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Director: |
Alexander Payne |
Writer: |
Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor |
Starring: |
Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Patrick Gallagher, Alex Kalognomos |
Released: |
January 27, 2005 |
Rating: |
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Runtime: |
124 minutes
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Websites: |
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Story: |
Writer-director Alexander Payne's fourth feature film (following "Citizen Ruth",
"Election" and "About Schmidt") starts with two old friends setting off on a
wine-tasting road trip . . . only to veer dizzily into a wry exploration of
the vicissitudes of love and friendship, the damnable persistence of loneliness
and dreams and the enduring war between Pinot and Cabernet.
The misadventures begin when Miles (Paul Giamatti), an un-recovered divorcee
and would-be novelist with a wine fixation, decides to gift old college buddy
and washed-up actor Jack (Thomas Haden Church) with a celebratory trip to the
vineyards of the Santa Ynez Valley the week before Jack's wedding. The two
couldn't be an odder couple. Jack is an over-sexed charmer; Miles is a sad-sack
worrier. Jack is looking for his 'last taste of freedom'; Miles just wants to
taste perfection in a bottle. Jack is fine with cheap Merlot; Miles pines for
the elusive, perfect Pinot. Indeed, the only thing they seem to share in
common is the same heady mix of failed ambitions and fading youth.
And yet, as they make their way up the coast, Miles and Jack soon find
themselves drowning in wine and women. Jack falls head-over-heels for a local
wine pourer (Sandra Oh) and threatens to call off his nuptials. Miles begins
his own romantic encounter with a wine-savvy waitress (Virginia Madsen). Both
men careen dangerously and comically toward mid-life crises.
Now, the wedding approaches and with it the certainty that Miles and Jack won't
make it back to Los Angeles unscathed or unchanged . . . if they get back there
at all.
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Cast: |
Paul Giamatti
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Miles Raymond |
Thomas Haden Church
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Jack |
Virginia Madsen
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Maya |
Sandra Oh
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Stephanie |
Marylouise Burke
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Miles' Mother |
Jessica Hecht
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Victoria |
Missy Doty
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Cammi |
M.C. Gainey
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Cammi's Husband |
Alysia Reiner
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Christine Erganian |
Shake Tukhmanyan
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Mrs. Erganian |
Duke Moosekian
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Mike Erganian |
Robert Covarrubias
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Mike's Building Manager |
Patrick Gallagher
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Gary the Bartender |
Stephanie Faracy
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Stephanie's Mother |
Joe Marinelli
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Frass Canyon Pourer |
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