Sideways (2004)

Director:

Alexander Payne

Writers (WGA):

Rex Pickett (novel)
Alexander Payne (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 January 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

In search of wine. In search of women. In search of themselves.

Plot:

Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment, embark on a week long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.

Plot Keywords:

Wine | Actor | California | Writer | Teacher

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 107 wins & 39 nominations

Cast

Paul Giamatti	...	Miles
Thomas Haden Church	...	Jack
Virginia Madsen	...	Maya
Sandra Oh	...	Stephanie
Marylouise Burke	...	Miles's Mother
Jessica Hecht	...	Victoria
Missy Doty	...	Cammi
M.C. Gainey	...	Cammi's Husband
Alysia Reiner	...	Christine Erganian
Shake Tukhmanyan	...	Mrs. Erganian (as Shaké Toukhmanian)
Shaun Duke	...	Mike Erganian (as Duke Moosekian)
Robert Covarrubias	...	Miles's Building Manager
Patrick Gallagher	...	Gary the Bartender
Stephanie Faracy	...	Stephanie's Mother
Joe Marinelli	...	Frass Canyon Pourer
Chris Burroughs	...	Chris at Stanford
Toni Howard	...	Evelyn Berman-Silverman (voice)
Khoren Babouchian	...	Armenian Priest (as Rev. Fr. Khoren Babouchian)
Lee Brooks	...	Ken Cortland
Peter Dennis	...	Leslie Brough
Alison Herson	...	Foxen Winery Pourer
Phil Reeves	...	Vacationing Dr. Walt Hendricks
Rob Trow	...	Obnoxious Golfer
Lacey Rae	...	Los Olivos Waitress
Cesar Ramos	...	Barista (as Cesar 'Cheeser' Ramos)
Daniel Rogers	...	Reciting Eighth Grader
Natalie Carter	...	Siena
Simon Kassis	...	Mini-Mart Owner
Sevag Kendirjian	...	Armenian Deacon
Jaren Coler	...	Acoustic Guitarist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
JR Garcia	...	Little Boy (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Alex Kalognomos	...	Alex (uncredited)
Logan Mulvey	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Chris Petoyan	...	Mrs. Erganian's Son (uncredited)
Parker Quinn	...	Customer in Shoe Store (uncredited)
Mikael Sharafyan	...	Armenian Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Alexander Payne

Writing credits (WGA)
Rex Pickett		(novel)
Alexander Payne		(screenplay) &
Jim Taylor		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michael London	....	producer
George Parra	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Rolfe Kent

