Sideways and writing

III · Sep 25, 2007

My wife and I were watching Sidways the other night and she blurted out "Hey, this reminds me of you and Frank!" I immediately knew what she meant - my friend Frank is tall and very outgoing like Jack (Thomas Hayden Church), which left me as the neurotic, balding, wine snob, wanna-be author Miles (Paul Giamatti).

We had a good laugh about it, but every time Miles pined about his writing we laughed even harder (at my expense, of course). Did anyone else relate a little too well to Miles?

scarletpeaches · Sep 25, 2007

You're just jealous of his fine head of hair, there, aintcha?

III · Sep 25, 2007

"Jealous" is too small a word for it.

rhymegirl · Sep 25, 2007

III said:
Did anyone else relate a little too well to Miles?

No. I'm not balding.

melaniehoo · Sep 25, 2007

Yes, but more because of my obsession with wine. We like to pretend we're him & jam our nosees in a glass before drinking. Gets a little messy after a few glasses.

maestrowork · Sep 25, 2007

Note to self: don't serve III Merlot.

But don't despair, at least Miles gets Virginia Madsen at the end. Hubba hubba.

Ray, the tall, dark and handsome one who would so hook up with Sandra Oh

billythrilly7th · Sep 25, 2007

III said:
Did anyone else relate a little too well to Miles?

Ya. You have no idea how much and on how many levels.

Except I'm good looking.

Thank you.

ChaosTitan · Sep 25, 2007

I still need to see this movie.

*hides*

CaroGirl · Sep 26, 2007

I saw it before I finished a novel and started hunting for an agent/publisher. If I saw it again, I know I'd identify a little too closely with the Paul Giamatta character. Except for the balding thing. I haven't been bald since I was 18 months old.
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Toothpaste · Sep 26, 2007

It is so interesting. I love this movie. But when I saw it first I was empathising with Paul Giamatti as an actor. That is what his character was going through as a writer, I could totally relate to my acting life. A year later I watch the film again, and suddenly I am deeply immersed in the writing world, and it meant so much more and I just got some of the jokes so much better. Amazing how your perspective can change like that.

I felt the same way about The Graduate. I first saw it in university, thought it was good. Saw it after I had graduated university, OMG, it SO suddenly made so much more sense!

III · Sep 26, 2007

If I had a dime for every time I've taken a sip of my coke at a resturaunt and said "Quaffable, but uh... far from transcendent", I'd be rich.

Here's another quote. Let's see if anyone's brave enough to throw this one out on AW: "Good I like non fiction. There is so much to know about this world. I think you read something somebody just invented, waste of time."

http://www.us.imdb.com/title/tt0375063/quotes

brokenfingers · Sep 26, 2007

To be honest, I identified with the Jack character much more.

While I enjoy writing and hope to be published one day - it really isn't that big a deal to me.

dclary · Sep 26, 2007

This movie repulses me.

maestrowork · Sep 26, 2007

THC's ass in that one scene repulsed me.

Chumplet · Sep 26, 2007

III said:
If I had a dime for every time I've taken a sip of my coke at a resturaunt and said "Quaffable, but uh... far from transcendent", I'd be rich.

Here's another quote. Let's see if anyone's brave enough to throw this one out on AW: "Good I like non fiction. There is so much to know about this world. I think you read something somebody just invented, waste of time."

Funny. I just got pretty much the same thing from the liquor store guy when I said I was celebrating the print release of my novel. He said, "I don't have time to read fiction -- I read a lot of non-fiction. Have you read Michener's "The Source?"

Yes, I did. And I still read fiction. *quaffs another G&T*

III · Sep 27, 2007

maestrowork said:
THC's ass in that one scene repulsed me.

But the naked guy running after their car TOTALLY made up for it

KTC · Sep 27, 2007

III said:
My wife and I were watching Sidways the other night and she blurted out "Hey, this reminds me of you and Frank!" I immediately knew what she meant - my friend Frank is tall and very outgoing like Jack (Thomas Hayden Church), which left me as the neurotic, balding, wine snob, wanna-be author Miles (Paul Giamatti).

We had a good laugh about it, but every time Miles pined about his writing we laughed even harder (at my expense, of course). Did anyone else relate a little too well to Miles?

Oh GOD yes...I sat in the movie theatre listening to my wife repeat: THIS MOVIE WAS MADE FOR YOU. This has to be one of my all time favourite movies...and Miles so typified my mindset...it was eerie.

maestrowork · Sep 27, 2007

III said:
But the naked guy running after their car TOTALLY made up for it

Whatever floats your boat, III.

The only reason why we got to see THC's ass instead of O Shadra Oh's is that Alexander Payne was married to her at the time. Jealous bastard.

ascreamingcame · Sep 27, 2007

I thought this movie was pretty good, and I can relate to the situation you refer to, III. I write/read a lot of film criticism and AO Scott, critic for the NY Times, discussed this syndrome in his review of "Sideways," which he understood as a film made specifically for film critics (the character of Miles, I think, can be just about any kind of washed up artist). I find it painfully ironic that in most of our personal fantasies we writers turn into victims, pariahs, and most importantly, failures (maybe that's just me, though). This has turned up in films since and is now being referred to ubiquitously as "the Sideways syndrome", FYI.

Sideways and writing

III

rockin the suburbs

scarletpeaches

III

rockin the suburbs

rhymegirl

It's a New Year!

melaniehoo

And thus we begin the edits

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

billythrilly7th

ChaosTitan

Around

CaroGirl

Living the dream

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!

III

rockin the suburbs

brokenfingers

Walkin' That Road

dclary

Unabashed Mercenary

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Chumplet

This hat is getting too hot

III

rockin the suburbs

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

ascreamingcame