'Sideways'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey are not drinking any fucking Merlot as they rewatch Alexander Payne's 2004 comedy-drama 'Sideways,' starring Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, and Sandra Oh.
Categories
Quote from Rog's review:
“Sideways is the best human comedy of the year.”
'The characters are played not by the first actors you would think of casting, but by actors who will prevent you from ever being able to imagine anyone else in their roles.'
- Miles and Maya on the porch – the wine monologue scene.
- First trip to the Hitching Post where they meet Maya.
- Miles drunk-dials his ex-wife at the Los Olivos dinner.
- Stealing back the wallet from M.C. Gainey's house.
- Miles drinks from the spit bucket at the winery.
- Thomas Haden Church as Jack – captures a guy everyone knows, 'a walking boner.'
- The Santa Ynez Valley wine country setting.
- Richard Price-level dialogue throughout.
- The picnic scene.
- The split-screen wine tasting / meeting Stephanie sequence – homage to Hal Ashby.
Pat Thrall's 'Snortin' Whiskey' during the wallet-stealing scene at M.C. Gainey's house – the only rock song in the whole movie.
The fake car accident – both the first one and the second one with the brick on the gas pedal.
- 2004 cell phones.
- Jack's womanizing behavior – probably wouldn't go over as well in 2023.
- Drunk driving throughout the movie, never acknowledged.
Bill: 'I think it's insane when great directors don't direct. Fuck you Alexander Payne.' Payne went 7 years between 'Sideways' and The Descendants.
- George Clooney was considered for a role.
- Robert Downey Jr. read for Miles – would have been pre-'Iron Man', during his dark period. 'Probably a better movie' with Downey.
Thomas Haden Church begging Miles for help after his infidelity is revealed: 'I know I fucked up... you gotta help me.'
- M.C. Gainey – angry naked guy chasing them.
- Jessica Hecht – 'she's won this award like three different times.' Ross's lesbian ex-wife on Friends.
M.C. Gainey as the angry naked guy – 'great crank, great performance.'
Robert Downey Jr. for Miles – can't get it out of his head even though he loves Giamatti.
- Budget $16 million, grossed $109.7 million worldwide.
- Giamatti knew nothing about wine or golf and faked all of it.
- Thomas Haden Church had basically left acting after Wings – was doing voiceover work.
- The house where Miles retrieved the wallet was a meth lab until weeks before filming.
- The fake wine made almost everyone sick; they switched to real wine.
- Thomas Haden Church – yes, got Academy Award nomination, led to 'Spider-Man' 3.
- Virginia Madsen – yes, Oscar nomination, most iconic role.
- Santa Ynez Valley – yes, 'fucking cranked up that whole area.'
- Pinot Noir – yes, completely invigorated by this film. Merlot sales declined.
- Paul Giamatti – not this, mid-2010s is the apex (John Adams, Billions), but this launched him.
- Miles chugs a whole bottle of wine in 45 seconds – extremely hard to do.
- Jack ran naked for miles back to the hotel.
- The banged-up Saab making it back to San Diego – no way.
- Why are Miles and Jack even friends?
Would work as a 6-7 episode HBO show – each episode covering one day of the trip.
- What happens the next day after Miles knocks on Maya's door?
- Was Maya's voicemail a farewell courtesy call or an invitation?
- A bottle of Seasmoke.
- The 1961 Cheval Blanc bottle (though it would be undrinkable now).
- Jack's new set of golf clubs from Christine's dad.
- Try to avoid alcoholism.
- If your first novel is only getting started at page 750, maybe reconsider.
- Don't write a novel.
Split – Sean and Chris say Giamatti (makes him a movie star, leads to John Adams and Billions). Bill says Alexander Payne ('after this movie it's like I just bought season tickets for Payne').
'Sideways' + The Descendants – same director, totally different movies.
Craig Horlbeck: first time seeing it. Thinks it's better on rewatch – lighter and funnier once you know the ending.