Cinematography by
Phedon Papamichael

Film Editing by
Kevin Tent

Casting by
John Jackson

Production Design by
Jane Ann Stewart

Art Direction by
T.K. Kirkpatrick

Set Decoration by
Lisa Fischer
Barbara Haberecht

Costume Design by
Wendy Chuck

Makeup Department
Bridget Cook	....	key hair stylist (as Bridget M. Cook)
Nicole DeFrancesco	....	assistant hair stylist (as Nicole Frank)
Pam Phillips	....	assistant makeup artist (as Pamela Phillips)
Jeanne Van Phue	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Steve Barnett	....	post-production supervisor
Ginger Sledge	....	unit production manager
Yvonne Yaconelli	....	production supervisor
Patrick Esposito	....	post-production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Parra	....	first assistant director
Nick Satriano	....	second assistant director
Susan E. Walter	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Jeff Brown	....	greens coordinator
Jeff Brown	....	greens foreman
Gerasimos Christoforatos	....	art department assistant
Denise Ciarcia	....	second assistant property master (as Denise M. Ciarcia)
Kevin Diersing	....	propmaker
Michael Diersing	....	construction coordinator
Richard Eckols	....	foreman
Leah Ferrarini	....	set dresser
Lilly Frank	....	graphic artist
Anthony Gaudio	....	stand-by painter
Marc Gillson	....	painter (as Marco Gilson)
Karen Greene	....	painter
Jennifer Hamilton	....	property production assistant
Scott E. Handt	....	construction foreman
Coco Harrison	....	set decoration production assistant
Willie Haspel	....	labor foreman
Derrick Hinman	....	assistant property master
Anne Hyvarinen	....	lead paint foreman
Marik 'Travis' Little	....	set dresser (as Mark 'Travis' Little)
Gabriel Mann	....	art department production assistant
Masako Masuda	....	assistant art director
Kristen McCarron	....	buyer
Frank McEldowney	....	greens coordinator
Jane Meyer	....	set dresser (as Joanie Meyer)
Jeffrey M. O'Brien	....	property master
Tristan Oliver	....	set dresser
Vlad Pelinovschi	....	toolman
Cynthia C. Rebman	....	on-set dresser
Brent Regan	....	general construction foreman (as Brent T. Regan)
Jon Reynolds	....	art department production assistant
Jeff Shewbert	....	foreman
Nils Thyrring	....	scenic
Kathleen Walker	....	art department coordinator
Michael P. Walsh	....	signwriter
Mark Woods	....	leadman
Matthew Richard Harris	....	graphic designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
James Aldridge	....	sound effects editor
David Bach	....	adr supervisor
David Bach	....	dialogue supervisor
Ron Bedrosian	....	adr mixer
Shayna Brown	....	sound re-recording mixer
Weldon Brown	....	adr mixer
Julio Carmona	....	sound recordist
Patrick Cyccone Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Patrick Cyccone)
Ian Elias	....	sound
Russell Farmarco	....	dialogue editor
Jonathan Fuh	....	boom operator
Frank Gaeta	....	sound designer
Frank Gaeta	....	sound supervisor
Luis Galdames	....	assistant sound editor
José Antonio García	....	sound mixer
Robert Getty	....	dialog editor (as Rob Getty)
Patrick Giraudi	....	dialogue editor
Carlos Gutierrez	....	sound effects editor
Paul Hackner	....	assistant sound editor
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Steven Klinghoffer	....	sound utility
Tony Lamberti	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daryl Lathrop	....	adr recordist
Colin McLellan	....	adr recordist
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist
Doug Mountain	....	sound engineer (as Douglas Mountain)
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Christopher Sidor	....	sound recordist
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer
Christine Sirois	....	sound recording assistant
Daniel Tharp	....	sound engineer: 35 mm magnetic dailies
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Dennis Twitty	....	sound assistant
Derek Vanderhorst	....	sound effects editor
John Soukup	....	sound transfer (uncredited)
T.C. Spriggs	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Donald Frazee	....	special effects assistant coordinator (as Donald L. Frazee)
Terry D. Frazee	....	special effects coordinator (as Terry Frazee)
Kai Shelton	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Mesrop Abrahamian	....	rotoscope artist
Tricia Barrett	....	digital compositor
Ryan Beadle	....	digital I/O
Steve Caldwell	....	digital compositor
John Coats	....	digital artist
Dennis Dorney	....	digital lineup
Tim Everitt	....	digital compositor
Michele Ferrone	....	visual effects producer
Christine Haddad	....	visual effects intern
R.J. Harbour	....	digital compositor
Shauna M. Hirdler	....	visual effects production assistant
Shaina Holmes	....	digital compositor
Shaina Holmes	....	digital coordinator
Dave Jacobs	....	visual effects production supervisor
Lincoln Kupchak	....	visual effects editor
John P. Mesa	....	visual effects supervisor
Lori C. Miller	....	main title designer
Dan Novy	....	digital compositor
Mitch Paulson	....	digital preview colorist
L. Elizabeth Powers	....	digital compositor (as Laurie Powers)
Jeffrey White	....	visual effects producer
Amani Williams	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Tom Elliott	....	stunt coordinator
Steve Holladay	....	stunts
Gary Price	....	stunt double (as Gary K. Price)
Mark Stefanich	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
David Ariniello	....	grip
Lee Auerbach	....	lamp operator
Jeff Barnett	....	camera operator
Kevin Barrera	....	rigging electrician
Adam Barth	....	video assist operator
Alejandro J. Castillo	....	lighting technician
Steve Colgrove	....	lamp operator
Ray Garcia	....	key grip
Antonio V. Garrido	....	dolly grip (as Tony Garrido)
Jarek Gorczycki	....	best boy electric
Bob Hall	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Jeffrey M. Hall	....	lamp operator
Sean Higgins	....	best boy rigging electric (as Sean M. Higgins)
Patrick Hoeschen	....	lamp operator (as Patrick R. Hoeschen)
Jack Korbel	....	rigging grip
Jennifer Lane	....	director of photography: second unit
Alexandra Lucka	....	additional camera loader
Daniel C. McFadden	....	camera loader (as Daniel McFadden)
Maurice K. McGuire	....	additional camera operator
Roger Meilink	....	rigging gaffer
Paul Murphey	....	24 frame video operator
Jacqueline J. Nivens	....	additional assistant camera
Morten Petersen	....	rigging electrician
Blake Pike	....	rigging key grip
Donis Rhoden	....	best boy grip
Paul Sanchez	....	camera operator (as Paul G. Sanchez)
T. Daniel Scaringi	....	grip
Tari Segal	....	camera intern
Philip Shanahan	....	second assistant camera (as Phil Shanahan)
Tony Sommo	....	best boy rigging grip
Dan Squires	....	additional second assistant camera
Rafael E. Sánchez	....	gaffer
Paul Theriault	....	additional first assistant camera
Doug Wall	....	grip (as Douglas L. Wall)
Merie Weismiller Wallace	....	still photographer
Scott Whitbread	....	additional assistant camera (as Scott A. Whitbread)
Mark Wojciechowski	....	grip

