电影 Sideways 通过两个中年男人的酒乡 (wine country) 之行徐徐展示了他们的精神和心理。 Miles 和 Jack 是一对性格迥异的好朋友。 Miles 以写作为业，盼望着作品能出版，正有一部作品被出版社考虑。从他住公寓开旧车能看出他的生活并不富裕，甚至要从老妈那里偷钱。他两年前离婚，仍对前妻抱有复合的幻想。 Jack 是一个过气的电视明星，将要孤注一掷地娶一位富家女，籍此扳回失意人生的棋局。这次旅行就是 Miles 为将要成为新郎的 Jack 准备的礼物，带 Jack 品美酒尝美食。可是 Jack 贼心不死，频频露水偷欢。
我觉得这两个中年人是不是其实是人到中年心态的两个侧面？一个侧面是精神上的失落，象 Miles 表达出来的悲叹，漂泊半生一事无成 （ “Half of my life is over, and I have nothing to show for it, nothing.” ）。另一个侧面是生理方面的，仿佛觉得时不我待，拼命要抓住青春最后的尾巴，抓住一春又一春，好象越临到要失去越觉得不够，怎么也填满不了欲望。这两个人互相斗争，却又互相帮衬。
我第一次看懂中年危机的影片是《美国玫瑰》 (American Beauty). 那里面 Kevin Spacey 演的中年男人也是体现了中年精神负担（家庭和事业的烦恼）和身体欲望（对青春少女的迷恋）的交织。不过，是通过一个形象完成的，同样深沉尖锐。看来探讨中年危机大抵要从这两方面入手。大概因为一个人有两面性，精神与肉欲，互相角力，是我们凡人挣不脱的魔咒。
电影有两个线索，一个是 Miles 的书。一个是酒。
Miles 的书实际是他事业的代名词，而男人的事业实际是男人面对世界的名片和坐标。所以影片中人们问到 Miles 是做什么的时候，十次有九次是他的好朋友替他作答“ Miles 是个作家，他的书就要出版了。” 不是实情，不这么说又能怎么回答呢？世人是不会接受“嗯，我一事无成” 这种回答的。也正因为这不是实情，所以他甚至觉得自己没资本追求女人。在面对一个有魅力的女人时候他胆怯，他退缩。事业，成就，金钱象绳索一样缠在男人的脖颈上，越想挣脱它就缠的越紧。出版社决定不出版他的书，他做了三年的梦破碎了。他低声的说“ So you see I’m not much of a writer, I’m not much of anything really. ” 被命运接连揍的鼻青脸肿，在最后一个大嘴巴扇过来以后，他爬不起来了，男人不得不认输了。书的出版与否是一个悬念，也是最后压倒骆驼的那根稻草。
影片成功的塑造了一个同样离婚人到中年的女人 ， Miles 的 love interest, Maya. 她成熟，善解人意，自尊，自立。没有因为中年失婚而沉沦，一边作饭馆侍者，一边攻读种植业硕士学位，她对酒也有很深的领悟。从另一个角度提出中年人只要精神不倒一样有精彩的人生，或许也说明在应对中年危机的时候女人比男人韧性更好？
演 Miles 的演员相貌普通，秃顶圆肚，掉人堆里绝对找不着的那种普通中年人。可是他眼神中有丰富的东西传达出来，有时游移不自信，有时怨艾，愤怒，有时沮丧可怜。当他抱着香艳杂志 Barely Legal 颓然入梦的时候，我简直笑晕过去。
Writers (WGA):Rex Pickett (novel) Alexander Payne (screenplay)
Cast:
Paul Giamatti ... Miles
Thomas Haden Church ... Jack
Virginia Madsen ... Maya
Sandra Oh ... Stephanie
*Pragmatism: Most of the thinkers who describe themselves as pragmatists consider practical consequences or real effects to be vital components of both meaning and truth. (Wiki). 一种极端重视结果的哲学理念。
qsnfj 发表评论于
i left a message on your "Somewhere in Time" critics. I recommended a movie there. I have one more movie to recommend, it is called "Passion of the Mind" starred by Demi Moore, very interesting. you will like it.
sad but it is true, that the society doesn't give anybody a break, the stronger survives, and the weak extinguishes. that is why many of us are trying so hard, we are like rats in the "rat race", keeping on running everyday.
during the constant "rat race", maybe we ought to give ourselves some breaks sometimes, allowing us to rest a little, even though some of us may fall short of the society's "standards" for success. but success is a relative thing, having it all doesn't mean one is successful, and not having it all doesn't mean that one is total loser, besides we can never "have it all and have it enough", there is always more to it.
Harry Potter's author was a single mother living on social welfare, but she kept her hope high and kept on writing, so to the end, a great novel "Harry Potter" was born.
a good spirit and a hopeful heart are more than anything else in the world.
Wish Miles had somebody to tell him that.
acme 发表评论于
回复qsnfj的评论: Good question. I guess it more depends on what she or he deems as important things in life rather than the gender of a mid-aged person.
For women, most cases, if she doesn't have a good family, a man who loves her, she would feel the stress of mid-age crisis because most women think that is they life goal (which by no means is). But for a woman who cares about her career a lot failed on achievement will feel beaten too.
The socienty, sadly, doesn't give any break on anybody. I am sure you are aware of how divorced women was judged negatively (especially in Chinese culture).
The rule of thumb, for whatever one cares, when one failed to attain it when hit mid-age, one would feel stressed. Unfortunately, men are very goal / career oriented, so they get the most hit.
qsnfj 发表评论于
very good analysis, i will need to rent the movie to watch.
got a question here, a hypothetic question, what if, all that happened to Miles such as his underachievement, his loss of self confidence and so on, happened to a woman of his age, do you think a woman will pull together and bounce back better than a man does? I believe women go through mid life crisis as well, such as divorce, loss of job etc, will the society give women more of a "break" or "double standards" from that required of a man?
just for discussion purpose, i find this topic very interesting.
