Taking Woodstock

1969 was a time of sex, drugs, war and debauchery. Okay, so I’m only twenty-three, and my parents are barely old enough to remember the 60’s. Yet aside from Forest Gump, which happened to be from the point-of-view of a man with a mental retardation, Taking Woodstock seems to be the most accurate depiction of the time period on film. That I can earnestly judge, because I just recently finished a course on U. S. history.

What makes this film work is Ang Lee’s usual special attention spent on detail. The hair, the clothes and the mood was all just groovy, baby. Even the massive amounts of mud and slime made Woodstock seem like the coolest place on earth you could possibly be. The mellow attitudes of the pill-popping, clothes dropping, blunt smoking hippies perfectly contrasted with the small time, small minded town that could only be shaken up by a coming out youngster who just happened to take charge of the city council in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. Lee created a safe haven for confused youths to express themselves, a place for harmony and peace. Although, if you are going make a movie about Woodstock, it might be a wise decision to include some actual footage from the concert or at least play some of the music.

But what really didn’t work was the plot, or lack-thereof. The sixties were a time of calamity. Everyone was crazy, and while Woodstock was perhaps the craziest place of all, there were certainly more storylines happening on those acres than a troubled kid who can’t seem to get along with his parents. I think John Hughes already covered that subject enough times for the century.

With Eugene Levy and Demetri Martin in the mix, I would have expected the seriousness of the situation toned down to make room for Caddyshack or Animal House. It appears that Lee is just a little desperate for another Oscar and comedy is clearly not the best area for him to achieve that. Stay the hell away from Diablo Cody.

If you want to sit back, chill out, and play pass the blunt, than this is the movie for you. If you are looking for something profound and thought provoking, then why the hell would you pick a movie about Woodstock? We all know what happened there, now we finally get to experience it.

Pick a Flick Rating: solid B