Director Ang Lee, along with screenwriter/producer James Schamus and star Demetri Martin appeared last night at a preview of Taking Woodstock at Embarcadero Cinemas. The film is a gorgeously shot and executed ode to the late 60s, and, unlike much of Lee's work of the last decade, it is LOL funny and doesn't end tragically. It's anchored by the story of Elliot Tiber, a young gay man who, while managing his parents' motel in the Catskills, became a central figure in bringing the great hippie tsunami of '69 to Bethel, New York. The movie features a fine and subtle performance by stand-up comedian and first-time actor Martin (pictured above, tripping, with Kelli Garner and Paul Dano), a restrained turn by Liev Schrieber as a transsexual, and a killer performance by Imelda Staunton at Elliot's mother that will, mark our words, win her an Oscar.

The screening was a benefit for Frameline, SF's LGBT film fest organization, and though not really a gay movie by any stretch, there is a sub-plot about the central character's (sort of) coming out. Lee, Schamus and Martin participated in a post-screening Q&A, and when asked about his obsession with iconic American stories (Ice Storm, Brokeback Mountain), Lee talked about his love for his adopted home and about how a lot cowboys were probably gay.