Paving The Way To The Future (one chocolate milk at a time)

druid333-2

After Ang Lee's last film, 'Lust,Caution' folded at the box office, he & his frequent collaborator,James Schamus had to re coup their losses. They found the answer in Elliot Tiber's novel, Taking Woodstock, an account of what could have happened when the festival backers were turned down on their request for the proposed original site of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Rather than centering on the concert itself, 'Taking Woodstock' focuses on the "behind the scenes" of the festival. Henry Goodman stars as Jake Teichenberg,who acts as the manager of his parents run down motel, in upstate New York. Jake is also the key member of the local board of selectman,overseeing legal permits being doled out. When concert promoter,Michael Lang (played by Johnathan Groff)approaches Jake for a permit for his three day festival,Jake goes for it,seeing the potential for extra money. What he gets is a maze of dirty politics,scores of young people trying to head for the festival site,the usual bunch of right wing conservatives who would love nothing more than to shut down the festival,and other elements. Imelda Staunton acts as Jake's shrewish mother,Sonia,and Demetri Martin is Elliot,Jake's down beaten by the years father. The film gets some nice support from Emile Hirsch as Billy,a Vietnam war veteran,who's freaked out by everything around him (PTSD,anyone?),Eugene Levy has some brief,but solid screen time as dairy farmer,Max Yasgur,who was the one to give the green light to use his land for the festival,and if you don't blink,you'll spot Richard Thomas (The Waltons),in a brief cameo as Reverend Don. Danny Elfman wrote the original music score (but the film does have a few original songs that were featured in the Woodstock festival:Freedom,by Richie Havens,Volunteers,by the Jefferson Airplane,and others heard mostly in the background). The film's pacing is a bit draggy at times,but is still worth a look. Rated 'R'by the MPAA for pervasive,full frontal nudity (both female & male),some sexual content,profanity & drug content. Probably not a good choice for the little ones.

score 8/10

druid333-2 30 August 2009

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2119548/