The Highs and Merlots

With shots of beautiful southern California, vineyards and never-ending dusty roads being traversed via convertible, “Sideways” is a great movie for travelers and wine lovers alike. The award-winning 2004 comedy is a perfect watch to forget about these freezing Kirksville temperatures and dreary winter days.

Wine aficionado and struggling writer Miles (Paul Giamatti) and his soon-to-be-married best friend, Jack (Thomas Haden Church) have one last weekend together before Jack gets married. Although both men were looking forward to a week away from San Diego, we quickly find out it is for two very different reasons. Miles hopes for a relaxing week filled with wine tastings and golf, while Jack hopes for one last guys weekend filled with drinking and women before he ties the knot.

After spending time with newly acquainted friends, Jack has an affair with one of them who eventually finds out that he is engaged. The rest of the movie is about the relationship between Miles and Jack as they realize how much they have drifted apart.

The movie is chock-full of gorgeous shots throughout Santa Ynez Valley in southern California. The audience also goes along dusty roads across wine country as the two pull up to countless vineyards for a tasting.

“Sideways” is certainly more on the dark side of comedy as the audience is constantly made aware of Miles’ depression and complete lack of interest in his own life. However, director Alexander Payne does a good job of complimenting Miles’ dark personality with Jack’s peppy and adventurous zest for life. Payne is also able to pull off a metaphor of the wine-tasting trip to represent the relationship of the two former college roommates. I think what makes “Sideways” so good is that Payne is able to show this parallel without being cheesy or over the top with it. He shows how just like different kinds of wines have many different characteristics, so do Miles and Jack. Payne shows this parallel with a monologue by Miles which gives the audience much more of an analysis on the personality of the two characters.

At the end of the film, the two better understand each other and themselves. Miles realizes that he has some self-worth and begins to look on the brighter side of things, while Jack realizes that the only woman he truly cares about is his fiancé.

Overall, “Sideways” doesn’t offer too much in the comedy department but what it lacks in laughs it makes up for in heart.