Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Sideways’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If there’s one thing that I would wager to be a difficult venture for any filmmaker to capture on camera, it’s everyday life. Because the fact of the matter is, everyday life is kinda boring in its own right and part of the reason we don’t see it on the silver screen that often is because everyone in the industry knows we go to the cinema to escape from the mundane parts of our lives to be entertained for a couple of hours. Which means that often times, if the humdrum details of our day-to-day lives pop up in cinema, it’s there to ground the story or transition us to something more important in the plot.
 
But, while everyday life tends to be an afterthought in film, it is entirely possible to make such matters compelling on the silver screen, provided that a filmmaker is able to find ways to make the more banal moments of our day interesting and compelling and perhaps the best way to make that happen, is to give the audience a story that features a character in some kind of crisis or at a crossroads and when I find a motion picture that manages to pull of that incredible feat, I immediately make it a part of my collection simply due to the fact that it is a rare treat to see movies that capture those unique moments in our lives and one such film that does that, that I celebrate as often as possible, is the 2005 adaptation of Rex Pickett’s brilliant novel, Sideways.
 
Now for those who haven’t seen this motion picture, in it we are introduced to a man named Miles who is in fact, at a crossroads in his life. For he’s wondering at this point, if his dreams of settling down with a special someone and selling his novel will ever come true. But, for the time being, he can keep those worries on the back burner, for his best friend Jack is getting married in a week, and to celebrate Jack’s voyage into holy matrimony, this dynamic duo are headed to wine country for the week and while that seems like a simple and relaxing way to bid farewell to the single life, it’s a vacation that will change their lives forever. For Jack is looking to have one last fling as a single man and Miles will quickly learn that at some point, one has to face the problems that chew at our souls. 

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​So, this is hands down, one of my favorite films for so many reasons. One of them being the fact that it is a delightful comedy, with down to earth jokes and quirky moments that you simply don’t see on screen all that often and the warm and goofy nature of those jokes instantly brings your guard down. Which is important because once you get past the comedy…you’re plunged into quite the cerebral story about two guys who are quite frankly, in the midst of a mid-life crisis. Because clearly Jack is terrified about giving up his wild ways and settling into true adulthood, and he fights this new chapter in his life with every fiber of his being and Miles, is clearly panicking over the fact that he’s in the middle of his life and has yet to accomplish any of his goals and that’s…just fascinating.
 
Because those two issues, are flat out what we discussed a little bit ago. These are the everyday issues that people face and the movie does a fine job of making those personal crises compelling and fascinating and it also allows for something as mundane as breakfast or dinner to come to life by allowing for the characters to express their concerns, their hopes and their dreams in those moments in realistic fashion and well, that makes this film a powerful character study to say the least and you truly get to know the characters inside and out because of these special moments that are at times, supremely relatable. Because I think we’ve all been in Miles’ shoes and sat at a dinner table where we feel we don’t belong, or don’t feel up to socializing even though we dragged ourselves out for the evening or dealt with the burden of a friend who’s more or less cast us aside to our own devices to go chase a pretty face.
 
But what matters most about this motion picture is that it offers no easy answers in regard to the theme that it presents in that; life doesn’t always go the way we planned. And I truly appreciate the fact that it ends like any other day, with hopes and dreams still on our minds and that it reminds us that sometimes, little steps are what we need to start accomplishing wonders and well, those little plot points, combined with powerful performances truly make this a special film through and through and one that quite frankly, I recommend as often as possible because it is so incredibly unique. Because it really is hard to find a film that captures the essence of what’s on our minds at times, and the anxiety we feel in dealing with people and events and well, those elements make this an instant classic in my mind and a surprisingly hopeful film when all is said and done. Because if Miles can handle life’s little and big disappointments and still find a reason to soldier on, so can the rest of us. 

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