Sideways Trivia

1. Which very practical character made the following comment? "Good, I like non-fiction. There's so much to know about this world. I think you read something, someone just invented it-- waste of time!"

From Quiz Quotes from the Film "Sideways"

Answer: Christine's father

Shaun Duke played Mr. Erganian, Jack's future father-in-law, a successful commercial realtor. He was inquiring about Miles's novel, which Jack had told everyone was being published. Miles told him that since the story was semi-autobiographical, it could be considered partially non-fiction.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: English teacher

Miles mentions to Jack that he is not a writer, merely a middle school English teacher. Also, a student is shown reading aloud from John Knowles' novel "A Separate Peace" towards the end of the film.

From Quiz "Sideways": Days of Wine and Broken Noses

Answer: Wendy

His mother (MaryLouise Burke) mentions to Miles (Paul Giamatti) during their dinner, that she recently talked to Wendy, and she wants them all to get together the next day for her birthday. Miles leaves his mother's house before she wakes up the next morning in order to avoid this meeting. The only other time Wendy is mentioned is at the end of the movie, when Maya (Virginia Madsen) is telling Miles how much she loved his book. The book is partially autobiograhical, so Wendy is mentioned in it. Apparently, Miles writes of his sister as a real wreck.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Jack

The movie opens with Miles waking up, hung over, to discover that he is late getting started on his trip with Jack up to the Santa Barbara area. The two of them are going to tour the wine country and have a bit of fun before Jack's wedding to Christine the following Saturday. Jack is in Los Angeles at the home of Christine's parents waiting for Miles to pick him up.

From Quiz Quotes from the Film "Sideways"

Answer: Jack

Jack was trying to cheer Miles up after he had ruined it with Maya, since he knew that Pinot Noir was Miles's favorite wine. They were visiting the Frass Canyon Winery, a tourist trap, where Miles had commented that the wine "tastes like the back of an LA schoolbus."

From Quiz "Sideways": Days of Wine and Broken Noses

Answer: Derek Sommersby

Jack (Thomas Haden Church) was a soap star briefly during the '90s. Then, according to him, was a regular on a couple of series, and now mostly does commercial and voice-over work. He informs every girl he sees about this when he flirts with them. Also, even though it isn't mentioned in the movie, Jack's last name is Cole.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Pinot noir

Miles has brought a bottle of Pinot noir, which Jack opens in the car for them to drink on the way. Jack asks why it's called Pinot noir if it's white, prompting Miles to tell him not to ask things like that once they get to wine country. When Miles later describes the pinot grapes to Maya as being thin-skinned, temperamental, and needing lots of care and attention, Maya realizes that he's also describing himself. Since Miles feels he is such a failure in many different areas, being a wine connoisseur helps him to feel like he has some significance.

From Quiz Quotes from the Film "Sideways"

Answer: Miles

Who else but the pretentious Miles could have spoken this line? Miles was introducing Jack to the world of oenophilia by showing him how to taste wine properly, although Jack had forgotten to throw out his gum first.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Gary

Ron is the name of Miles' brother-in-law, Chris works at the Sanford, the first winery the men visit, and Ken is the new husband of Miles' ex-wife, Victoria. Gary is a heavyset Samoan man and he and his business partners make their own wine. Although his part is not very big, Gary is later mentioned when Miles blames him for letting it slip that Jack is getting married, although Miles is covering up his own guilt.

From Quiz "Sideways": Days of Wine and Broken Noses

Answer: Walt Hendricks

Walt Hendricks (Phil Reeves), credited as "Vacationing Dr. Walt Hendricks" asks Jack to watch his language as he and Miles walk by him and his grandson. Jack is uttering some very strong innuendos, so it is easy to see why Hendricks is upset by this. Phil Reeves is actually the high school principal from Alexander Payne's "Election".

