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Sideways (2004)
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This dissection of American social mores is the finest and most perfectly formed movie yet from director Alexander Payne. Middle-aged mates Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Haden Church) take a trip to California's wine country to celebrate the latter's upcoming wedding. But Miles's wine-tasting plans get sidelined by Jack's desperation for a last fling and his attempts to set Miles up with an equally grape-savvy waitress (Virginia Madsen). Thanks to astonishing performances from Giamatti (a rumpled bundle of nervous self-loathing), Church (a deliciously deadpan but fading Casanova) and the Oscar-nominated Madsen, Payne's richly rewarding comedy is of the best vintage. Finding a middle ground between his last two films — the explicitly satirical Election and the overly bleak About Schmidt — Payne's gloriously picaresque analysis of midlife crises does exactly as the title suggests. It takes oblique glances at the buddy flick and road movie by skewering both with poignancy, truth and consistent wit to give a fresh vitality to each well-worn genre. It fully deserved every award it received, and a lot more. AJ
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| Contains swearing, sex scenes. |
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Tell us what you think
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Running time
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121min
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Country of origin
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US
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Genre
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Romantic Comedy Drama
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, from the novel by Rex Pickett
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Theatrical distributor
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20th Century Fox
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UK cinema certificate
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15
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UK cinema release date
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January 2005
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| awards information |
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| Academy 2004 |
Actor in a Supporting Role |
Thomas Haden Church |
Nominee |
| Academy 2004 |
Actress in a Supporting Role |
Virginia Madsen |
Nominee |
| Academy 2004 |
Best Picture |
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Nominee |
| Academy 2004 |
Directing |
Alexander Payne |
Nominee |
| Academy 2004 |
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) |
Alexander Payne |
Winner |
| Academy 2004 |
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) |
Jim Taylor |
Winner |
| British Academy Film Awards 2004 |
Best Screenplay (Adapted) |
Alexander Payne |
Winner |
| British Academy Film Awards 2004 |
Best Screenplay (Adapted) |
Jim Taylor |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2004 |
Best Director Motion Picture |
Alexander Payne |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2004 |
Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
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Winner |
| Golden Globe 2004 |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
Paul Giamatti |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2004 |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Motion Picture |
Thomas Haden Church |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2004 |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Motion Picture |
Virginia Madsen |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2004 |
Best Screenplay Motion Picture |
Alexander Payne |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2004 |
Best Screenplay Motion Picture |
Jim Taylor |
Winner |
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