Taking Woodstock

The late 1960's were perhaps one of the most important in American history. It spawned an entire generation of politically active people, who preached peace and love. Naturally this makes for great stories. Films made about this place and time in history can often be moving, reflective on current conditions.
Taking Woodstock is about a young man living in a tiny farming community called Whitelake, NY. To help save his parents struggling motel business he sets in motion the beginning of what would become Woodstock. Demetri Martin, he of his own Comedy Network show, is Elliott. The film starts as an offbeat comedy with dry gags here and there but no real sustaining humour. It gradually begins turning into a drama story as Elliott struggles with the anger of the locals, his disapproving mother, and the burden of bringing such a massive festival down on his home. This is where it starts to struggle. The film tries to maintain the dry humor as the story changes, but it happens in such a way that it's almost inconvenient that the film is trying to be funny. Not to mention there really is no story that comes out of the inciting incident. The film moves along at the same pace from start to finish, never growing emotionally. This makes the film drag. Not to mention it breaks from the mold to (glamorize??? emphasize??? approve of???) the drug scene in one virtually pointless scene. To some, it will come off as an 'epiphany' moment but accomplishes none of the emotional closure. In addition, there are many other plot points which offer absolutely nothing to development of our characters.
Taking Woodstock is a film that feels too long and goes too far from what it should have been. The characters hardly grow at all with the exception of a thin change in Elliott. I'm not sure what director Ang Lee was looking to accomplish. I hope what he had his head came out on screen so at least one person can get it.