Good funny movie Don't know who so lowly Rated. don't people actually enjoy movies anymore?

dfwforeignbuff

vIdea: a movie about Woodstock not about the music of the Festival & but instead concentrates on one guy who held the musical festival & fair permit to allow Woodstock to happen in small town in upstate NY. In 1969 a music festival named Woodstock has its roots in the entrepreneurship of Eliot Tiber (Demetri Martin); He is a interior decorator from Greenwich Village. His parents Sonia Teichberg (Imedla Staunton) & Jake Teichberg (Henry Goodman) own a cheesy motel in the Catskills that is about to go out of business when Eliot steps in with his inspiration. He calls in the promoter of the concert Michael Lang (Jonathan Groff) & introduces him to Max Yasgur (Eugene Levy) whose large pastoral farmlands could be a perfect location for the music festival. In the meantime Eliot keeps his personal life private, but yearns to join the music festival crowd to unleash his true self. In the meantime, the festival turns into a happening when several hundred thousand budding hippies show up. There are several plots here all interesting & funny. Martin is in what should be his breakout role to fame. (He is already a good comedian.) This movie does not focus at all on any of the music or performers. In fact it is almost a comedic assault on a lot of people the local town people & the people who show up for Woodstock including freaks transsexuals cross dressers Jews performance artists & actors. It is very charming & hysterically funny! The parents are both especially funny. In 1968 being out & gay was a very big deal-that does not play like that here. Film is a sweet comedy of transformation in which the changes in Elliot mirror a cultural revolution. (Did Woodstock Change the World??) Too bad they could not have included the actual Woodstock footage. I guess copyright holders would not allow it. I have liked most of Ang Lees movies-he is a truly great film makers. (Lust & Caution was a bore to me) I like this movie a lot it is a fascinating & very funny fictional account of the behind the scenes of what became Woodstock. Ang Lee is not afraid of fresh challenges!!! This film is not as great as some of his other movies but it really is a good movie. 4 Stars!!

score 8/10

dfwforeignbuff 6 March 2010

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2217225/