Sideways

Sideways is a 2004 comedy/drama film, co-written and directed by Alexander Payne. It is based on the novel of the same name by Rex Pickett (ISBN 0312324669).

Plot summary

Paul Giamatti plays an unpublished writer, eighth-grade teacher, and oenophile, who takes his soon-to-be-married friend (played by Thomas Haden Church) on a week-long road trip through Santa Ynez wine country. Soon after their arrival they cross paths with women (played by Madsen and Oh) who change their itinerary in more ways than one.

Tagline: In search of wine. In search of women. In search of themselves.

Awards and nominations

Sideways won the following awards:

• Best Picture, IFP Gotham Awards
• Top Ten Film of 2004, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures
• Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Screenplay, Golden Globe Awards
• Best Male Lead, Best Supporting Male, Best Supporting Female, Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Feature, IFP Independent Spirit Awards (won in all categories it was nominated for)
• 2004 Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor
• 2004 Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble, Paul Giamatti, Sandra Oh, Thomas Haden Church, and Virginia Madsen.

It was nominated for the following awards:

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Original Score, and Best Director, Golden Globe Awards
• Academy Awards for Best Picture, Church as Best Supporting Actor, Madsen as Best Supporting Actress

External links

• Official site
• Review of the movie from the perspective of an oenophile
• May 29, 2003 draft script
• Review of Writers on Writing Series appearance of screenwriters Payne and Taylor