Sideways

REVIEW
A sublime coming-of-adulthood buddy/comedy/road movie from the director and co-writer of About Schmidt, Election and Citizen Ruth. Curmudgeonly Miles (Giamatti) is a recently divorced junior high English teacher, wine connoisseur and failed novelist. His best friend Jack (Church) is a hunky former soap opera superstar who’s about to get married. In celebration of Jack’s imminent nuptials, they embark on a tour of California’s wine country, during which they sample some fine vintages, re-evaluate their past relationships, ponder the nature of their unfulfilled lives and indulge in simultaneous flings with a pair of vivacious waitresses. While flaky Jack seizes the opportunity to recklessly sow some wild pre-marital oats with Stephanie (Oh), cynical Miles dares to inch closer to longtime crush Maya (Madsen). The four leads are flawless and the sterling screenplay is a bounty of poignant and oftentimes painfully funny observations on growing old and growing up.