This film is based on a novel written by Rex Pickett. Two men are reaching middle age and they don't have much to show for their lives except disappointment. They leave on a week long road trip through California’s wine country before Jack is to be married. Miles is the best man and he’s also along for the trip. They are seeking a week of fun, rest, relaxation and wine drinking, of course. Miles does his best to teach Jack some facts about the art of appreciating great wines. Jack just cares about drinking, carousing and he’s a former soap star reduced to commercials!!
Jack meets attractive Stephanie at one of the vineyards. Miles is the opposite of Jack. He’s a sad sack, a high school English teacher and a failed writer. Miles also has not gotten over the fact that his wife has divorced him. She has remarried and he now faces the nerve racking wait to hear from a prospective publisher. Miles meets Stephanie’s friend Maya. He drops the bomb that Jack is about to married and this may have killed a budding relationship??
Jack has rude charm and quiet desperation? Miles sees himself as a temperamental wine expert but does he really know anything about what he is talking about? This film contains very mature material. Some violence, sexual references and situations. Drinking but the wine is treated as a work of art and not drinking to numb feelings or get drunk. Some very strong language. Giamatti and Church have very good chemistry together. 4* (I liked this movie)
127 min, Comedy directed and written by Alexander Payne, also written by Rex Pickett with Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh, Marylouise Burke, Jessica Hecht, Missy Doty, M.C. Gainey, Alysia Reiner, Shake Tukhamanyan, Shaun Duke, Robert Covarrubias, Patrick Gallagher, Stephanie Faracy, Joe Marinelli.
Note: Imdb 7.5* out of 10* with 177,572 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 97% with 233 critics 79% audience with 197,683 audience scores, Metacritic 94 out of 100 with 42 critics (41 positive 1 mid 0 negative) 7 out of 10 with 524 user scores (353 positive, 80 mixed, 91 negative, Roger Ebert 4*, RollingStone 4* Peter Travers, The Guardian 5* Peter Bradshaw, Letterboxed 3.7* out of 5*, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 2196 reviews, Common Sense Media Nell Minow, 3*, age 17+, 3* violence, 5* sex, 5* language, 3* drinking drugs, smoking.
Special Note: Miles’ mother made dinner at her house for Miles and Jack. The food gave all three actors food poisoning?? Sales of Pinot Noir wines rose by more than 20% over the 2004-05 Christmas/New Year period after Miles talks about this wine with great passion. Miles was disparaging about Merlot and sales dropped after the film came out. Paul Giamatti admitted faking every bit of wine knowledge and he didn’t understand why anybody would care about it?? He also thought his casting in the lead role was a practical joke?? M.C. Gainey runs naked down a street. The police blocked off the entire street. People who lived in houses on the street were paid by the crew to stay inside their homes during filming? I wonder if they peaked out the windows?
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