If one of my students can’t quite grasp the concept of “subtext,” often I’ll have them read this scene in the movie Sideways. Written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor (based on the novel by Rex Pickett), it’s a great script for many reasons, not the least of which is that Payne & Taylor make us care about Miles (Paul Giamatti), the story’s largely unlikeable protagonist.

In this scene, Miles and Maya (Virginia Madsen) have been sharing a few moments alone together. Up to this point, there have been some indirect ‘messages’ each has sent to the other signaling perhaps a mutual romantic interest. And then Maya asks a question:

MAYAWhy are you so into Pinot? It's likea thing with you.

Miles laughs at first, then smiles wistfully at the question.He searches for the answer in his glass and begins slowly.

MILESI don't know. It's a hard grape togrow. As you know. It's thin-skinned,temperamental, ripens early. It'snot a survivor like Cabernet thatcan grow anywhere and thrive evenwhen neglected. Pinot needs constantcare and attention and in fact canonly grow in specific little tucked-away corners of the world. And onlythe most patient and nurturing growerscan do it really, can tap into Pinot'smost fragile, delicate qualities.Only when someone has taken the timeto truly understand its potentialcan Pinot be coaxed into its fullestexpression. And when that happens,its flavors are the most hauntingand brilliant and subtle and thrillingand ancient on the planet.

Maya has found this answer revealing and moving.

MILESI mean, Cabernets can be powerfuland exalting, but they seem prosaicto me for some reason. By comparison.How about you?

MAYAWhat about me?

MILESI don't know. Why are you into wine?

MAYAI suppose I got really into wineoriginally through my ex-husband. Hehad a big, kind of show-off cellar.But then I found out that I have areally sharp palate, and the more Idrank, the more I liked what it mademe think about.

MILESYeah? Like what?

MAYALike what a fraud he was.

Miles laughs.

MAYANo, but I do like to think about thelife of wine, how it's a living thing.I like to think about what was goingon the year the grapes were growing,how the sun was shining that summeror if it rained... what the weatherwas like. I think about all thosepeople who tended and picked thegrapes, and if it's an old wine, howmany of them must be dead by now. Ilove how wine continues to evolve,how every time I open a bottle it'sgoing to taste different than if Ihad opened it on any other day.Because a bottle of wine is actuallyalive -- it's constantly evolvingand gaining complexity. That is,until it peaks -- like your '61 --and begins its steady, inevitabledecline. And it tastes so fuckinggood.

Now it is Miles's turn to be swept away. Maya's face tellsus the moment is right, but Miles remains frozen. He needsanother sign, and Maya is bold enough to offer it: reachesout and places one hand atop his.

MILES(pointing)Bathroom over there?

MAYAYeah.

Miles gets up and walks out. Maya sighs and gets and AmericanSpirit out of her purse.

So what is Miles really talking about? In the External World of this screenplay universe, he’s talking about wine, but in the Internal World he’s talking about — himself. “Pinot needs constant care and attention… only the most patient and nurturing growers can do it… tap into Pinot’s most fragile, delicate qualities… only when someone has taken the time to truly understand its potential… coaxed into its fullest expression… the most haunting and brilliant and subtle and thrilling and ancient.” In that moment, this is Miles’ beatific expression of his own self-image, a misunderstood person, unappreciated novelist, and an unrequited romantic.

Now let’s look at Maya’s monologue to see who she’s really talking about: “It’s a living thing… continues to evolve… actually alive… constantly evolving, gaining complexity.” Again these words resonate about the speaker as Maya works as a waitress, however she’s evolving by taking college courses, learning about wine, and has aspirations about taking that up as a career.

In dialogue, subtext is where characters talk about Subject A (in the External World), but mean something about Subject B (in the Internal World). If you find your characters’ dialogue to be too ‘on-the-nose’ or play too much ‘up top’ in scenes, find something completely unrelated to what you want the characters to communicate — washing dishes, changing the oil in the car, playing golf. Give them some bit of business to do – then see what your characters do with that to communicate what they really mean to talk about.