Casting Department
Will Etling	....	extras casting intern
Michael Marino	....	casting intern
Ellen Parks	....	casting: New York
Jessie Hope Salka	....	casting assistant
Tammy L. Smith	....	extras casting: Los Angeles (as Tammy Smith)
Dixie Webster	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jeannine Bourdaghs	....	set costumer
Erin Lenk	....	set costumer
Lori Stilson	....	costume supervisor
Susan Strubel	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
David Berman	....	apprentice editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Mato	....	color timer
Jami Philbrick	....	post-production assistant
Laura Rindner	....	assistant editor
Alexis Seymour	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Alex Acuna	....	musician: percussion
Justo Almario	....	musician: flute
Dondi Bastone	....	music supervisor
Tony Blondal	....	music coordinator
Tony Blondal	....	orchestrator
Roger Burn	....	musician: vibraphone
David Carpenter	....	musician: bass
Stephen Coleman	....	conductor
Stephen Coleman	....	music programmer
Luis Conte	....	musician: percussion
Pedro Eustache	....	musician: flute
Ron Feuer	....	musician: piano
Richard Ford	....	music editor
Gary Foster	....	musician: flute and saxophone
Danny Greco	....	musician: percussion
Don Higgins	....	musician: saxophone
Oliver Hug	....	assistant music editor
Will Kennedy	....	musician: drums
Rolfe Kent	....	musician: guitar and melodica
Paul Morin	....	musician: bass
Ricardo 'Tiki' Pasillas	....	musician: percussion
Tom Ranier	....	musician: piano
Jason Ruder	....	assistant music editor
Dan Savant	....	music contractor
Dan Savant	....	musician: trumpet
Brian Scanlon	....	musician: saxophone
Nick South	....	music programmer
Eric Stonerook	....	music copyist
Bob Summers	....	musician: trumpet
Gohar Toranyan	....	musician: wedding organist
Greg Townley	....	scoring mixer
Nick Vincent	....	musician: drums
Lee Wall	....	composer: additional music
Kenny Wild	....	musician: bass
Tom Hardisty	....	music mix assistant (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Johnny Batiuk	....	driver: cast trailer
Loren Bess	....	driver: camera truck
Jack R. Campbell	....	driver: maxi van
Pat Carman	....	driver: cast trailer
Melvin Cavett	....	driver: maxi van
Eric Compton	....	driver: maxi van (as Eric 'Buck' Compton)
Kevin Cortez	....	driver: cast trailer (as Kevin M. Cortez)
Vince De Amicis	....	driver: greens (as Vince DeAmicis)
Andy DeNicholas	....	driver: EFX trailer
Adam Dotson	....	driver: wardrobe trailer
Gary Edelman	....	transportation coordinator
Shane Greedy	....	production driver
Michael Grooms	....	driver: director trailer
Doug Hennecke	....	driver: construction car
Steve Howard	....	driver: props car
Ivan Kerum	....	cook/driver
J.T. Lannen	....	driver: maxi van
Joel Larson	....	driver: grip van
Sal Lauria	....	driver: construction
Alan Nassaney	....	driver: set dressing (as Alan T. Nassaney)
Tom Neal	....	driver: honeywagon
Charles Ramirez	....	transportation captain (as Charlie Ramirez)
Ignacio Ramírez	....	driver: mechanic (as Ignacio "Nacho" Ramirez")
Chance Robertson	....	driver: electric pre-rig crew cab
Juan J. Rodriguez	....	driver: trailer
Neda Rudela	....	cook/driver (as Neda Kerum)
Chester Sohn	....	driver: grip truck
Chris Stathes	....	driver: maxi van
Frank Valentino	....	driver: production van

