Diane (Catherine Keener) is an uptight lawyer who has rejected her mother's hippie life style. Jane Fonda stars as Grace, the mom who still lives at Woodstock...literally and figuratively. She recalls the concert in correct vivid detail, from the rain that came down when the Grateful Dead played to the closing with Jimi Hendrix playing the National Anthem...when her water broke and she gave birth to Diane.
Diane is informed by her husband he wants a divorce, and for some reason, after 20 years she decides to visit Grace along with her two children. Jake (Nat Wolff) is the son who proclaims "It's about time" when he hears about the divorce. Zoe the daughter (Elizabeth Olsen) has trouble adjusting to the idea.
While at Woodstock the kids get along great with the hippie life style of grandma while Diane is reminded about why she left. All of them meet love interests.
This was a role made for Jane Fonda who lived her part. Elizabeth Olsen gives us another great performance, putting herself in a different class than her sisters. A feel good film, more for women then men.
Parental Guide: No f-bombs, implied sex, brief male rear nudity. Pot use. Left wing politics.
Peace, Love & Misunderstanding
2011
Action / Comedy / Drama / Music / Romance
Peace, Love & Misunderstanding
2011
Action / Comedy / Drama / Music / Romance
Plot summary
An uptight NYC lawyer takes her two teenagers to her hippie mother's farmhouse upstate for a family vacation. What was meant to be a weekend getaway quickly turns into a summer adventure of romance, music, family secrets, and self-discovery.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
THE WEIGHT
Hippie stereotypes annoying
Diane (Catherine Keener) is a straight laced NYC lawyer. Her husband (Kyle MacLachlan) has asked for a divorce. She takes her daughter Zoe (Elizabeth Olsen) and son Jake (Nat Wolff) to stay with her hippie mother Grace (Jane Fonda) in Woodstock. Diane has been estranged from her irresponsible mother ever since Grace sold weed to her wedding guests resulting in her getting Grace arrested. Grace introduces Diane to Jude (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) who turns out to have a history with Grace. Zoe is a vegetarian who falls for butcher Cole (Chace Crawford). Jake is an introvert who dreams of being the next Werner Herzog. He falls for local girl Tara (Marissa O'Donnell).
I like the two kids especially Olsen, and I like her relationship with Crawford. The odd thing about Diane's relationship with her mother Grace is that I agree with Diane. In the end, Grace never changes in her irresponsible ways and Diane is berated into accepting Grace by Jude. The whole hippie culture portrayed here is one big stereotype after another. It's almost as old as Jane Fonda. None of that is appealing or funny. And that student film in the end is truly horrible. I wanted the kid to be actually good. I wanted the kid that is going to be the next Herzog.
Hippies forever!
Long known for political activism, Jane Fonda finally gets to do it on screen in "Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding". The movie's point is that, while you might not see a lot of flower children, they still exist and they haven't abandoned their idealism. There's a good contrast between the mom's hippie lifestyle and the daughter's (Catherine Keener) straight-laced lifestyle. As can be expected, the movie also has some great music (hell, it's set in Woodstock, NY).
Long story short, the '60s will never die. Maybe the movie is a little over-idealistic, but everything else makes up for that. It's just a fun movie, and definitely one that I recommend.