SIDEWAYS d: Alexander Payne
by Andre Soares
Sideways (2004)
Director: Alexander Payne. Screenplay: Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, from Rex Pickett’s novel. Cast: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
DAYS OF WINE AND LOSERS
With Election, Alexander Payne demonstrated a flair for satirical comedy the likes of which would have turned Billy Wilder green with envy. With About Schmidt, Payne demonstrated that his comedic flair could go the way of Wilder’s in fluff like Sabrina — artificial, cutesy, and bland. In Sideways, Payne takes Schmidt’s route. His adaptation (with Jim Taylor) of Rex Pickett’s novel is an overlong, superficial, and thoroughly unconvincing road movie about Finding Oneself.
First of all, those two buddies, Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church), should have taken a shorter trip to California’s Wine Country. One week added up to 124 on-screen minutes that should have been pared down to no more than 100. By stretching their trip, Miles and Jack also stretch the viewer’s patience with their repetitive shenanigans: Miles wants to remain in his emotional shell; Jack wants to get laid right before his wedding to a wealthy Armenian girl. Generous friend that he is, Jack also wants Miles to have some hot sex with a beautiful waitress, Maya (Virginia Madsen). As a result, the two friends argue almost nonstop. Throughout it all, we look at our watches.
Church, at least, manages to make his tanned, stupid, oversexed, and egocentric actor (is there another kind in movies?) borderline likable. In fact, when he gets a broken nose, one almost feels sorry for him. (No tears are shed for Sandra Oh’s Stephanie, who should have known better than to fall in love with Jack after two days of wild sex. This violent scene of girl beating boy, by the way, is played for laughs. Imagine if the situation had been reversed and Haden’s character had been the betrayed party, how funny hah-hah that moment would have been.)
Church’s major dramatic moment near the end is way out of his range, but he earns points for avoiding self-parody. The script is no help. Following Jack’s tearful breakdown, we’re supposed to believe that his life will be nothing without his future wife — despite everything we’ve seen until then proving the exact opposite.
Wallowing in self-pity, Giamatti, the movie’s straight (and morose) man, tries much too hard to be likable — as a result, he fails. Also, Miles’ devotion to his semi-retarded actor friend goes way beyond the realm of friendship and right into the realm of idiocy. That is why it’s a pleasure to watch Miles’ car hit a tree (and then go down a small ravine) all in the name of friendship, and this reviewer ardently rooted — sadly, to no avail — for an irate local husband to give Miles what the beating of his life during the film’s unfunny climax.
On a more problematic note, one’s lack of sympathy for Miles makes Virginia Madsen’s job mighty difficult. Why would the beautiful, sensitive, seemingly intelligent Maya fall for this obnoxious loser? The fact that Madsen makes her character thoroughly believable is proof of this underrated actress’ solid talent.
The ending is predictable: Jack has an elaborate wedding and Miles drives back to the wine country to see Maya. According to the storytellers, all is well that ends well. At the movies maybe, but in life there’s always the day after.
Here’s hoping that the mordant — and honest — satire of Election will find its way into some future Alexander Payne film.
Synopsis:
Two middle-aged failures, divorced high school teacher and writer-wannabe Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti) and former TV soap star turned TV commercial announcer Jack Lopate (Thomas Haden Church) go on a weeklong trip to Central California’s wine country. The road trip is to be Jack’s farewell to his much cherished bachelorhood, which will be over the following Saturday when he marries the wealthy Christine Erganian (Alysia Reiner).
While visiting the local bars and wineries — Miles is a wine connoisseur — they run into two local women, Maya (Virginia Madsen) and Stephanie (Sandra Oh). Maya is a fellow wine connoisseur, a talent that helps her bond with Miles, still depressed by the fact that his ex-wife left him (and is now married to someone else). One-track-minded Jack, however, is anything but depressed. He bonds with Stephanie on a physical level, oblivious to the fact that his marriage is only a few days away. Lies and betrayals lead to unexpected confessions that lead to angry outbursts that eventually lead to self-analyses and the promise of reconciliation.
Notes:
Bit of dialogue from Sideways:
Maya (Virginia Madsen): "Why are you so into pinot? It’s like a thing with you."
Miles (Paul Giamatti): "I don’t know. It’s a hard grape to grow. As you know, it’s thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It’s not a survivor like cabernet that can grow anywhere and thrive even when it’s neglected. Pinot needs constant care and attention and in fact can only grow in specific little tucked-away corners of the world. And only the most patient and nurturing growers can do it really, can tap into pinot’s most fragile, delicate qualities. Only when someone has taken the time to truly understand its potential can pinot be coaxed into its fullest expression. And when that happens, its flavors are the most haunting and brilliant and subtle and thrilling and ancient on the planet."
Some, including this film’s Alternative Film Guide reviewer, have found this type of dialogue irritatingly pompous and artificial. Many others have found it touchingly brilliant. (See all the screenplay awards and nominations Sideways has received).
Members of both pro and con groups, however, may have had their curiosity aroused since Alexander Payne’s road movie opened in the fall of 2004. According to supermarket, drug, and liquor store sales data from ACNielsen, Pinot noir sales in the United States reached 370,000 cases during the 12 weeks ending January 15, 2005. That represents an increase of nearly 16 percent from the same period in the previous year. In California, where the film is set, Pinot sales jumped 33%
At the time Sideways was in production, actress Sandra Oh was married to director-co-screenwriter Alexander Payne. They separated in March 2005.
THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON
Comments
Leave a Reply
Note: All comments are moderated. Different views and opinions are welcome, but abusive/bigoted/flaming comments will NOT be approved. Also, please be aware that the Alternative Film Guide has NO contact information for the talent mentioned in this blog or any information pertaining to or access to distributors'/producers' film prints.