Other crew
Tom Ajar	....	projectionist
Jeremy Alter	....	location manager
Bonnie Barabas	....	clearance coordinator
Christina Barton	....	animal trainer
Brian Beery	....	production assistant
Tracy Boyd	....	general factotum
Erik Bright	....	unit publicist
Richard Bronskill	....	auricle operator
Paul Cavanaugh	....	office intern
Sue Chipperton	....	animal trainer
Jill R. Cohen	....	legal counsel (as Jill Cohen)
Laone T. Collins	....	stand-in
Julie Cummings	....	production assistant
Allison Curren	....	additional script supervisor
Daniela De Carlo	....	production assistant
Phil DeSanti	....	set production assistant
Maral Djerejian	....	liaison and coordinator: Armenia (as Maral Jerejian)
Evan Endicott	....	assistant: Mr. Payne
Erin Ferguson	....	assistant production coordinator
Simon Ferrer	....	production assistant
Candela Figueira	....	set production assistant
Nicholas Fitzgerald	....	production assistant (as Nicholas S. Fitzgerald)
Rachel Fleischer	....	assistant: Mr. Payne
Sherri Robin Goldman	....	first assistant accountant
David Greditzer	....	location assistant
Jim Hartz	....	studio teacher
Gillian Hinton	....	set production assistant
Michael Hird	....	additional construction medic
Brian A. Hoffman	....	production assistant
Mike Hood	....	location intern
Mike Hood	....	production assistant
Brad Iwanaga	....	wine consultant
Mark Jackson	....	animal trainer
Yasemin Kasim	....	production assistant
Tony Kerum	....	caterer
Donna Lee Killins	....	construction medic
Khristina Kravas	....	assistant: Mr. London
Meti Kusari	....	craft service
John Latenser V	....	location manager
Kendra Liedle	....	key location assistant
Julieta Lima	....	production assistant
Keri Littledeer	....	on-set medic
Kahlah Macedo	....	location intern
Josh Mann	....	location assistant
Eddie Michaels	....	publicist
Jennifer Mosley	....	office production assistant
Maitena Muruzabal	....	production assistant
Kyle Oliver	....	assistant location manager (as Kyle "Snappy" Oliver)
Kris Olson	....	assistant production coordinator
Anton Pardoe	....	assistant location manager
Arron Pawlowicz	....	accounting clerk
Miguel Perez	....	cook's assistant
Jessica Plaxton	....	location intern (as Jessica Szejn)
R. Scott Poole	....	location scout
Rebecca Robertson	....	script supervisor (as Rebecca Robertson-Szwaja)
Zachary Rosenfield	....	publicist
Jennifer Salada	....	key second assistant accountant (as Jennifer Van Hoven)
Albert Salsich	....	assistant location manager (as Albie Salsich)
Brandon Schiffman	....	set production assistant
Anne Elise Schmidt	....	intern: Mr. London
Marissa Schwierjohn	....	animal trainer
Christina Sibul	....	production executive
Jenny Siff	....	production staff
Bruce Spears	....	lead stand-in
Linda Stanley	....	studio teacher
Marsha L. Swinton	....	production accountant
Mark Van Horne	....	laboratory contact
Trish Vengoechea	....	payroll accountant
C. Ransom Walrod	....	marine coordinator
David Westenberg	....	cook's assistant
Rebecca Whitesell LaFond	....	assistant: Mr. Parra
Julian Zajfen	....	legal counsel
Errol Reichow	....	location scout (uncredited)
Mike Sowa	....	digital mastering colorist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (presents)
• Michael London Productions
• Sideways Productions Inc.

Distributors

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2005) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2005) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Bontonfilm (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2005) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2005) (Russia) (theatrical)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• UGC-Fox Distribution (UFD) (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Canada) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• RTL Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL8) (first national airing)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Custom Film Effects (digital opticals)
• Flash Film Works (digital visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Custom Film Effects  digital end titles and opticals
• DeLuxe Sound  adr stage
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Gateway Studios  score recording
• Herold Studios  german dubbing
• Insignia Public Relations  unit publicity
• New Line Records  soundtrack
• O'Henry Sound Studios  score recording (as O'Henry Studios)
• Paramount Studios  foley stage
• Reel Team, The  adr
• Right Lobe Design Group  main titles design
• Signet Soundelux Studios  score mixed at (as Signet Sound)
• Sound for Film  sound post-production
• Tequila Mockingbird Studios  adr stage (as Tequila Mockingbird)
• Tequila Mockingbird  adr stage
• Todd-AO Studios  adr stage (as Todd-AO Hollywood)
• Todd-AO Studios  adr stage (as Todd-AO Radford)
• Todd-AO Studios  sound re-recording (as Todd-AO Hollywood)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some strong sexual content and nudity (Approved No. 40894)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Armenian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:MA (original rating) | Australia:M (re-rating on appeal) | Brazil:16 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Chile:TE | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:III | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:12 | Peru:PT | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | UK:15 | USA:R (Approved No. 40894) | Norway:11 | Canada:AA (original rating) | Ireland:15 | Indonesia:Dewasa | Taiwan:R-18 | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Malaysia:(Banned) (theatrical) | Hungary:16 | Malaysia:18SX (DVD) | Japan:R-15 | Sweden:Btl | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

