Sideways (R) Jon Olson/March 22nd, 2005

To say that “Since the rise of Miramax Films in the early 1990s, Hollywood has embraced the style of independent filmmaking,” would be a monstrous understatement. Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, a masterpiece in its own right, accelerated the craze that has had studios craving small-budget, Oscar- worthy films. Miramax has led the pack with 249 Academy Award nominations and 60 wins, including 3 “Best Picture” wins. Even considering their critical and financial success (however, its net profit is under dispute) the studio has become one of the monsters it combated for so many years and it is being torn away from its founders, the Weinsteins. However, there are several studios that are still producing small-budget films that make money and continue to win awards. Basically, these studios are at the point that Miramax was 10 years ago and can still be counted on to produce and/or release Oscar-worthy movies on a small scale. One of these studios is Fox Searchlight. Their huge hit of 2004 was Sideways, and rightfully so. Sideways, starring Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church, is a drama/comedy following two middle-aged friends on a road trip through California wine-tasting country. Miles (Giamatti) is a lonely, divorced middle-school English teacher (and borderline alcoholic) without much purpose or direction in life, and Jack (Church) is a wild man celebrating his final week as a bachelor. It is hard at first to understand why these two would be friends, but it is revealed how well they complement and almost need each other. They eventually befriend locals, Maya and Stephanie (Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh) and as Jack sweeps Stephanie off her feet (SHE IS unaware of his infidelity), Miles struggles to communicate with Maya. She is a woman with whom he has had a casual relationship for years and loves, but HE can’t cope with himself and is the walking definition of a mid-life crisis. In fact, the unique way in which both Miles and Jack experience simultaneous mid-life crises emphasizes their differences. This film is not for everyone, but the right audience will surely embrace it (as many already have). It is edgy, harsh (at times), sad, and funny at different points through the film. Giamatti is perfectly cast as the sympathetic lead. Church, while not a “nice” character, is hilarious and strangely likeable as a character who acts in such vile manner for the majority of the film. The chemistry that Giamatti and Madsen have while onscreen together is wonderful and they share one of the best scenes of any film in 2004. Sideways gets a little wacky toward the end and loses some believability, but the open-ended conclusion is touching and appropriate. The faults of this film are minimal and it was definitely deserving of its “Best Adapted Screenplay” Oscar. This one is highly recommended.

**** (out of ****)

Sideways will be released on DVD April 5th.