Sideways
| Sideways | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Alexander Payne |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Sideways byRex Pickett |
| Produced by | Michael London |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Phedon Papamichael |
| Edited by | Kevin Tent |
| Music by | Rolfe Kent |
Production company | Michael London Productions |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 127 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $16 million[1] |
| Box office | $109.7 million[1] |
Sidewaysis a 2004 Americancomedy-dramaroad filmdirected byAlexander Payneand written byJim Taylorand Payne. Afilm adaptationofRex Pickett's 2004novel of the same name,Sidewaysfollows two men in their forties, Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti), a depressed teacher and unsuccessful writer, and Jack Cole (Thomas Haden Church), a past-his-prime actor, who take a week-long road trip toSanta Barbara County winecountry tocelebrateJack's upcoming wedding.Sandra OhandVirginia Madsenalso star as women they encounter during their trip.
Sidewayspremiered at theToronto International Film Festivalon September 13, 2004, and was released in the United States on October 22, 2004. It received widespread acclaim from critics and is regarded as one of the greatest films of the 2000s. At the77th Academy Awards,the film was nominated forBest Picture,Best Director,Best Supporting Actor(Haden Church),Best Supporting Actress(Madsen), andBest Adapted Screenplay,the last of which it won.
Plot
[edit]Miles Raymond is an unpublished author, awine aficionado,and a depressed, middle-aged English teacher living inSan Diego.He takes Jack Cole, his soon-to-be-married friend and former college roommate, on a road trip through theSanta Ynez Valleywine country. Jack is an actor who now does commercialvoice-oversand plans to enter his future father-in-law's successful real estate business. Soon after the trip begins, Miles insists on visiting his mother in Oxnard, as it is the day before her birthday. He steals nine hundred dollars from her room that night. The men sneak out early the next morning to avoid the birthday gathering Miles' mother has planned.
Miles wants to spend the week relaxing, playing golf, and enjoying good food and wine. However, much to Miles' annoyance, Jack wants to have one last sexual fling before getting married. In the wine country, the pair dine atThe Hitching Post II.Jack sees that Maya, a waitress with whom Miles is casually acquainted, is interested in Miles; Miles thinks she is only being professionally friendly. Jack lies to Maya that Miles' manuscript has been accepted for publication, although it is only being considered. At a wine tasting the next day, Jack arranges a double date with a wine pourer named Stephanie, who is also acquainted with Maya.
During the date, Miles getsdrunk and telephonesVictoria, his ex-wife, after learning from Jack that she has remarried and will be bringing her new husband to Jack's wedding. The two couples go to Stephanie's home, where Stephanie and Jack adjourn to Stephanie's bedroom and have sex. Miles and Maya connect through their mutual interest in wine, and he kisses her awkwardly. As they are leaving separately, Miles gives Maya a copy of his manuscript, which she had earlier expressed interest in reading.
Jack claims to have fallen in love with Stephanie and tells Miles he wants to postpone the wedding and move to Santa Ynez Valley to be closer to her. After spending time with Jack and Stephanie at wineries and a picnic, Miles and Maya return to Maya's apartment and have sex. The next day, Miles divulges that Jack is getting married. Disgusted with the men's dishonesty, Maya dumps Miles.
Jack and Miles go to a winery that Miles finds subpar. After hearing from his literary agent that his manuscript has been rejected, an upset Miles pesters the pourer for a "full pour" of wine. When the server refuses, Miles drinks from thespit bucket,creating a scene. Jack intervenes and drives Miles back to the motel. Upon arrival, Stephanie approaches Jack, breaks his nose with her motorcycle helmet, and furiously berates him for lying to her. Miles takes Jack to theERand leaves Maya an apologetic voice message, admitting that his book is not going to be published.
