Sideways
I brought this one along on a recent trip to Sonoma, since I thought it would be fun to gain some background knowledge on California wine culture before attending tastings myself. If you haven’t seen the film, the plot centers around the misadventures and emotional roller coasters experienced by two good friends, Miles and Jack, during their last hurrah together in wine country before Jack settles down to married life.
The story is told from the perspective of Miles, a struggling, recently-divorced writer prone to disturbing and dramatic public displays of rage, grief, and despair. Jack decidedly fills a much-needed comic relief role, enduring a never-ending series of unbelievable mishaps thanks to his hedonistic personality and risk-taking spontaneity. The content of Sideways could be considered offensive by some in terms of its profanity and/or depiction of women, but overall I did find it to be an entertaining and interesting read.
