Film: Sideways
Previous best director wins for movie: L.A. Film Critics Assoc.; San Francisco Film Critics Circle; Southeastern Film Critics Assoc.
Previous Oscar wins/nominations:
Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, Election (1999)
Bio: With an impressive list of dramedies-1996’s Citizen Ruth, 1999’s Election and 2002’s About Schmidt–it’s clear director-writer Alexander Payne has a fascination with human weakness. He loves to show that peculiar slice of American pie we don’t always get to see, or even want to see (remember Kathy Bates’ nude scene in Schmidt? Shudder). The same goes for his latest brilliant effort, Sideways, except in this darkly comic and soulful expose about two guys searching for a little self-discovery during a bachelor weekend in California’s wine country, Payne lets us in on a secret about himself. He’s actually a romantic at heart. And Sideways is his ode to love, interweaving gut-wrenching scenes of humiliation and defeat with rollicking, touching moments of pure affection. Hope he keeps up the good work.
