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Quench your thirst for a quirky comedy Struggling author and wine connoisseur Miles (Paul Giamatti) performs his duty of being "best man" by taking his friend Jack on a week-long trek through through wine country the week before his wedding. "Sideways" brings as us along with the two men, in a film as smooth and refreshing as the Napa Valley Chardonnays they consume. Those looking for plot-heavy material will be unimpressed with "Sideways". Yes, the men get in adventures and yes they meet a couple of women. But the thrust of the story is about the internal challenges and fears facing the two men troubled by not achieving greatness in life and finding themselves a few decades past their youth. Jack tries to numb his pain in the arms of strangers, while the awkward Miles internalizes his angst, creating a dangerous concoction when mixed with the spirits he loves. "Sideways" builds itself on an exploration of the human psyche, and viewers should come away with a better understanding of mid-life crises. The film adds a little something extra by giving a worthy introduction to the California wine culture. While not exactly "Wine for Dummies", viewers will find themselves spending an extra few minutes reading wine labels when shopping for their next dinner party. Many will fail to see the connections between this film and recent critical hits "In the Bedroom" and "Mystic River", but the similarities exist. All three films tell unoriginal stories and contain characters we've all seen before many times. But because the films are all told with a masterful skill and feature actors giving lifetime performances, the results stand as pinnacles to their genres. Even though Giamatti was passed over for Oscar consideration, this role cements him as a major player in Hollywood and includes him in a trinity of cinematic losers with William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi. Among the supporting cast, Virginia Madsen stands out as the sultry potential love interest that Miles can't believe is interested in him. She delivers the film's defining moment, a beautiful speech on why wine interests her. Through her speech, we see how hobbies teach people about life and help them understand themselves. Many of her reasons for being a wine lover can be transposed onto those who build birdhouses or raise rabbits...or those of us who spend our free time watching wonderful films like "Sideways".