Sunday Matinee #177 Sideways
Let's talk about hope and (spoilers!) endings!
Paul the Apostle wants reconciliation with the Corinthians. Paul the Giamatti wants reconciliation between his character, Miles, and Maya. Dare they hope for it?
Ending spoilers abound, Dear Reader…
Sideways | 2004
IMDb | Letterboxd | RRMC
Context: Miles (Paul Giamatti) gained and dramatically lost the trust of Maya (Virginia Madsen, in an Oscar-nominated role). Their “on bad terms” parting has left him filled with despair. With a shock of surprise and a bit of hope, Miles listens to her voice message months after that painful day. Is it enough to overcome his despair?
ANSWERING MACHINE: One. New message.
MAYA’S VOICE: Hello, Miles. It’s Maya. Thanks for your letter. I- I would have called sooner… but I think I needed some time to think about everything that happened… and what you wrote to me.
Maya continues as Miles drives to her home, runs up the stairs, and goes to the door.
MAYA’S VOICE: …Anyway, like I said, I really loved your novel. Don’t give up, Miles. Keep writing. I hope you’re well. Bye.
Miles knocks on the door. CUT TO BLACK.
2 Corinthians 13:11-13 | EnterTheBible.org
Trinity Sunday | 05.31.2026
Context: The Apostle Paul wraps up his second letter to the young church in the city of Corinth (well, it’s likely at least two letters combined, maybe three, but anyway…). He has written to rebuild his relationship with them, to regain their trust. At the conclusion of his letter, he appeals to their better nature. That is, faith in Jesus and faith in one another, which he hopes includes faith in him.
11 Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Be restored; listen to my appeal; agree with one another; live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. 13 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.
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Commentary:
Miles lives his life on the tightrope between hope and despair. Lean too much this way or that, his whole life will turn up sideways. Oh, that’s the name of the– Well, anyway, he’s touchy.
His journey into California wine country with Jack (Thomas Hayden Church in an Oscar-nominated role) demonstrates his fragility. Miles never shies from exposing how constantly morose he is. Of the wedding cake samples, he says it simply: “I prefer the dark.” And the man is obsessed with the deep, rich, darkness of pinot noir). Plus, he speaks openly about his insecurities. While open about them, he never quite shakes them, either. His moments of joy in this film are fleeting, and he often seems to not trust them.
Do you know someone who can’t trust happy moments? I do. No, I’m not talking about myself, though I’ve had my own tightrope-type funks. But knowing some people just refuse to be happy is unfortunate. And yet, I have always been fascinated by this movie and Miles’s descent into madness. The first time I saw it in the movie theater with a friend, I honestly had no idea what would happen at the end. Miles’s tightrope walk is so tight, I truly thought he could go sideways either way.
Miles is nearly happy, until he accidentally throws it all away. Maya won’t trust him. His other relationships suffer. His own sense of self worth goes sideways. The movie looks ready to end on Miles worse off than when he started.
Maybe that’s why I need this ending, where Miles experiences hope. Not just because I needed it, but because Miles deserved it. Thankfully, Miles finally does shake his insecurities. In the end, he acts on his hope. He drives back up to the Santa Ynez Valley. He goes up those stairs. He knocks.
Whether Maya answers the door is another matter. In this moment of joy, Miles grabs on and doesn’t let go.
The ending of the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians is hopeful, too. The letter itself went to some pretty dark places. There has been friction between Paul and the church, and Paul writes not necessarily to persuade but to regain lost trust. He writes of his own integrity but most important about his trust in the people.
You can read the entirety of 2 Corinthians out loud in around 45 minutes, it’s just over 4,000 words in English. Here, at the end, after all of that, Paul tries to summarize how he feels. I want you to be restored, I want you to live in peace, I want you to be there for each other. Jesus is with all of you. He does not outright write here, and so I hope you and I can patch things up. But it’s implied. He wouldn’t write all of these things to them if he didn’t mean it.
And all of these things? They’re hopeful. Paul’s desire for what their community can be is what’s most important to him. Would he like reconciliation? Without a doubt. What he wants most? Restoration for their community. We don’t get to see what Miles wrote to Maya, but I bet his letter had similar themes. Maybe that’s what led her to trust him again.
We know Paul and the Corinthians reconciled after this letter exchange.
We can hope Maya answered the door when Miles knocked.
In the end? Trust the happy moments, the joyful moments. They may sometimes be fleeting, but they are always precious. That’s the sort of outlook that gets you up and acting on your hope. We need that right now.
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Glad you’re here today, Dear Reader. God’s peace and good movies to you!