Woodstock minus the awesome music

For the 40-year anniversary of Woodstock, which has been dubbed the greatest music festival of our parents’ generation, director Ang Lee (“Brokeback Mountain,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) brings a look at the people behind the scenes who financed and organized the legendary festival in Bethel, New York.

“Taking Woodstock” is about the kid who made it all happen. Elliot Teichberg (Demetri Martin) is a designer who leaves his career in the big city to keep his parents Sonia (Imelda Staunton) and Jake (Henry Goodman) from losing the family motel. Elliot also happens to be the head of Bethel’s Chamber of Commerce, so when he hears about a festival in need of a location he makes the phone call that changed history.

When it becomes clear that his family plot will not be big enough for the event – which had a predicted turnout of 50,000 and actual turnout of half a million – Elliot introduces the festival financiers to Max Yasgur (Eugene Levy), a dairy farmer and unassuming businessman who lends his land.

As the festival approaches, the conflict between the irritated and overly protective townspeople and the laid back mass of invading hippies becomes starkly apparent. As the onslaught of hippies floods the streets, traffic stalls for miles, space is scarce and the festival becomes a free event. But the intruders are so polite that the indigenous folks are forced to deal with them.

For audiences yearning to reminisce about the 1969 festival, the documentary “Woodstock” (1970) is a far superior film. It was filmed at the original festival and actually includes live performances, whereas “Taking Woodstock” sacrifices the music in favor of overtly highlighting the shifting ideals of the time: Mom represents the selfish incorrectness of the American Dream, a same-sex encounter is received with applause, a cop with the intent to bash hippies is rendered peaceful and a cross-dressing bodyguard (Liev Schreiber) randomly shows up to fight gangsters that surprisingly vanish after being chased off by an old man with a broom.

By the end of the film loose ends remain untied, important characters vanish and a resolution seems impossible. Fortunately no film about Woodstock would be complete without a vivid LSD-induced trip.

The saga of Woodstock deserves better than a colorful Hollywood depiction. Hopefully they will get it right for the 50-year anniversary.