In 2004, writers Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor wrote their Oscar winning script and the four main characters played by Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh won the Screen Actors Guild award for best performance by a cast in a motion picture, while Alexander Payne, who also directed the movie was nominated for an Oscar as best achievement in directing.
I've watched this movie at least four times since it came out on DVD and I'm happy to still have it in my collection. The movie's IMDb synopsis and mostly its storyline description, a bit further down, captures well the plot. It is a simple plot, so what made this movie great was the script, the dialogue, the flawless performance by all four of the main characters and the splendid scenery of California's wine country. Nothing, but nothing requires suspension of disbelief here. Simple ordinary people living ordinary lives will at times do things that aren't so plain and simple; such is life, and thus we have four of them, all likeable, but two of which, Miles and Jack, played by Giamatti and Church, a bit more flawed than Maya or Stephanie, played by Madsen and Oh.
There's no stretching the imagination here, not the circumstances nor the personalities; all four are believable and delightfully so. What is meant to happen, does; a simple action reaction reality of life. But the ending is not sad; it does leave us in a "make up your own ending" state. That's not okay for a thriller, but it works just fine with a light comedy drama and romance. Given the locations of the movie and the story, a 19 year gap since it was released has not affected the viewing of it; it feels like it could be today. The week long adventure of Miles & Jack was a wine safari and the soundtrack includes a tune by that very name of course, hence my proud choice for this review's title.
I've watched this movie at least four times since it came out on DVD and I'm happy to still have it in my collection. The movie's IMDb synopsis and mostly its storyline description, a bit further down, captures well the plot. It is a simple plot, so what made this movie great was the script, the dialogue, the flawless performance by all four of the main characters and the splendid scenery of California's wine country. Nothing, but nothing requires suspension of disbelief here. Simple ordinary people living ordinary lives will at times do things that aren't so plain and simple; such is life, and thus we have four of them, all likeable, but two of which, Miles and Jack, played by Giamatti and Church, a bit more flawed than Maya or Stephanie, played by Madsen and Oh.
There's no stretching the imagination here, not the circumstances nor the personalities; all four are believable and delightfully so. What is meant to happen, does; a simple action reaction reality of life. But the ending is not sad; it does leave us in a "make up your own ending" state. That's not okay for a thriller, but it works just fine with a light comedy drama and romance. Given the locations of the movie and the story, a 19 year gap since it was released has not affected the viewing of it; it feels like it could be today. The week long adventure of Miles & Jack was a wine safari and the soundtrack includes a tune by that very name of course, hence my proud choice for this review's title.