That night, Jack hooks up with a waitress named Cammi, despite Miles's protests. Later, Jack returns to the motel naked; Cammi's husband had caught Jack and Cammi having sex. Jack begs Miles to help him retrieve his wallet, which contains custom wedding rings. Miles sneaks into the house, where he discovers Cammi and her husband having sex. Miles grabs the wallet and runs, barely escaping Cammi's nude and furious husband. On the drive back to San Diego, Jack intentionally drives Miles's car into a tree to support his claim that he broke his nose in a car accident. The pair return to the home of Jack's fiancée, Christine, where Jack is warmly received by her family.
Following the wedding ceremony, Miles runs into his ex-wife Victoria and meets her new husband, Ken. Victoria tells Miles that she is pregnant. Miles absconds before the reception and drives back to his San Diego apartment. Alone, he drinks his prized wine, a 1961Château Cheval Blanc,from a disposable styrofoam soda cup at afast-foodrestaurant. One day, after coming home from his teaching job, Miles receives a voicemail from Maya, who says she enjoyed his manuscript and invites him to visit. Miles drives back to wine country and knocks on Maya's door.
Cast
[edit]- Paul Giamattias Miles Raymond
- Thomas Haden Churchas Jack Cole
- Virginia Madsenas Maya Randall
- Sandra Ohas Stephanie
- Marylouise Burkeas Mrs. Raymond, Miles' Mother
- Jessica Hechtas Victoria Cortland
- Lee Brooks as Ken Cortland
- Missy Doty as Cammi
- MC Gaineyas Cammi's husband
- Alysia Reineras Christine Erganian
- Shake Tukhmanyan as Mrs. Erganian
- Shaun Duke as Mike Erganian
- Stephanie Faracyas Ginny, Stephanie's mother
- Natalie Carter as Siena, Stephanie's daughter
- Patrick Gallagheras Gary the Bartender
- Joe Marinellias Frass Canyon Pourer
Impact on wine industry
[edit]
Wineries and locations in theSanta Ynez Valleyare prominently featured in the film, drawing attention and increased tourism to theSta. Rita Hills AVAwine region inSanta Barbara CountyandCalifornia's Central Coast.During the film, Miles speaks fondly of the red winevarietalPinot noirwhile denigratingMerlot.[2][3]After the film's U.S. release in October 2004, Merlot sales dropped 2% while Pinot noir sales increased 16% in theWestern United States.A similar trend occurred in British wine outlets.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
A 2009 study bySonoma State Universityfound thatSidewaysslowed the growth in Merlot sales volume and caused its price to fall, but the film's main effect on the U.S. wine industry was a rise in the sales volume and price of Pinot noir and in overall wine consumption.[9]
A 2022 study in theJournal of Wine Economicsfound thatSidewayscaused a reduction in demand for Merlot and an increase in demand for Pinot noir in the United States, which led California winemakers to grow Pinot noir grapes in unsuitable land and blend those grapes with the grapes grown in high-quality areas just to meet demand, which may have led to worse Pinot noir wines.[10][11]
Sideways Fest is an annual 3-day event hosted by the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance celebrating the movie's release featuring the local viticulture and scenery.[12]
SidewaysPinot noir
[edit]In 2013,Rex Pickett,author of theSidewaysnovel, released his own Pinot noir named Le Plus Ultra.[13]In 2020, he released a Pinot noir named Sideways.[14]
Soundtrack
[edit]| Sideways | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack albumby | ||||
| Released | 12 October 2004 | |||
| Recorded | 2004 | |||
| Genre | Soundtrack | |||
| Length | 37:24 | |||
| Label | New Line Records | |||
| Producer | Rolfe Kent | |||
| Rolfe Kentchronology | ||||
| ||||
The originalsoundtrack albumfeatures 15jazzinstrumentalscomposed and produced byRolfe Kentand was orchestrated and arranged for the band byTony Blondal.The album was nominated for theGolden Globe Awardfor "Best Original Score", and the music proved so popular there was demand for a national tour. Eventually, a few cities were chosen to perform in as the composer was too busy to commit to more. The romantic leitmotif shared by Miles and Maya is excerpted fromSymbiosisbyClaus OgermanandBill Evans.
