Alexander Payne’s “Sideways” is no ordinary road-trip film. Replacing rowdy teenagers with two middle-aged men certainly makes for a different type of viewing experience.
Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) head out to California’s wine country to celebrate Jack’s last days of bachelorhood. Early in their trip, Jack meets and soon courts the spirited Stephanie (Sandra Oh), who as it turns out is a friend of one of Miles’ acquaintances, Maya (Virginia Madsen). While Jack is only interested in a physical relationship with Stephanie, Miles’ time with Maya leads him to reassess his life.
“Sideways” is a film that has a charming warmth and humor to it. Its exploration of friendship through its two lead characters is insightful and ultimately inspirational. Both Miles and Jack are not idealized males. They have flaws galore and self-esteem problems. Yet, both men keep surviving their day-to-day adversities with the help of the other despite knowing they can never truly overcome all of their shortcomings. Helping to make the film work are a quartet of wonderful performances. Giamatti is pitch-perfect in his role and he is complemented by attention-grabbing turns by Church, Oh, and Madsen. “Sideways” is one of those films that makes you reflect on your own life. It also is a great introduction to the world of the wine connoisseur. How many films can you say that about?
Cast
- Paul Giamatti as Miles Raymond
- Thomas Haden Church as Jack Lopate
- Virginia Madsen as Maya Randall
- Sandra Oh as Stephanie
- Marylouise Burke as Miles’s Mother
- Jessica Hecht as Victoria
- Missy Doty as Cammi
- M.C. Gainey as Cammi’s Husband
- Alysia Reiner as Christine Erganian
- Shake Tukhmanyan as Mrs. Erganian
- Shaun Duke as Mike Erganian