SIDEWAYS d: Alexander Payne
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 unfortunately opted for Schmidt’s route. I found his adaptation (with Jim Taylor) of Rex Pickett’s novel an overlong, superficial, and thoroughly unconvincing road movie about adult men — who should have been killed at birth — learning to grow up.
First of all, the film’s two middle-aged buddies, divorced high school teacher and writer-wannabe Miles (Paul Giamatti) and former TV soap star turned TV commercial announcer Jack (Thomas Haden Church), should have taken a shorter trip to Central California’s Wine Country. One week added up to 124 never-ending on-screen minutes. By stretching their trip, Miles and Jack also stretched this viewer’s patience with their tedious shenanigans.
The duo’s 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 (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 various self-analyses and the promise of reconciliation. Sadly, no mass murders are committed.
Church, at least, manages to make his tanned, stupid, egocentric, and horny actor (is there another kind in movies?) borderline tolerable. In fact, when he gets a broken nose — courtesy of Sandra Oh’s irate Stephanie — I almost felt sorry for him. (No tears were shed for Stephanie, however, 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, with Haden’s character as the betrayed party punching the cheating Stephanie on the nose. Just think of how funny hah-hah that moment would have been.)
Later on, Church’s major dramatic moment 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. Payne and Taylor’s dialogue is equally to blame. For instance:
Maya: "Why are you so into pinot? It’s like a thing with you."
Miles: "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."
Miles’ analogy to himself is clear; but less would have been so much more.
Compounding matters, 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 I found it a pleasure to watch Miles’ car hit a tree (and then go down a small ravine) — too bad Miles wasn’t in it — all in the name of friendship, and this peace-loving reviewer ardently rooted — sadly, to no avail — for an irate local husband to give Miles the beating of his life in the film’s ridiculous climax.
On a more problematic note, my lack of sympathy for Miles made Virginia Madsen’s job mighty difficult. Why would the beautiful, sensitive, seemingly intelligent Maya fall for such an obnoxious loser? After listening to Miles’ pompous little monologue about pinot grapes, Maya should have gotten up and left, never to return. The fact that Madsen makes her character’s interest in Miles thoroughly believable is proof of this underrated actress’ immense talent.
The ending is both predictable and dishonest: 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.
Academy Award Win
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
4 Academy Award Nominations
Best Picture
Best Direction: Alexander Payne
Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Haden Church
Best Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen
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Tags: Alexander Payne, Film Reviews, Jim Taylor, Oscar 2004, Oscar Movies, Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh, Sideways, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen
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