- "Asphalt Groovin'" – 4:00
- "Constantine Snaps His Fingers" – 3:03
- "Drive!" – 3:56
- "Picnic" – 2:15
- "Lonely Day" – 1:40
- "Wine Safari" – 2:13
- "Miles' Theme" – 2:59
- "Los Olivos" – 2:43
- "Chasing the Golfers" – 3:03
- "Walk to Hitching Post" – 2:32
- "Abandoning the Wedding" – 3:25
- "Slipping Away As Mum Sleeps" – 1:00
- "Bowling Tango" – 0:49
- "I'm Not Drinking Any #@%!$ Merlot!" – 1:13
- "Miles And Maya" – 2:26
Reception
[edit]Onreview aggregatorRotten Tomatoes,Sidewayshas an approval rating of 97% based on 233 reviews, and an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Charming, thoughtful, and often funny,Sidewaysis a decidedly mature road trip comedy full of excellent performances. "[15]OnMetacritic,the film has aweighted averagescore of 94 out of 100 based on 42 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[16]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[17]
Time Outdescribed the film as "intelligent, funny and moving",[18]andRoger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave it four stars out of four, writing that, "what happens during the seven days adds up to the best human comedy of the year – comedy, because it is funny, and human, because it is surprisingly moving."[19]
With the exception of Giamatti, who had already starred in the critically acclaimed filmAmerican Splendor(2003), the film was a career breakthrough for the stars. Church and Madsen were each nominated for theScreen Actors Guild Award,Golden Globe Award,andAcademy Awardfor their performances, winning theBroadcast Film Critics Association AwardandIndependent Spirit Awardfor their respective categories. Giamatti was described as "The World's BestCharacter Actor"byTimemagazine.[20]In 2005, Sandra Oh went on to star in theABCmedical dramaGrey's Anatomy,for which she won two Screen Actors Guild Awards and one Golden Globe Award.
Sidewayswas ranked 494th onEmpire's 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time.[21]Total FilmputSidewayson its list of 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.[22]In 2013, theWriters Guild of Americaalso ranked its script as the 90th greatest ever written.[23]
Stage and musical adaptations
[edit]In 2019, it was announced thatSidewayswas scheduled to be adapted for a stage musical.[24]Kathleen Marshallis expected to be the director and choreographer for the musical, which was aiming for a spring or summer 2020 tryout in a regional venue prior toBroadway.The musical will have a book byRex Pickettand the score by Anthony Leigh Adams.[25]
A play adapted by author Rex Pickett from theSidewaysnovel was produced at multiple theaters in the United States and the United Kingdom, including at theLa Jolla Playhouse.[24]
In addition to the musical, it was reported that Pickett had written screenplays based on his twoSidewayssequels already in print,VerticalandSideways 3 Chile.[24]
Accolades
[edit]As of 2022, Payne and Taylor are the only two screenwriters to ever sweep the rarest achievements known as "The Big Four"critics awards (LAFCA,NBR,NYFCC,NSFC),[26]in addition to winning theOscar,Globe,BAFTA,WGA,andCritic's Choice Awardsfor the film.
Japanese remake
[edit]Fox International Productions andFuji TVreleased a Japanese-language remake of the film in October 2009,[58]サイドウェイズ, often rendered inRomajiasSaidoweizu.The film is directed by Cellin Gluck and starsKatsuhisa Namase,Fumiyo Kohinata,Kyōka Suzuki,andRinko Kikuchi,and has a soundtrack composed and performed by Hawaiian-born ukulele virtuosoJake Shimabukuro.
