Directed by: Bruce
Beresford
Starring: Jane Fonda,
Catherine Keener, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Elizabeth Olsen, Chase Crawford, Nat
Wolff, Marissa O'Donnell, Rosanna Arquette and Kyle McLachlan
Genre: Comedy, Drama,
Romance
Rated: R
When her husband announces he wants a divorce, uptight New
York City attorney, Diane Hudson, packs her young adult children in the car and
takes them on a vacation to stay with her eccentric, hippie mother in
Woodstock. Having been estranged from her mother, Grace, for twenty years,
Diane has a hard time coming home and an even more difficult time understanding
what brought her back. Slowly, but surely, the charms of her hometown start to
loosen her up, as she and her children begin to explore themselves and find out
who they really are.
Fair warning, this film contains male nudity, alcohol
consumption, marijuana consumption, pagan spirituality and a lot of liberal
politics. If any of that bothers you, you may want to avoid this one. The rest
of you, please follow me as we continue with the review.
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this film, but I'm
glad I decided to watch it. I was in need of a relaxing, feel-good film with
relatable, likable characters and a decent plot and this film delivered. I
enjoy films that take me on a journey of self-discovery and letting go of the
past with the characters, and Diane is reluctantly leading the way, with her
daughter, Zoe, and son, Jake, not far behind.
Diane is the exact opposite of her mother, Grace, and has
spent forty years resenting Grace for her free spirit, obsession with art, sexual
nature, marijuana use, and liberal politics. Despite staying with Grace, she
doesn't want Grace rubbing off on Zoe and Jake, not seeming to realize her kids
may have minds of their own. It takes a few days, good company with free
spirited ladies, and a budding relationship with Jude, a man very much her
opposite, to get Diane to unwind and begin to let go. Once she starts, she can
never really stop, even when she returns to her stuffy New York City life.
Zoe reluctantly begins to fall for Cole, an educated,
organic food pushing, peace loving young man who works at the local butcher
shop - a career choice Zoe has a hard time supporting as she appears to be
either vegetarian or vegan. (The film isn't clear on which, but Zoe is very
upset about the thought of killing animals.) She's conflicted despite Cole's
explanation for why he does what he does and has a hard time determining if she
wants to be with him or not.
The ladies of the Hudson family aren't the only ones to find
relationships in Woodstock, as shy, nerdy teenager Jake meets his equally shy
and nerdy muse, Tara, at an anti-war protest. Tara, in turn, inspires him to
create his first short film with the footage he's constantly collecting with
his video camera while vacationing in Woodstock.
This film made me want to move to this fictionalized version
of Woodstock. While I'm not much for smoking pot, I do enjoy enlightened,
liberal minded, free spirits who prefer to promote peace and love and
supporting one another, rather than fighting, hating and judging one another.
The background characters, Grace, Jude, Cole and Tara are all relaxed, happy
people who just go about their lives living as they want and enjoying life's
natural beauty. These folks are what the Hudson family needs to help them shake
off their negative energy and find relaxing positivity and happiness. Jude
explains it best when he tells Diane, "you are so caught up in fighting
everyone that you can't let in those who love you the most ... Let it go. ...
The fight is like a sandbag you need to release in order for the balloon to
float into the sky." (This is a bit paraphrased, not an exact quote.)
The acting was done well, and all actors were perfectly
cast. Jane Fonda embodies all that is lively, fun and free within Grace, and
really brings the character to life. Catherine Keener does well as the uptight
Diane, knowing how to show Diane's slow evolution into a freer spirit as it
gradually happens. In the beginning of the film, her face is tight, wan and
stressed, but as the film progresses her face becomes less severe, brighter though
still serious, until she is finally able to smile. Elizabeth Olsen's
performance is similar, though she's more light-hearted, she is still closed
off when it comes to love, and again, appears to become happier as her
character opens herself up to new ideas and experiences. Nat Wolff is adorably awkward,
making Jake a relatable film geek that doesn't have the first clue how to
approach a girl. Lastly, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is ridiculously charming as hippie
musician and carpenter, Jude, bringing a gentle softness to the character that
is refreshing for me as I am used to his gruff portrayal of John Winchester on Supernatural.
I really liked that while everyone still paired off with
their perfect mate, the sole purpose was not about finding romantic love. It
was about finding oneself through a community of peers, some of whom think
differently than you do, but can teach you a lot about yourself if you're
willing to open yourself up and listen. Yes, Zoe and Diane find this through
romantic partners, but it is their relationship with Grace that loosens them up
enough to accept these men who are far different from who they believe
themselves to be. I felt the message of the film was more, "In order to
have a successful relationship, you need to embrace yourself, open yourself up
to new experiences and ideas, find someone who builds you up and embraces you
for you, and embrace them for who they are in turn." Which is a much
better message than the typical, "Romantic love is all you need."
This is a film that promotes all kinds of love, whether it is the love of a
family, the love of a community, or romantic love. We all need a variety of
love and support in our lives, and it is nice that this film doesn't negate any
form in which love and peace can be found.
Overall, this was an enjoyable watch film that promotes self
discovery, inner peace, and a variety of love ranging from that of your
community, your friends, a romantic partner and your family. I found this movie
heart-warming and inspiring. I will likely be making another visit to this
version of Woodstock someday.
7/10