Sideways Certificate: 
- Duration:
- 127 mins
- Year produced:
- 2005
- Director:
- Alexander Payne
- Cast:
- Paul Giamatti
- Thomas Haden Church
- Virginia Madsen
The strange and sometimes stressful world of wine-tasting acts as the basis of this fine comedy-drama. But while the pair of middle-aged buddies at the centre of the story – uptight would-be writer Miles and slacker Jack – may be on a road trip around California with a view to sampling the produce of the state’s best vineyards, all manner of other incidents take place along the way. And those mishaps, arguments and even romantic encounters give them plenty of food for thought about their lives back home.
- Average rating:
- This film has not been rated yet
Fascinating facts
This is the first film to win best screenplay from all five "major" critic groups (National Board Of Review, New York, Los Angeles, Brodcast and National Society Critics), the Golden Globes, the WGA and, ultimately, the Academy Awards.
The wine used in Sideways’ various wine-tasting scenes was usually non-alcoholic – and the film’s stars Paul Giametti and Thomas Haden Church often ended up drinking so much of it that they ended up feeling ill.