Sideways: The Shooting Script (Paperback)

by Alexander Payne (Author), Jim Taylor (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A near-flawless screenplay, awash with poignant observations and subtle humor, and studded with hilarious moments of high farce."

Product Description
The newest screenplay from the Oscar®-nominated writers of Election and About Schmidt, starring Paul Giamatti (American Splendor), a tale of two men's adventure in California wine country.

Based on Rex Pickett's acclaimed first novel, Sideways tells the story of Miles (Paul Giamatti), a failed novelist, and his soon-to-be married friend Jack (Wings' Thomas Haden Church), a washedup actor. To salute the remains of their youth, the two men take one last road trip in the week before Jack's wedding. A serious wine enthusiast, Miles is determined to educate his friend on the region's beloved Pinot Noir wines before the week is out.

Jack indulges his best friend's passion for the grape but is mainly interested in living his last week of bachelorhood to the hilt. Trouble ensues with wine and women (played by Ghosts of Mississippi's Virginia Madsen and Under the Tuscan Sun's Sandra Oh) and the duo comes to some profound realizations as they come to terms with maturity.

The Newmarket Shooting Script® book includes the complete screenplay and three original commentaries written exclusively for the book by writer/director Alexander Payne, novelist Rex Pickett, and Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Newmarket (December 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557046557
• ISBN-13: 978-1557046550
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #379,364 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, June 8, 2007

By	L. Giles (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The first time I watched the film, I couldn't get through it. There was very little that was likable about the characters, and I chose not to spend 2 hours with losers. Seeing all of the critical acclaim it received, I decided to watch it again... and loved it the second time around. Reading the screenplay made me love it even more! I could stop and savor the writing, noting how each scene ends provacatively. It's a very adult piece, and one must be very open-minded and not judgmental when reading the screenplay or watching the film.

LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read, February 10, 2007

By	NoName (Portland, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews

I loved the movie. On impulse, I sought out the screen play because I wanted to see how the story looked on paper. The experience was illuminating for the insight it provided me in how movies are crafted. But more importantly, being able to pause at an interesting passage of dialog, to enjoy it more completely, enabled me to control the pace of the story. Lastly, the screenplay is very good writing, and a joy to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good., December 26, 2008

By	Violet (IOWA) - See all my reviews

Good, witty, smart. Might not be as awesome as all the hype; but definitely a good choice to add to your DVD collection.