Shock, Without Awe

During my summer trip to Napa Valley, one of our stops was at Chateau Montelena. We'd chosen it purely to see its beautiful grounds, but while we were there, we got a taste not only of their wine, but of their backstory. In the 1970s, their Chadonnay took top honors at a competition in France that helped bring global respect to California wines. It's a story, we were told, that was dramatized in the movie Bottle Shock. The woman pouring our wine seemed surprised that we'd found our way to their particularly winery without having heard of that movie -- apparently, it drives most of their visitors.

I tracked down Bottle Shock after the vacation... and frankly, I too am surprised I'd never heard of the movie. Though it's a smaller, independent film from 2008, it's hardly cast with unknowns. Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, and Rachael Taylor star, along with Freddy Rodriguez (of Six Feet Under), Eliza Dushku, Dennis Farina... and an oddly brief appearance by Bradley Whitford. Seriously, how had I never heard of a movie with all these people in it?

Perhaps, I now suspect, because it's not really all that good.

Bottle Shock is a cute enough bit of fluff. It's a pretty straightforward "underdog sticks it to the man" tale, of the kind that's always good for a cheap thrill even when it isn't packaged in a way that really packs a punch. But surface thrills are all you'll get here. Most of the real life people on whom this story is based have said that a lot of creative license was taken by the film. (One key figure refused to give permission to include his "character.") The ultimate fact of the wine tasting victory is true... and pretty much everything else about the story is fabricated.

You feel that when you watch it. Everything that transpires adheres too neatly to the template you'd expect a movie like this to follow. There's a strained relationship between an ambitious father and his lazy son. There's a pompous "city guy" who learns respect for "common country folk." There's a wedged-in romantic subplot. And none of it delves particularly deep into any particular emotion. It doesn't even make much of an effort to convey a love for wine, showcasing obsession without ever answering the question "but why for THIS?"

Still, it's a pretty movie to look at. Filmed on location in Napa and Sonoma (and in particular, at the real Chateau Montelena), you can see why this movie would drive tourism. It makes the place look beautiful (and isn't false in this). There's also some enjoyment in seeing many great actors play so strongly "on brand." Alan Rickman could look down his nose and sneer better than anyone, and does it wonderfully here. Chris Pine's brand of "lovable screw-up" was in its nascent form here, just before Captain Kirk became his big step to stardom. Eliza Dushku's "take no crap" signature is well-utilized. So on down the cast list. If you like these actors, and like what they usually do, you'll get exactly what you like from them here.

I myself wish the movie had scratched deeper. It feels to me as though it's operating in a very similar space to The Hundred-Foot Journey, but falls well short of the simple pleasures of that film. I give Bottle Shock a C-. It gave me the opportunity to remember a place I've visited... and little more than that.