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 enlarge | Director: Alexander Payne
Actors: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh, Marylouise Burke
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $0.66
You Save: $14.32 (96%)
New (80) Used (164) Collectible (6) from $0.66
Avg. Customer Rating:  615 reviews
Sales Rank: 2237
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: Armenian (Original Language), English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 127
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 024543175780
UPC: 024543175780
EAN: 0024543175780
ASIN: B0007TKOAA
Theatrical Release Date: January 21, 2005
Release Date: April 5, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 sideways is great! October 31, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I initially saw Sideways at the movies and loved it. I then bought the dvd, and really loved it. For me the best part of having dvd's is the
various commentaries. The one with Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden-Church is tops. They just seem to be enjoying the job of commenting on the movie and they really bring you along for that. The movie is hilarious anyway, but the movie with them making talking points is beyond hilarious. They also point out little acting tips that are valuable insight into their characters. Some of the stuff they say about the ladies like Virginia Madsen are priceless. This is now one of my favorite movie commentaries of all time. Anyone who doesn't listen to movie commentaries is missing out on valuable insight into that movie. Love, love this movie, but I love all Alexander Payne movies...
 Anywhich way but Sidways... October 10, 2007
6 out of 17 found this review helpful
Hollywood pabulum is best left in Hollywood. But when Thomas Haden Church is in a movie, any movie, I will see it. Thus I subjected myself to this nightmare. Church played lovable but borderline psychotic moron Lowell, in Wings. He played not-so-lovable and borderline psychotic businessman Ned in Ned n Stacey. So what could I watch and not like him in? Answer: Sideways. Church plays a not-so-lovable psychotic womanizer whose idea of a good time is going out to cheat on his wife as much as possible before their wedding. If there could be a better example of human filth it would be his friend and co-star Miles. Miles is a whiny, spineless, sack of worthless human being. His goal in this movie is to get laid period. Yes, what a wonderful and totally brand-new plot we've been given. So while they are on this mission, they drive through California orchards and drink a lot of wine.
Keep in mind how the words whine and wine are homophones. Either one of these two things come out of Miles' mouth whenever he speaks. He's either talking about wine or whining about something or other. What kind of grown man is this fixated on wine? Yes, I like wine, I like to drink it. I don't like to memorize every frikkin kind there is, what years are best, etc. I don't like to stand around sniffing wine, like a cocker spaniel sniffs its urine, I have better things to do.
In this ridiculous work of the author's imagination, the wimpy, spineless man gets the girl in the end. There is no character development. He doesn't realize that he's a pathetic fool, improve himself and ultimately win the girl. He stays a disgusting pitiful wretch of a human being and that's fine with her. If I haven't given you enough reasons not to watch this film, by all means read on cause here's the coup de grace. We get to see a nude Thomas Haden Church copulating with a woman in the butterfly position. I DID NOT need to see this. I did not want the image of THC's buttocks forever tattooed on my psyche. Any faith and respect I ever had for THC is nuked to nothingness when he breaks down in the end like a whiny spineless Miles. Do yourself a favor kill yourself if you have to, but do not watch this movie.
Not Worth Two Hours September 29, 2007
3 out of 10 found this review helpful
Once again, a movie reinforces our belief that we shouldn't bother watching movies that critics like. Maybe we are different than them, or maybe they can't see the forest for the trees, I don't know. But if you count yourself as an average person who is simply looking for a movie that isn't boring, do yourself a favor and skip this one. Watch it, like we did, and you'll want your 2 hours back.
Top Flight August 15, 2007
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
This was a great little heart-warming picture, full of intelligence and grace, humor and pathos. What a simple idea, strangely not of this time. A classic road picture with two likable types who have nothing going for them. We love them for this finally, as do the gals they meet on their wine-tasting adventure. The actors are very charming and fully realize their parts. I especially liked Sandra Oh, who is passionate and intelligent. The guys are fine, although I wonder about seeing a lot of them - they may be too ordinary to make it in tinsel town. This is a kind of retro-60s film, it seems to me, small, counter-cultural in a way, slightly subversive of the call to success. These kinds of film made my generation love going to the movies. Encore.
 A Solid, if Unlovable, Film. August 14, 2007
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
I rented this film recently, having heard all the Oscar buzz, and was expecting something spectacular, especially considering that I had loved Alexander Payne's previous work, About Schmidt. However, although this is a solid film with many great aspects to it, it wasn't as wonderful as I was expecting.
The plot concerns two men, Miles (Paul Giamatti) and Jack (Thomas Hayden Church). Miles is an aspiring writer working as a junior high school teacher who is Pinot Noir-obsessed and recovering from a not-so-recent divorce. Jack is a former soap opera star who is about to get married in a week. As an extended bachelor party of sorts, Miles decides to take Jack on a trip through California wine country. Miles is a true wine connoisseur, and, following his divorce, wine seems to be the only thing about which he can truly be excited. Jack, on the other hand, can only get excited about the prospect of getting laid one last time before his wedding.
This film effectively has two stars - wine and Paul Giamatti. In this film's best moments, wine is employed as a character. When he discusses wine, Miles speaks as if he's discussing some long-loved, reliable friend. In the scenes where Miles is alone, drinking, you almost feel as if two actors are on screen, so palpable is Miles's passion.
Miles's favorite wine, Pinot Noir, functions as a metaphor for his own personality. In describing why he loved his ex-wife, he speaks fondly of her palate. When slowly wooing a new potential love, Miles asks her his ultimate getting-to-know-you question - "Why are you into wine?" Giamatti inhabits the role of Miles so completely, you wouldn't even call it acting. He is at times melancholy, at others frustrated, at others just plain drunk, and his journey is perfectly, and frequently humorously, set against the lush beauty of California wine country.
Unfortunately, a film that could have been wonderful, especially in the way Miles was written and portrayed, was tainted by Thomas Hayden Church's Jack. It's not that his character was unlikeable - it was just plain uninteresting. He wants to have one last affair before his wedding. Alright, well, what else is there to him? Ummm.... nothing. That's it. That's all Jack has to offer. His character is simply one-dimensional. It isn't even two-dimensional enough to be considered shallow. Unfortunately, the film wasted precious time on him that could have been spent exploring more of Paul Giamatti's, Virginia Madsen's, and even Sandra Oh's characters.
So, in the end, this film wasn't what I'd call mediocre - rather it had many brilliant moments which were detracted from by the insertion of this one character/actor.
Worth seeing, but I wouldn't buy it.
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