The remake shifts the setting of the film toNapa Valley.Although listed as an executive producer, Payne was not involved with the remake, although he gave it his blessing.[59]Giamatti declined an invitation to make an unspecifiedcameo appearancein the film.[60]
Possible sequel
[edit]While Pickett wrote a sequel to his novel,Vertical,in 2011, following Miles and Jack on a road trip to Oregon with Miles' mother, Payne has declined to consider a sequel to the film.Fox Searchlightowns the rights to the characters, but Payne's lack of interest makes the film a non-starter for Fox.[61]
See also
[edit]
- List of American films of 2004
- List of media set in San Diego
- Second weekend in box office performance § Second-weekend increase
References
[edit]- ^abcSidewaysatBox Office Mojo
- ^Reynolds, Julia (August 13, 2006). "Going Ape For Grape: Annual event celebrates all things wine".Monterey County Herald.
- ^abHarlow, John (March 6, 2006)."Oscar winner knocks sales of merlot wine sideways".The Times.Archivedfrom the original on February 10, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 9,2023.
- ^Simon, Joanna (June 4, 2006). "Sauce".The Sunday Times.p. 47.
- ^Valdespino, Anne (July 7, 2007)."Don't forgo Merlot".The Orange County Register.Archivedfrom the original on February 10, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 9,2023.
- ^Asimov, Eric (December 13, 2006)."Panned on Screen, Merlot Shrugs And Moves On".The New York Times.pp. F10.Archivedfrom the original on August 8, 2016.RetrievedOctober 30,2007.
- ^Murphy, Patsey (August 13, 2005)."California dream".Irish Times.Archivedfrom the original on February 10, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 9,2023.
- ^Stimmell, Gordon (March 17, 2007). "More to merlot, you know".Toronto Star.pp. H07.
- ^Cuellar, Steven S. (January 2009)."The 'Sideways' Effect A test for changes in the demand for Merlot and Pinot Noir wines".Wines & Vines.Archivedfrom the original on January 22, 2023.RetrievedFebruary 10,2023.
- ^Consoli, Sarah; Fraysse, Elizabeth A.; Slipchenko, Natalya; Wang, Yi; Amirebrahimi, Jahon; Qin, Zhiran; Yazma, Neil; Lybbert, Travis J. (2022)."A" Sideways "Supply Response in California Winegrapes".Journal of Wine Economics.17:42–63.doi:10.1017/jwe.2021.26.ISSN1931-4361.S2CID243961647.Archivedfrom the original on January 24, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 24,2022.
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- ^"The World's Best Character Actor".Time.May 31, 2005. Archived fromthe originalon June 4, 2005.RetrievedMay 23,2010.
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- ^Meyer, Dan."Kathleen Marshall to Direct and Choreograph Sideways: The Musical"ArchivedOctober 8, 2019, at theWayback MachinePlaybill, October 7, 2019
- ^Noah Baumbachswept theBig Fourawards the following year with his filmThe Squid and the Whale,but did not win awards from the major associations.
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External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
- 2004 films
- 2004 black comedy films
- American black comedy films
- 2004 independent films
- 2004 romantic comedy-drama films
- American buddy comedy-drama films
- American romantic comedy-drama films
- BAFTA winners (films)
- Best Musical or Comedy Picture Golden Globe winners
- 2000s English-language films
- Films about actors
- Films about friendship
- Films about infidelity
- Films about vacationing
- Films about wine
- Films about writers
- Films based on American novels
- Films directed by Alexander Payne
- Films set in California
- Films shot in California
- Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award
- Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay BAFTA Award
- Fox Searchlight Pictures films
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Film winners
- Films about alcoholism
- Midlife crisis films
- 2000s buddy comedy-drama films
- 2000s road comedy-drama films
- American road comedy-drama films
- American independent films
- Santa Ynez Valley
- Films with screenplays by Alexander Payne
- Films with screenplays by Jim Taylor (writer)
- Films scored by Rolfe Kent
- Films set in San Diego
- 2000s American films
- English-language romantic comedy-drama films
- English-language independent films
- English-language black comedy films
- English-language road comedy-drama films