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.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Miles pours the wine from the spit bucket at the tasting room over his head it drenches his shirt and pants. In the subsequent scenes, the wine stains have dried, but the clothes have actually been changed. There are stains on the shirt, but there are not enough to match the original incident and the pants have no stains at all.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Miles Raymond:Fuck.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Rednecks and Broomsticks (#21.7)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

NEW HAVEN COMET

A truly vintage comedy.

SIDEWAYS (2004) **** Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh. (DIR: Alexander Payne)

A truly vintage comedy. Paul Giamatti is one of our finest character actors who seems to be neck-and-neck with William H. Macy on cornering the market of portraying losers as a cottage industry and in the latest endeavor of hapless misanthropes he may have found Oscar gold.

Giamatti stars as Miles Raymond, a miserable mope of a man who realizes he is never going to amount to anything especially given the fact that he is his own worst enemy in his highly critical outlook on life particularly on two things he holds dear: his struggling attempts to become a writer of notice and his taste in wine. The latter leads him to a certain road trip to salvation when he embarks upon a few days of r&r away from his stagnant day job as a middle school English teacher with his best friend and former college roomie Jack (Church in easily the career defining role of his life since his hey day on the TV sitcom 'Wings') whose impending nuptials is Miles' wedding gift as the best man. Jack, a long-in-the tooth second-rate soap actor whose 15 minutes are at a close 14:59 is adamant about getting laid for one last time before his commitment to a younger woman who clearly deserves better (and Jack shrewdly knows this).

As the duo drive through the sun-dappled wine country of Northern California in a road trip not unlike two virginal, horny teens looking to pop their respective cherries, they come across two unlikely conquests. One is the shapely and surprisingly-down-to-earth waitress Maya (Madsen in a career comeback of epic proportions shines through the Giamatti gloom) who strikes a fancy to the depressed Miles while Jack has his sights on the sexy wine pourer Stephanie (the sublimely, reassuringly funny Oh, and real – life wife to director Payne) who also is charmed by the blithely feckless Jack. What unfolds is a sweet yet too-good-to-be true few days of bliss and unbridled emotional rescue for the foursome as they take to one another like ducks to water although Miles' hesitancy is deeply reasoned since he is still licking the open wounds of his two-year old divorce.

Payne, one of my favorite filmmakers, doesn't disappoint as he dollops evenly the tragic-comic proceedings with his frequent long-time collaborator Jim Taylor in adapting an unpublished novel by Rex Pickett that has many layers to it and doesn't betray its four intriguing and ultimately human characters with all their flaws and neuroses on full display. Each actor shines with a few moments of soliloquies and dialogue that ring true that will have you laughing til you cry and vice versa (and that my friend is no easy trick)!

The four actors give supremely wonderfully acted turns and all are Oscar worthy as well as the screenplay which mixes misery with hope and some truly funny moments including an anger management golf sequence that feels like an outtake from 'Caddyshack' and Giamatti's drunken phone call to his ex is on par with Jon Favreau's car-accident-in-slow-motion answering machine mishap in 'Swingers' – one for the archives. Church makes his borderline jerk a quasi-pathetic lothario who finally sees the forest for the trees in a surprisingly moving moment of realization in a teary confessional; Oh unleashes the old chestnut of a woman's scorn with no-holds-barred and Madsen is a true welcome back from a seemingly endless string of nothing vehicles into this warm and welcome turn as comforting as a blanket on a wintry night in front of a cozy fire.

While it is so easy to resort to the wine as metaphor – as the film amply does with smart, sharp and pungent dialogue – the film is a full-bodied, never precocious vintage that needs to be savored in a desirable bouquet of cinematic finesse.