From Quiz Quotes from the Film "Sideways"

Answer: Miles

Merlot sales in the US plummeted soon after our hero and beloved wine snob, Miles, uttered the film's most memorable line about not drinking Merlot. Miles was feeling especially anxious about meeting Maya and Stephanie for dinner, so Jack spoke to him before they entered the restaurant, ensuring that Miles had brought enough Xanax to keep from "going to the dark side", thereby spoiling their chances of success with their dates that evening. Jack had to promise Miles that he would not be forced to drink any Merlot.

From Quiz "Sideways": Days of Wine and Broken Noses

Answer: Insect excrement

"Frass" is just one example of the vocabulary used in "Sideways". Some other examples include "abattoir" (slaughterhouse), "quaffable" (drinkable), and "extricated" (removed). The script also has plenty of four-letter words. Frass Canyon is where Miles calls his book editor, and learns that his novel will not be getting published by the only publishing house that has shown any interest. He is furious, and tries to get one of the Frass Canyon wine pourers to give him enough wine to get drunk. When the pourer refuses, Miles then proceeds to make an idiot of himself by drinking from the spit bucket.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Windmill Inn

After leaving Miles's mother's house, Miles and Jack stop for breakfast. Jack discovers that Miles thinks their trip will consist of golfing, good food and visiting wineries. Jack would like to do those things as well, but is more interested in having as much sex as he can before he leaves his bachelor days behind. Jack also wants to be sure to find someone for Miles. The Windmill is located centrally so they can drive north and visit wineries as they travel back south. As Miles puts it, the more they drink, the closer they will be getting to the motel. The motel is also within walking distance of The Hitching Post, the restaurant where Maya works.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Horticulture

In a discussion about Miles' novel, at Stephanie's house, Maya says that she is going for a Master's degree in horticulture. She explains that she commutes from Buellton to San Luis Obispo twice a week.

From Quiz "Sideways": Days of Wine and Broken Noses

Answer: Bukowski

"I am a smudge of excrement on a piece of tissue paper surging out to sea with a million tons of raw sewage," is Miles' lament after he learns his book will not be published. When Jack tells him that the line is beautiful and original, Miles admits that he plagiarized it. He also compares himself to "a thumbprint on the window of a skyscraper".

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: winery

Stephanie is the wine pourer at one of the wineries that Jack and Miles visit. While they're tasting the wines, Jack flirts with Stephanie. When Jack joins Miles outside at the car, he tells Miles that Stephanie has already called Maya, and they've agreed to a double date that night. Jack and Stephanie really hit it off and spend the night together, while Maya and Miles talk about wine.

From Quiz Quotes from the Film "Sideways"

Answer: Stephanie

Stephanie was waiting for Jack in the motel parking lot, where she greeted him with a motorcycle helmet to the nose when he finally arrived. Stephanie had just found out from Maya that Jack was getting married the next Saturday.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: San Diego State

Miles reveals this fact to Maya, after he accidentally reveals that Jack is getting married. Needless to say, Maya is furious and passes the word on to Stephanie, especially since Miles has courted her and they had been together the previous night. All of Miles attempts to apologize are shot down by Maya.

From Quiz "Sideways": Days of Wine and Broken Noses

Answer: Paul Giamatti

The picture is actually of himself! It is the actor who plays his character. It is a snapshot of a teenaged Paul and his real-life father Bart Giamatti. Bart was once the Comissioner for Major League Baseball. The scene is very depressing, because of Miles' clear self-loathing about what he is doing.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: she's remarried

Miles is disappointed with his life, and considers himself a failure. He still hasn't come to grips with his divorce two years ago, and is still in love with Victoria. Miles is in therapy and on anti-depressants, but usually uses wine to help get by. After Jack tells him about Victoria being remarried, Miles grabs a bottle of wine from the car and runs off. He drinks the whole bottle while trying to elude Jack, who is trying to get him to stop.

From Quiz Quotes from the Film "Sideways"

Answer: Jack

Ever the optimist, Jack was trying to encourage Miles to not give up on getting his book published. As they played golf, Jack even offered to help Miles pay for publishing the book himself. Actor Thomas Haden Church, laughing about the line, has commented how funny it was that Jack felt that libraries were the "the hallmark of publishing success."

