The Director's Series: Alexander Payne, No. 4


Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey.

Sideways (2004)
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, and Sandra Oh
Director: Alexander Payne
About: Payne's films feel lived in. That's one of the things I like best. They feel like real people living in real situations. That's the case with Sideways, which is a wild film based on a novel from Rex Pickett. It's always meant a bit more to me, too, because it's set where I used to live in wine country on the Central Coast of California. I think we've all had a friend like the guy played by Haden Church at some point, which feels relatable. I really enjoy Giamatti in this role, too. He has done some great work with Payne, as we'll see later on this list. There are some really funny moments here, but some poignant moments, too. There's some beautiful lines and some beautiful shots in the film as well. It's an interesting and wild ride.

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