That's why he's a little shaky. He's not an alcoholic, you understand; he's an oenophile, which means he can continue to pronounce French wines long after most people would be unconscious. We realize he doesn't set the bar too high when he praises one vintage as "quaffable. Miles is the hero of Alexander Payne 's "Sideways," which is as lovable a movie as " Fargo ," although in a completely different way. He's an English teacher in middle school whose marriage has failed, whose novel seems in the process of failing, whose mother apparently understands that when he visits her, it is because he loves her, and also because he needs to steal some of her money. Miles is not perfect, but the way Paul Giamatti plays him, we forgive him his trespasses, because he trespasses most of all against himself. Miles' friend Jack is getting married in a week. They would seem to have little in common. Jack is a big, blond, jovial man at the peak of fleshy middle-aged handsomeness, and Miles looks like -- well, if you know who Harvey Pekar is, that's who Giamatti played in his previous movie.
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Look back at the leading ladies of the s who made their mark with iconic roles and some major hairstyles, too. See the gallery. A week before his friend Jack is to be married, best man Miles and the prospective groom head off to wine country for a week of fun, relaxation and - of course - wine drinking. Miles is the oenophile and does his best to teach Jack a bit about the art of appreciating great wine. All Jack cares about is drinking and carousing, something he accomplishes when he meets the attractive Stephanie at one of the vineyards.
Spending a week in their intimate company sounds like a chore, or worse. In this examination of individuals who, better late than never, arrive all unawares at turning points in their lives, the filmmakers have been helped beyond measure by their quartet of key cast members. And wine. Lots and lots of wine. Listening to him talk wine is an education in itself, and he caresses grapes on the vine as if they were his true best friends. As we discover on the drive, there is this opposites-attract, Mr. Outside quality to the Miles-Jack relationship that makes their friendship plausible. These are men who often know what is best for each other, never for themselves.
A film adaptation of Rex Pickett 's novel of the same name , Sideways follows 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 to Santa Barbara County wine country to celebrate Jack's upcoming wedding. Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen also star. Miles Raymond is an unsuccessful writer, a wine aficionado , and a divorced, depressed, alcoholic middle-aged English teacher living in San Diego. He takes Jack Cole, his soon-to-be-married actor friend and former college roommate, on a road trip through the Santa Ynez Valley wine country.
