Taking Woodstock

Taking Woodstock has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. With 480 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Demetri Martin leads a cast with real comic timing. There is no real reason to keep putting it off.

Taking Woodstock arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate Taking Woodstock from the crowd. The story of Elliot Tiber and his family, who inadvertently played a pivotal role in making the famed Woodstock Music and Arts Festival into the happening that it was. When Elliot hears that a neighboring town has pulled the permit on a hippie music festival, he calls the producers thinking he could drum up some much-needed business for his parents' run-down motel. Three weeks later, half a million people are on their way to his neighbor’s farm in White Lake, New York, and Elliot finds himself swept up in a generation-defining experience that would change his life–and American culture–forever. Demetri Martin and Imelda Staunton lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2009. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Taking Woodstock holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, Taking Woodstock is a strong candidate. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Demetri Martin is funny in a way that holds up on rewatch. Put it on when you need something guaranteed to land.