure, it's a nice movie, even if the "romance" aspect was a bit downplayed.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I like the movie, it has for sure a good direction, good cast and wonderful setting. But I had a feeling that some side of the story was only hinted and purposedly downplayed. Like, I really had the impression that something between Elliot and Michael was let to imagination, like Elliot wanted to suggest something but being both of them real life characters, he hasn't the courage to say it aloud. Then Elliot's story with Paul, it was nice, and good romance material, but then we realize something really happened, and we weren't allowed to know until the end... it was frustrating, we witnessed to all the teasing and neither a bit to the main plate. Finally a very big compliment to Vilma's character, it is probably the best of all the movie. I really wouldn't mind to see a story all about her... him.

[snowmore.livejournal.com]

Thank you for posting about this movie and giving your review. I'm putting this on my want-to-rent list. :)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

It was my pleasure. I indeed noticed that, despite the famous director, Ang Lee, the movie didn't have much buzz when it was out.

[pandorasvase.livejournal.com]

Credo di aver guardato il film la prima volta solo per Vilma :P Ho visto la foto da qualche parte e beh, considerato l'attore, ero molto curiosa.
Peccato sia passato tanto in sordina.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

forse è uscito nel periodo sbagliato... però Vilma è davvero un personaggio stupendo.

[lucifuge-5.livejournal.com]

It's interesting how little buzz this movie had by the time it premiered. Especially because the gay press (both print and online) was very positive in their reviews (although the majority of them *did* point out how the gay romance wasn't the main story.)

In truth, I've yet to see it /Luce\. For some strange reason, I just never got the itch to watch it (although it's in my Netflix queue . . . all the way at the end.) :-/

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

It's really more a mainstream movie than a gay-themed one. And the romance is almost non-existent, when instead it could have been a nice aspect of it. But the idea is good and the director great, so I recommend to see it.