Sideways is a film about two men in their forties who are running from something, and it knows exactly what they are running from. Miles Raymond, played by Paul Giamatti, is a schoolteacher and unpublished novelist whose career has stalled and whose marriage has ended badly. Jack Cole, played by Thomas Haden Church, is a past-his-prime actor days away from walking down the aisle, and he is not sure he wants to. The film follows them through a week in Santa Barbara County wine country, where they drink, argue, and try to find meaning in their lives.
The film is based on Rex Pickett’s 2004 novel, and it was adapted by Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne, who also directs. It runs 127 minutes and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2004, before coming out in the United States on October 22, 2004. It was released by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Trailer, via YouTube Movies.
Miles and Jack
Miles starts the trip at his mother’s house, where he steals money before leaving. He wants to relax, play golf, and enjoy good food and wine. Jack, meanwhile, thinks he can cure Miles’ depression by finding him a sex partner. Jack is ambivalent about his own pending marriage and the prospect of giving up his acting ambitions for a job with his fiancée’s father.
The dynamic between the two friends drives the entire film. Giamatti plays Miles as a man who has lost his way, and Church plays Jack as a man who is terrified of losing his freedom. Their arguments are funny, sharp, and often cruel. The film does not let either of them off easy.
The Women They Meet
Virginia Madsen plays Maya, a waitress who becomes Miles’ connection to something real. Sandra Oh plays Stephanie, the wine pourer who becomes Jack’s conquest. Jessica Hecht plays Victoria, Miles’ ex-wife, and Marylouise Burke plays Miles’ mother. The supporting cast fills out the small town of Santa Ynez with warmth and detail.
“In search of wine. In search of women. In search of themselves.”
That tagline captures the whole movie. Miles and Jack are looking for escape, but they keep finding themselves instead. The film is a comedy, but it is also a tragedy of sorts. It is a film about men who are afraid of aging, and it shows them doing everything possible to avoid it.
The Wine Country
The Santa Ynez valley is the setting, and the film treats it with care. Miles, an oenophile, teaches Jack how to taste wine, and the pair dine at The Hitching Post II. The food and the wine are not just background; they are the subject. Payne and Taylor use the region to create a world that is both beautiful and claustrophobic.
The film is a road trip, but it is not a journey of discovery. It is a journey of confrontation. Miles and Jack face their failures, their fears, and each other. The wine is a stand-in for everything they cannot control, and the women they meet are a stand-in for the people they have lost.
What the Film Gets Right
Sideways is a finely tuned machine. The script is precise, the direction is confident, and the performances are superb. Giamatti gives one of the best performances of his career, and Church matches him beat for beat. Madsen and Oh round out a cast that feels lived-in and real.
The film does not pretend to be anything it is not. It is a comedy-drama, and it knows it. It is not a drama with jokes, and it is not a comedy with sadness. It is both, and it is both at once.
The Verdict
Sideways is a great film. It is one of the best movies of the 2000s, and it deserves its reputation. It is a film about friendship, failure, and the search for meaning. It is also a film about wine, and it understands that wine is a stand-in for everything else. It is a film about two men who are not very good at life, and it is a film about two men who are exactly like us.
It is not perfect. The ending is somewhat abrupt, and some viewers may find the tone too bleak. But the film earns its bleakness. It is a film about two men who are not very good at life, and it is a film about two men who are exactly like us.
Key Facts
– Title: Sideways
– Director: Alexander Payne
– Writer: Jim Taylor, Alexander Payne
– Runtime: 127 minutes
– Release Date: October 22, 2004
– Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
– Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay
The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Sideways is a film about two men who are not very good at life, and it is a film about two men who are exactly like us. It is a film about wine, and it is a film about women, and it is a film about the search for something better. It is a film about the things we hold onto, and the things we let go. It is a film about Miles and Jack, and it is a film about you and me.
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