Giving Back Woodstock

Taking Woodstock, a comedic account of the concert that revolutionized musical culture in the 60’s, ineffectually attempts to recount Woodstock’s generational influences. Hoping for a retrospective depiction of the famed event, I was utterly disappointed with the perspective that director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Hulk) and screenplay writer James Schamus portrayed. Instead of glorifying the tradition and music, the film consisted mainly of ribald comments and crude characterizations of stereotypical hippies. The plot centers on young adult Elliot Tiber (Demetri Martin) who struggles with mediocrity as an adjunct manager of his parent’s motel, The El Monaco. Tiber obtains a permit for what was intended to become a small, annual cultural festival, but when Woodstock is forced to relocate, the White Lake, NY native jumps at the opportunity to attract a bevy of customers to the deteriorating motel. The story then gravitates around the chaos caused by an influx of ‘free spirits’ who damage Tiber’s and surrounding properties, and whose wild antics disturb the conservative-minded town. Raw, illicit themes associated with Woodstock are highlighted in the behind-the-scenes portrayal of the concert. Martin’s character never actually attends the concert, although he organizes the event, because he is too preoccupied taking care of the disorderly motel. The only positive element to the movie was the use of newscasts and wardrobe/hair/language styles emphasize the 60’s setting, but the excessive reminders of the time period suffocate the audience. For the most part, Taking Woodstock was a slow moving, bawdy film that further tarnishes the reputation of an innovative and profound event.