sideways ...

Sideways is a movie at first glance would not be one I would go see. It was recommended so I was compelled to go and I was presently surprised at how multi-leveled it was. This movie is purely an English major's delight!

Warning: R for language, some strong sexual content and nudity. So don't say I didn't warn you!

preface:
'Miles Raymond (Giamatti), a divorced middle school teacher and failed novelist, and his altar-bound friend Jack (Church) take a wine-tasting trip in California, pondering questions about their directions in life.'

Freeze frame the first wine testing:
Gloomy Miles is a wine connoisseur. He would LOOK at his wine. Then he would tip his glass and LOOK at the edge of his wine. He would swirl his wine gently to see how much body it had. He INHALED the scent and took a sip. He would swirl his wine in his mouth, FEELING and TASTING. Shallowing he would notice any after-taste. All was done in a slow and smooth way. It was as though he was MAKING LOVE with his wine.

Jack on the other hand would just glup his way through the wines.

my thoughts:
wine = human relationships /marriage.

Why did Miles fail to TASTE in his marriage relationship with such passion as his wine? In his failed marriage he FELT LITTLE. The after-taste in his mouth was bad. After the dismize of his marriage, he had realized what kind of marriage he wanted but felt unable and unworthy to make it good.

Freeze frame the part where they go to Stephanie's house:
While Jack and Stephanie shush through on their relationship, Miles and Mia move outside to have a conversation. Mia askes him why he is sooo passionate about Pinot. Miles describes the grape to make his favorite wine as thin skinned and tempramental to weather and handling. I was screaming 'Miles is not only describing the grape but he is describing himself and the marriage union!'

Miles asks Mia why she is interested in wine. She liked thinking about what was going on in the world at the time the grape was grown and harvested. What was weather like? What kind of people handle the grape? Was an old wine? Are the people who handled the wine dead? What were they like? etc.

See how his answer to Pinot and her response to wine was a fair give and take. She was the right match. She was interested in the surroundings and care of the grape and he was stuck in the misery of pinot.

Mia asked what was his best wine in his collection? It was the wine that was to peak that year. Once a wine peaks the favor begins to break down and go bad. Miles didn't have an answer but a shrug.

Interesting note:
To peak doesn't mean a negative where the taste will go bad rather it is the moment of realization. A celebrating moment to make new .. to make better.

back to the movie:
The relationship between the two fall apart because of the poor attitude Miles holds dear. Moody and temperamental is much easier to be. Miles also knows the lies Jack has been telling Stephanie and doesn't say anything to Mia. This is betrayal and Mia cannot be near him anymore.

After feeling sorry for himself long enough, Miles writes a letter and send it along with his book to Mia in the effort to turn a new leaf. Mia chooses to read his letter and his book. She was peaking.

Quite interesting to find Miles with his favorite wine in a very ordinary convient store. He opens and drinks in the flavorful and peaking wine. At this moment he knows Mia is the right match. He goes to her. He was peaking.

What was the purpose for the author to used a character like Jack? This friend was a backdrop to compare Miles tooo. He TASTED his wine. Jack sloshed through the wine. There was no real passion .. no real love. Jack did the same with his relationships .. a shallow drinker ... a shallow womanizer .. a shallow man. Slosh through the wine ... slosh through the women. I highly doubt that his 'I can't loose her' hoping not loose woman he was to marry was real. Jack is at the beginning cycle of where Miles mucked through.

Where are you at on this journey? Are you thin skinned and temperamental? Do you need to peak? Or are you pass peaking?

You have to make the decision to stop letting your wine go bad. Peak already! Open that wine and pour it into a new glass. Fully TASTE the wine.

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