One of many memorable scenes from the 2004 movie Sideways, screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Thomas, based on the novel by Rex Pickett.
Scene: Miles is at a winery when he has a call with his agent about the status of his impending book deal.
EXT. LARGE WINERY - DAY
Walking across the lawn outside, Miles holds the cellphone
to his ear.
ASSISTANT (ON THE PHONE)
Evelyn Berman-Silverman's office.
MILES
Hi, it's Miles.
ASSISTANT (ON THE PHONE)
Oh, hi, Miles. Let me see if I can
get her.
(a moment later)
You're in luck. I'll put you through.
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
Miles.
MILES
Hey, Evelyn, it's your favorite
client.
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
How's the trip?
MILES
Good, good. Drinking some good wines
and kicking back, you know. So what's
happening? Still no word?
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
Actually there is word. I spoke to
Keith Kurtzman this morning.
MILES
And?
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
And... they're passing. Conundrum's
passing. He said they really liked
it. They really wanted to do it, but
they just couldn't figure out how to
market it. He said it was a tough
call.
MILES
Huh.
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
I'm sorry, Miles.
(off his silence)
So I don't know where that leaves
us. I'm not sure how much more mileage
I can get out of continuing to submit
it. I think it's one of those
unfortunate cases in the business
right now -- a fabulous book with no
home. The whole industry's gotten
gutless. It's not about the quality
of the books. It's about the
marketing.
Miles is at a loss for words. A distant RUMBLE begins to
sound, the familiar harbinger of an anxiety attack.
EXT. DEEP CANYON - INSERT
Once again we see the narrow ROPE BRIDGE extending
vertiginously across a great CHASM.
EXT. LARGE WINERY - BACK AGAIN
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
Are you there? Miles?
MILES
Yeah, I'm here.
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
I'm sorry, Miles. We did all we could.
You've been a real trooper.
(loudly, to her
assistant)
Tell him I'll call back.
MILES
So I guess that's it.
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
You're a wonderful writer, Miles.
Don't be discouraged.
MOMENTS LATER --
Miles STAGGERS toward the tasting room, unpocketing his Xanax
and downing a couple, as Evelyn's clichés of consolation
continue in his head.
EVELYN (ON THE PHONE)
Just hang in there, and who knows?
After you get something else
published, we can revisit this one.
And next time we can try a different
title.
Once back at the tent, he leans against it in a vain attempt
to steady himself. The RUMBLE grows deafening.
INT. LARGE WINERY - DAY
Now inside, Miles grabs the first DIRTY WINE GLASS he finds
and shakes it out as he approaches the closest tasting
station. He pushes his way to front.
The pourer offers the usual one-ounce dollop. Miles jacks it
back, immediately extending his glass for more.
MILES
Hit me again.
The same small amount is poured and downed. Once again Miles
holds out his glass.
MILES
Pour me a full glass. I'll pay for
it.
POURER
This is a tasting, sir. Not a bar.
Miles slams a TWENTY-DOLLAR BILL on the table.
MILES
Just give me a full goddamn pour.
The pourer turns away to serve another party. Miles looks
around indignantly, as though everyone should be sympathetic
to this injustice.
Now Miles boldly reaches over and pours himself a glass right
up to the brim and beyond.
POURER
Sir, what are you doing?
MILES
I told you I need a drink.
POURER
Then buy a bottle and go outside.
The pourer grabs Miles by the wrist before he can drink.
POURER
Put the glass down.
In the ensuing struggle, the wine spills, and everyone nearby
steps back.
POURER
You're going to have to leave, sir.
The pourer signals to a SECURITY GUY at the door. Across the
room Jack notices the disturbance and heads over.
Miles hoists up the SPIT BUCKET, holds it aloft and starts
to GUZZLE it. Wine cascades down the sides of his face, onto
his shirt and even onto his shiny new shoes.
The Security Guy yanks the bucket away from Miles, and drags
him toward the EXIT. Jack catches up.
JACK
(to the horrified
onlookers)
It's all right. His mother just died.
Here is the scene from the movie:
Questions to ask to analyze the scene:
* What elements in the movie scene are the same as the script?
* What elements in the movie scene are different than the script?
* Regarding the differences, put yourself in the mindset of the filmmakers and speculate: Why did they make the changes they did?
* How did the changes improve the scene?
* Alternatively are there elements in the script, not present in the movie, that are better than the final version of the scene?
* Note each camera shot in the movie version. Which of them does the script suggest via sluglines or scene description?
* How does the script convey a sense of the scene’s tone, feel, and pace through scene description and dialogue?
* What ‘magic’ exists in the movie that is not indicated in the words of the script? How do you suppose that magic emerged?
I’ll see you in comments for a discussion of this terrific scene from Sideways.
One of the single best things you can do to learn the craft of screenwriting is to read the script while watching the movie. After all a screenplay is a blueprint to make a movie and it’s that magic of what happens between printed page and final print that can inform how you approach writing scenes. That is the purpose of Script to Screen, a weekly series on GITS where we analyze a memorable movie scene and the script pages that inspired it.
