There aren’t many American feature films that are dedicated to, or even directly pertaining to, the world of wine. This has been somewhat baffling to me given the explosive acceptance of wine into the mainstream of American life over the past couple of decades.
Maybe no one thought that a film with wine as a central character could capture the imagination of the general public and gain critical acclaim.
The wonderfully quirky “Sideways” accomplishes all of that and then some as it uncorks a tale of undying friendships and unrealized expectations painted on the canvas of the strikingly beautiful Santa Barbara wine country. This joyous romp is an impeccably crafted character study of four desperate souls who are joined together through fate and the common denominator of wine.
(“Sideways” was reviewed by film critic Robert Horton in The Herald’s A&E Nov. 5.)
The film’s focus is on Miles (Paul Giamatti), a lonely, self-effacing oenophile who takes his goofy former soap opera actor buddy, Jack (Thomas Haden Church) on a trip to his favorite stomping grounds around the Santa Barbara wine region. Miles just can’t seem to get out of his own way as he parades his wine snobbery in an attempt to veil his obvious drinking problem. He buries his nose deep into the glass at one of the first tasting rooms they visit and expounds, “slight asparagus and a flutter of cheese.”
Jack, on the other hand, has one motive on his mind during his last week of bachelorhood, and it has little to do with dissecting the subtle nuances of wine. To Jack, all the wine he tries “tastes pretty good,” and he would say just about anything to impress Stephanie (Sandra Oh), the tasting bar manager who catches his eye.
The realness of the people and places in this film is refreshing. In fact, I have a personal validation of that because some of the last scenes of the movie were filmed at my wife’s cousin’s apartment in Santa Barbara. The very real and unaltered Hitching Post Steakhouse is where Miles meets Maya (Virginia Madsen), a waitress, horticulture student and like-minded oenophile, who warms him with her gentle smile. One of my favorite scenes of the movie was when Maya and Miles retreat to the porch at Stephanie’s house to escape Jack’s antics and engage in a heartfelt lyrical conversation about each other’s passion for wine, which in reality became a stream of splendid metaphors for life.
The Hitching Post and “cousin’s pad” are not the only things in “Sideways” that are accurate. The references made about many wines are right on the money and reflect the dedication by director Alexander Payne to portray the movie as true-to-life as possible. When Stephanie says, “I’m drinking a sauvignon blanc from Fiddlehead Cellars, aged 12 months in oak,” it’s spot on. Fiddlehead indeed makes a sauvignon blanc aged 12 months in oak, which is rather unusual for a sauvignon blanc.
Miles’ dusty, old Saab convertible is as beat up as its would-be novelist owner but, also becomes just as reliable in the trenches as it carts this wacky pair through a treasure trove of life-altering, wine-enhanced experiences.
“Sideways,” based on the novel by Rex Pickett, is a quirky, painfully real and hysterically funny portrayal of adult romance and the true depth of a friendship all woven around one of my favorite subjects. The film touches a broad audience, but it’s also an affirmation to all the wine geeks and cork dorks out there that the realistic presentation of their beloved beverage, as a focus in an American feature film, can be thoroughly entertaining, amusing and illuminating.
Jeff Wicklund can be reached at 425-737-2600, or wick@colbyhospitality.com.
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