Sideways **** (2004, Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh) – Classic Movie Review 456

Co-writer/director Alexander Payne’s appealing 2004 little gem won him his first Best Screenplay Oscar. Adapted from the novel by Rex Pickett, Payne’s script is co-written by Jim Taylor, like his earlier film Election (1999).

Paul Giamatti stars as a divorcee who joins an actor buddy (Thomas Haden Church) on his pre-wedding trip to golf courses in the California wine country. Soon they’re getting pally with a couple of likely women, played by Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh.

Payne’s film is a delightfully spirited, friendly cult movie. If you were being picky, you might say it is slightly overlong and a little bit patchy. But it’s extremely wittily written, all the acting is exactly spot on and the clever screenplay provides an attractively quirky and wry view of relationships, the mid-life crisis and California. The best bits of it are hilarious and it’s always a welcome breath of fresh air. Madsen’s a revelation – she’s not been this good in years.

It won an Oscar, Golden Globe and a Bafta for best adapted screenplay, and the acting was recognised in nominations for Church and Madsen as best supporting actor and actress, with two other nominations as best film and director. Also a second Golden Globe for best comedy picture. The London Film Critics voted it Film of the Year.

And yet, apart from a Golden Globe nomination, there was bizarrely no recognition at all at awards time for Giamatti, who is superb and whose picture this really is.

Payne’s other work includes Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002), The Descendants (2011) and Nebraska (2013). Every one a winner. Double Oscar-winner Payne’s home town is Omaha, Nebraska.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 456

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