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Cammi

Jack flirts with Cammi in a scene that takes place in a restaurant on the drive back. Cammi remembers him from the show "One Life to Live".

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: The Day After Yesterday

Although Jack is telling everyone that they are on their trip to celebrate Miles's book being published, Miles is actually still waiting to hear from his agent, Evelyn, about whether or not Conundrum will publish his book. While Miles and Jack are at a wine tasting, Miles calls Evelyn. She tells him that Conundrum likes the book, but wouldn't know how to market it, so they're passing on it. Miles needs a drink, but the pourer won't sell Miles a whole glass of wine. He freaks out and grabs the spit bucket and tries to drink it. He ends up pouring most of it on himself, and Jack has to hustle him out of there. He now feels even more depressed. When Miles told Maya the title of his book was "The Day After Yesterday", she said, "Oh, you mean today?".

From Quiz Quotes from the Film "Sideways"

Answer: Cammi the waitress

Jack, working on yet another conquest before his return home to get married, had complimented Cammi on her corn bread delivery technique. Missy Doty played the bubbly waitress.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Golf

Once, when Miles and Jack are playing golf, Miles hits in in the air, but it goes behind the tee, after which Miles gets morose and frustrated about his novel. To take out his frustration, he shoots a golf ball back at a group trying to play through. He is also shown hitting the ball about only five yards off the tee at a driving range.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Miles lets it slip to Maya, who tells her

Maya and Miles are enjoying a picnic together, the morning after they've slept together for the first time. Maya suggests that Miles and Jack stay for the weekend, but Miles absent-mindedly says they can't because they have to be home Friday night for the rehearsal dinner. Maya asks who's getting married, and after a brief moment of panic, Miles tells her the truth. Maya becomes angry with Miles because he's Jack's friend, and Jack has been telling Stephanie that he loves her. When Jack and Miles arrive back at the Windmill later that day, Stephanie is waiting for them. Obviously hurt and upset, she hits Jack with her motorcycle helmet several times.

From Quiz Quotes from the Film "Sideways"

Answer: Vacationing Dr. Walt Hendricks

Dr. Hendricks, the principal from director Alexander Payne's previous film, "Election," was at the golf course eating lunch with his teenage son when Jack and Miles walked by. Jack, in his usual colorful way, was encouraging Miles to get together with Maya and his words offended the vacationing educator.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Stephanie's motorcycle helmet

Stephanie finds out that Jack is engaged to be married. To take out her sadness and anger, she smacks him repeatedly in the face with her motorcycle helmet.

From Quiz "Sideways": Days of Wine and Broken Noses

Answer: Santa Ynez

The name "Santa Ynez" is clearly visible as Miles and Jack walk out of the hospital. Jack is claiming that the only reason he won't sue Stephanie for attacking him is to protect his fiancee. Miles doesn't buy this, and neither do we. Santa Ynez is a real hospital in Solvang, California.

From Quiz Sideways

Answer: Miles

After Miles gets Jack patched up at a hospital, they decide to go out to dinner. Bandaged nose and all, Jack flirts with their waitress, Cammi, and arranges to wait around for an hour until she gets off work. Very early in the morning, Miles is awoken by frantic knocking on the door. When he opens it, Jack runs in, naked. He says that Cammi's husband came home early and caught them having sex. He ran all the way back to the motel. Then he says they have to go back there because he left his wallet, which contains the specially-made wedding rings Christine picked out. Miles tries to discourage Jack, but Jack is worried that he will lose Christine if she finds out that he lost the wedding rings. Miles drives Jack to Cammi's house, where Jack asks Miles to go in and get the wallet because he hurt his ankle running back to the motel earlier. Miles manages to enter the house and grab the wallet, but he is almost caught by Cammi's husband (you have to see it to believe it, it still makes me chuckle).

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