Two middle-aged men embark on a spiritual journey through Californian wine country. One is an unpublished novelist suffering from depression, and the other is only days away from walking down the aisle.
Acting
Giamatti's saddest man in America energy is unmatched.
Writing
Payne and Taylor's script is cruel, tender, and hilarious.
Cinematography
Santa Barbara wine country has never looked this quietly desperate.
Director
Alexander Payne
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
Shaun Duke
Mike Erganian
Robert Covarrubias
Miles's Building Manager
Patrick Gallagher
Gary the Bartender
Stephanie Faracy
Stephanie's Mother
Joe Marinelli
Frass Canyon Pourer
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Miles's rant against Merlot supposedly tanked American Merlot sales for years; wineries called it 'the Sideways effect.'
The 'I'm not drinking any fucking Merlot' scene was improvised after Giamatti's actual frustration with his character's pretension.
US
