Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding

Plot

An uptight NYC lawyer takes her two teenagers to her hippie mother's farmhouse upstate for a family vacation.

Release Year: 2011

Rating: 6.4/10 (97 voted)

Director:
Bruce Beresford

Stars: Elizabeth Olsen, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chace Crawford

Storyline
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.

Writers: Joseph Muszynski, Christina Mengert

Cast:

Elizabeth Olsen
–

Zoe

Jeffrey Dean Morgan
–

Jude

Chace Crawford
–

Cole

Catherine Keener
–

Diane

Kyle MacLachlan
–

Mark

Jane Fonda
–

Grace

Rosanna Arquette
–

Darcy

Nat Wolff
–

Jake

Maddie Corman
–

Carole

Poorna Jagannathan
–

Mira

Marissa O'Donnell
–

Tara

April Crisafulli
–

Tara's Mom

Wayne Pyle
–

Party Guest

Terry McKenna
–

Jasper

Laurent Rejto
–

Thumbs-up guy

Release Date: 3 Jan 2011

Filming Locations: Kerhonkson, New York, USA

User Review

Jane Fonda Rehippified

Rating: 7/10


Six things about Peace, Love & Misunderstanding:

1. Yes, Jeffrey Dean Morgan really does look like Javier Bardem. So
much so that I turned to my wife at one point and said: "I didn't
realize that Bardem could speak English so flawlessly; too bad the
strain of keeping that American accent has stunted his acting ability".

2. Great to see Rosanna Arquette, albeit in a bit part.

3. Woodstock looks like a really beautiful place.

4. The kids in this movie really can act, especially Elizabeth Olsen.
Best Supporting Actress nominee: you heard it here first.

5. I grew up in the late 60's and early 70's and, despite some quibbles
about the way in which the leftover hippies in this movie are
portrayed, I was impressed by the ability of the young writers to steer
away from some of the more obvious stereotypes (not completely, mind
you – I don't think there is really a Kesey-esque psychedelic school
bus anymore outside the props departments of the Hollywood studios).
Perhaps they got the tone right because of the input from one of the
era's cultural icons.

6. Thereby bringing us to Jane Fonda who, unfortunately, was ill and
couldn't attend the world premiere last night in Toronto. She is just
great in this film, in a role that could easily have fallen into parody
(even self-parody). Sure, an ex-hippie in her 70's probably wouldn't be
as heavily made up, but this is a Hollywood movie and she is a movie
star. She is at once charming, spacey, provocative and slightly
raunchy.

All in all, a really nicely written and lovingly directed and acted
film. I hope it does well.