"Daze of Wine and Roses"
by Scott Mantz

"Sideways"
Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church
Directed by Alexander Payne

I'll drink to that!  Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church toast their midlife crisis in "Sideways"

There’s nothing wrong with doing whatever it takes to follow your dreams, but after so many years of making personal and professional sacrifices with little or no results, there comes a point in time where you just have to throw in the towel, call it a day, and move on.  Okay, so that may be a depressing way to start off a film review, but let’s face it; life’s a bitch, and most people never accomplish the grand things that they set out to do.

And you know what?  That’s okay, especially if you can honestly say that you gave it your best shot.  After all, The Rolling Stones said it best when they sang, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need.”

That harsh, but refreshing dose of reality is just one of the reasons why “Sideways” is one of the best films of the year.  Not only does the latest movie from Alexander Payne -- the gifted writer-director behind 1999’s “Election” and 2002’s “About Schmidt” -- fit the bill as a well-written, beautifully acted and ultimately moving dramedy, but it also stands alongside some of the best character driven classics that defined the cinema of the 70’s.

Miles (Paul Giamatti) is not a happy man.  He’s still smarting from an emotionally painful divorce two years ago, and he’s stuck paying the bills as a reluctant English teacher while anxiously awaiting the status of his still-unpublished novel.  The only thing that gives his life any meaning is his passion for wine, which is why he can’t wait to take off for the wine vineyards of central California with his washed-up actor buddy Jack (Thomas Haden Church).  Miles wants to show the soon-to-be-married Jack the finer delicacies of wine tasting, but Jack has his heart set on sowing his wild oats during his last week of freedom.  What starts off as a relaxing getaway for this odd couple turns into an emotional crisis, as both men are forced to face the realities of lost youth, failed ambitions and uncertain futures.

In many ways, “Sideways” has a lot in common with Payne’s last film, “About Schmidt.”  In both movies, the main characters deal with their impending emotional crisis by taking a road trip that only brings them closer to the insecurities that they are trying to get away from.  Both films also deal with ordinary men who are making a last ditch effort to accomplish their goals, only to fail miserably and succeed in other ways that they could never have imagined.

But thanks to an excellent screenplay by Payne and his longtime collaborator Jim Taylor (adapted from the book by Rex Pickett), “Sideways” accurately depicts the lives of two men who on the verge of accepting emotional defeat, albeit in very different ways.  While the more optimistic Jack is still holding onto his actor fantasy in an effort to nail as many girls as possible, Miles is so pessimistic about everything that he barely notices the attractive wine enthusiast who has the hots for him.

“Sideways” may not feature a recognizable A-list cast, but that’s another one of its strong points.  After being snubbed last Oscar season for playing a quirky schlub in “American Splendor,” Paul Giamatti is bound to get his due this time around with his brilliant performance here.  Despite being emotionally beaten and battered, Giamatti gives his sullen, wounded, insecure sad-sack a sympathetic air of honesty, especially when he springs to life by the one and only passion that defines him.

As for the rest of the cast, who better to play a washed-up actor than a real washed-up actor?  No disrespect to Thomas Haden Church, but ever since TV’s “Ned and Stacey” went off the air, he’s been relegated to B-movie schlock like last year’s direct-to-video sequel “George of the Jungle 2.”  Not only does he bounce back to classier fare with his inspired performance here, but he also has excellent chemistry with Giamatti.  At the same time, Virginia Madsen is a downright revelation as Giamatti’s wise, intelligent, soulful love interest, while Sandra Oh (Payne’s real-life wife) is fiercely sexy and strong as the object of Church’s desire.

Despite the honest, bittersweet approach that “Sideways” takes in its depiction of lost hopes, it’s actually a very funny, touching movie about the bonding power of friendship and the importance of making the most out of the life you have left.  It’s a message that will resonate long after the house lights come up, which is appropriate, since like any fine wine, “Sideways” is bound to become a vintage classic that will only get better with age.

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