《Side Ways》(杯酒人生) 2004
四十出头依然失意的人生还有盼头么?《杯酒人生》在尝试讲述这样一个故事。
两个大学同窗：Jack和Miles,一个是从未饰演过大角色却行将过气的小演员，另一个是婚姻失意事业落魄的中学英文教师。Jack即将步入婚姻的殿堂，但似乎并不甘心就这样走入平静的生活，力邀大学死党Miles前往加州葡萄庄园开始一段“最后的疯狂”式的旅行，给自己的单身生活来个了结。
Jack是个简单直接、风流成性的老帅哥，对人生并没有太多的忧虑和追求，只希望在这趟旅行中能够遇到漂亮姑娘多搞艳遇；Miles则是个内心敏感忧郁的家伙，有自己的理想和追求，但却婚姻失败、事业失意，过着郁闷孤独的生活。在一个星期的旅途中，Jack实现了自己的目标，艳遇到了酿酒厂激情四射的Stephanie和饭店里的胖妞服务员，但终因目的暴露而落得狼狈逃窜。Miles则始终无法摆脱失败婚姻的阴影，对前妻仍然有不切实际的幻想，途中虽然结识了同是酒道中人并且知性优雅、魅力十足的maya，却依然无法走到一起,再加上得知期待已久的作品无法出版，精神几近崩溃，只得举杯消愁。
疯狂而狼狈的旅行结束后，Jack若无其事地与毫不知情的女友如期举行了风光无限的盛大婚礼，Miles对这钟虚伪的生活冷眼旁观，却在婚礼上遇见了已经找到幸福的前妻Victoria及其成熟富有的现任丈夫。在得知Victoria已经怀孕在身后，Miles再也演示不住自己的落魄，独自驾驶破旧的汽车驶离豪华的婚礼车队，打开自己珍藏多年的名酒，倒进可乐纸杯，在快餐店就着汉堡，独自苦饮……
影片要在此结束也并无大不可，不过这样的结局似乎也太悲凉了点，生活还是需要点亮色来鼓舞。
于是，在Miles似乎已经接受平静生活的时候，远方的Maya留下了一通电话录音：
哈啰，迈尔斯，我是玛雅，谢谢你的来信。我本该早点打电话给你，但我想我需要时间去思考那些发生过的事情，和你的信。
我之所以没早点儿打电话给你的另一个原因，我想先读完你的小说。昨晚我终于看完了，我认为真是本好书。迈尔斯，你真会用词，谁在乎是否会出版？
…………
最近这几天，阴冷又下雨，但我喜欢冬天。你如果决定要再北上的话，你得让我知道。
…………
我真的很喜欢你的小说，别放弃，迈尔斯，继续写！
于是，当Miles用喝可乐的方式饮完珍藏已久的Chavel Blanc时，似乎不再是卖弄失意人生的悲情与可怜，而是预示着对过往眷念的告别以及新生活的开始。Miles这颗敏感、脆弱、娇贵,但却香味浓郁、久久不散的"Pinot"，终于找到了有爱心、有耐心去发掘他潜力的Grower，而这位Grower也将会"coax it into its fullest expression"。
生活，依然充满悬念和希望。
电影名曰《杯酒人生》，其中自然有不少对酒与人生的品位和感悟。
当Maya问Miles为什么喜欢Pinot这个品种的葡萄时，Miles说：
It's a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right? It's uh, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's, you know, it's not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it's neglected.
No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really.
Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression.
Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and... ancient on the planet.
【呃…我也不知道，这种葡萄很难生长。你很清楚，对吧?皮薄…脆弱，成熟的早，不像Cabernet这么能适应环境，Cabernet到处能生长。即使不管也能长的好，Pinot需要随时悉心照顾。事实上，它只能生长在世上某些隐避的角落，只有有耐心爱心的人才能种的活。真的，只有那些肯花时间 去发掘Pinot潜力的人,才能种出完美的好果子。然后，它的香味久久不散，让人回味无穷，……，历史悠久】No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really.
Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression.
Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and... ancient on the planet.
而Maya谈到自己对葡萄酒的喜爱则说：
I like to think about the life of wine.How it's a living thing.
I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained，I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now.
I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive.
And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61.
And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline.
【我喜欢沉思我的人生，天地万物。我喜欢去想葡萄生长时，阳光如何照耀。下雨时呢，我喜欢去想那些种植采摘她们的人。如果是陈年的酒，这些人中有多少已经逝去了。我喜欢看酒不断地改变，如果今天我开一瓶，尝起来一定和任何一天不一样，因为一瓶酒也有生命，随时在改变，变得更深沉，直到它的巅峰状态，就像你61年的酒，之后一定就会，慢慢失去香醇。】I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained，I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now.
I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive.
And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61.
And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline.
虽然其间透露出些许才气和品位，但Miles的感悟实际上是对自己郁郁不得志的开脱和愤懑。男人绝不应该这么细腻懦弱、怨天尤人，Miles的际遇，不过是其个性注定的结局。Maya虽然同样经历了不幸的婚姻，也对品酒情有独钟，但内心却乐观、宽容、坚强很多，细腻深沉却不忧郁，对生活充满期待，对人生梦想依旧。所以，影片中miles只能靠着maya的引领，才能摆脱人生的困境，然而，现实生活中，能够拯救我们的，往往只有我们自己。
里面还有一段Miles教育Jack怎么品尝葡萄酒的情节，也算是一堂普及课：
1. 首先，把酒杯举起，对着光检视一下酒，要看颜色与清纯度，只是大概了解一下，浓还是淡，稀还是稠。
2. 现在，把杯倾斜，这是看颜色在接近杯口时的浓淡，可以看出酒的年纪和其他一些状况。这手续对红酒来说比较重要。
3. 然后，把鼻子放进杯里，闻闻它的气味，闻出来里面的成分了么?
4. 接着，把杯子放下，让酒混些空气进去,氧化作用会把酒气与味释放出来。非常重要，再闻一下。
5. 喝吧，不过这不是可乐，请勿豪饮。
