Sideways [DVD] [2005] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

It's always dangerous when you are late in coming to a small movie that has unexpectedly hit the big time -- your viewing enjoyment may be hampered by the crushing weight of expectations. It's wonderful when you can be among the first to see small-budget classics like Stanely Tucci's "Big Night," but I didn't get to see "Sideways" until after the Oscar nominations, the critics' Top 10 lists, and so on. How could "Sideways" possibly live up to these awesome credentials?

Well, "Sideways" does live up to its billing, and it does so through one simple virtue -- truth. "Sideways" is an extremely funny and insightful examination of two men struggling with their mediocrity -- one who is all too aware of his shortcomings, and another who uses a pathetic Peter Pan syndrome to keep at bay the harsh glare of reality.

The self-aware guy is Miles (the lovable schlub Paul Giamatti), a recently divorced middle school English teacher who's having a difficult time getting his novel published . . . or even explained. Miles is awash in bitterness, but he knows deep down that he's a sweet guy once you get past the sour layers (of which there are many). The ignorant guy is Jack (Thomas Hayden Church), Miles' freshman roommate from San Diego State and a mildly successful actor. Jack is one of those guys who should be thankful for the successes he has, but is incapable of doing so because by accepting a given success, he is placing a ceiling on his dreams.

The "plot" of "Sideways" revolves around Jack's impending marriage. Engaged to a rich beauty and walking down the aisle on Saturday, Jack gets escorted by Miles for a week of freedom in the California central coast wine country. While wine, for Jack, is a means for getting drunk, it is a religion for Miles. Of course, it's obvious to anyone who spends five minutes with Miles that he uses his mastery of wine as a defense mechanism ("I appreciate great wine, so I must be worth something") - thanks to the witty script, "there's just like the faintest soupçon of like, uh, asparagus," has entered our lexicon of pretentious criticism. Miles can use his focus on wine to avoid meeting people who could possibly reject him.

That's difficult on this trip, because Miles has met his soulmate, Maya (Virginia Madsen), who is a waitress at a wine country restaurant. Miles and Maya share a devotion to wine, and Miles is continuously surprised at the depth and character of this woman. The question of whether Miles can break out of his various layers of emotional armor to forge a connection with this delightful woman dominates the movie.

Unfortunately for Miles, Jack is as shallow as Miles is deep. In a classic self-destructive move, Jack gets involved with Stepanie (Sandra Oh), a vibrant single mother and good friend of Maya's. A pell-mell romance ensues, with the ever-so-slight complication that Jack hasn't told Stephanie about his impending marriage. Watching Jack skirt emotional ruin while selfishly justifying his caddish behavior is a gruesome delight.

Through it all, the script for "Sideways" puts believable, memorable lines into the mouths of these talented actors. Long narratives about wine reveal surprising details of the speakers, and each character receives a separate, distinct voice (this isn't a Quentin Tarantino movie where all the actors sound like Saint Quentin, or a George Lucas movie where all the actors sound like idiots). A "talky" movie, "Sideways" never runs out of steam.

There is plenty of humor in "Sideways," but most of it is reserved - you will chuckle more often than laugh outright - but there are a few gut-busting moments, as well.

"Sideways" is an attractive movie, but it is shot with a realistic eye -- the California wine country looks great, but this is not an "eye candy" movie like "Under the Tuscan Sun," which looked sumptuous but had little else to offer. "Sideways" gets the balance of visuals and substance just right - one can easily imagine Miles liking his own movie, and that is high praise.

I realize this movie has come and gone but over the last year I've really grown to love it and after reading some of the reviews that this movie was so poor I felt compelled to give my opinion.

First, what's with the "boring" film thing, if you want exciting I don't know, rent something that's supposed to be exciting with explosions and Bruce Willis. Or if you find it morally ambiguous, consider what movies the director traditionally makes, Election, About Schmidt, these are somewhat dark, slow, depressing movies, rent something with Larry The Cable Guy if that's your thing; point is a little research prevents bad movie choices.

At 28 what I like about this movie is that it recognizes that life is messy and complicated. Considering my limited life experience I recognize that getting older doesn't automatically make someone perfect, responsible, and ethical. Cheating on spouses is not for me, but I've known couples (one of which many would describe as a good couple) who've cheated on each other. I'm not saying this is right but the point is I think people should be able to see some aspects of this story that are similar to their lives. Have you ever had a hard time getting over someone, or has one of your friends??? Ever know anyone who's unable to admit about a problem or won't admit they are in a rut?? I think lots of people feel like this, including myself; the point is there are those moments that give you hope. I'm speaking specifically about Miles in this movie, at one point in time he was much better, (though weak, he did cheat on his wife) Jack describes an entirely cheerier person. Miles reluctantly goes on this trip and is almost literally forced to recognize Mia as prospective relationship; this is ultimately positive, a reminder that opportunities for happiness are all around us if we choose to acknowledge that we are unhappy, in ruts, and are brave enough to follow them out. I know Miles does some despicable things, but somewhere he knows there is a person he wishes he could be, someone who does not just settle down, have a family, and eventually be married 50 years to their fat friend who they argue with constantly and live in there own worlds of denial. I feel I have hope for people in general; I look at the characters in the movie and think they want to be happy and hopefully they deal with the problems in their life.

When I watched Sideways, it was in a pretty diverse movie theater audience. And there was lots of laughter, throughout the movie. But it wasnt the kind of hearty belly-laugh, but more of a nervous chuckle. It's like, "Wow, these guys are losers, but wow, these guys are me, or me in 20 years." And thus the genius of Sideways.
Miles (Paul Giamatti) is a depressed 8th grade teacher and insufferable wine snob/alchoholic. His drinking ruined his marriage. He's taking his best friend Jack, a washed-up, insecure actor, on a one-week tour of California's wine country as a bachelor party of sorts, as Jack's "days of freedom" will soon be over. Jack (Thomas Haden Church) is crude and horny, and he announces that his #1 goal is to "get laid." His number two goal is to "get Miles laid." These guys are both middle-age losers, the type who sit at bars until the restaurant closes. Yet, there were so many things about them that were painfully familiar. When Miles rejects wine after wine, I remembered my college days, when I went to wine tastings with my friends and pretended to be a wine snob. ("Too much oak, not enough honey," etc.) In one funny scene Miles screeches that he will NOT eat at a dinner that serves merlot. And Jack, despite his lothario ways, is also cheerful and loyal and strangely endearing. Miles needs to pop a xanax before entering a restaurant, Jack screeches for his friend's Vicodin after a brawl. When Jack nervously asks his friend Miles whethere he "drank and dialed" his ex, you see the genuine bond between these two sadsacks. These are all things I could sort of identify with. Embarrassing moments, but, admit it, you've had them too.
Along the way the pair meet Maya (the lovely Virginia Madsen), a waitress who, like Miles, is a wine snob. The two instantly hit it off, and in one wonderful scene they talk about why they like wine so much. Miles says he likes pinot noir because of how hard it is to grow. The dialogue could have seemed contrived but thanks to Giamatti, Madsen, and director Alexander Payne it's very touching and even heartwarming. In fact, the acting in the whole movie is excellent. Haden Church in particular takes what could have been a truly obnoxious character and makes him endearing and even sympathetic. Even his self-absorption isn't hateful. He steals every scene he's in.
The movie is a mix of male-bonding, slapstick, and romance, and it manages to be both depressing and funny at the same time. My friend turned to me and said, "Wow, I could see myself being Miles in 20 years." But he enjoyed the movie too. So congratulations to Alexander Payne and his cast for creating a movie about some seriously depressing characters that is so warm and funny.