Jack is an altar-bound ex-actor determined to find and seduce some fun-lovin' gal in the week before his wedding. Miles is a self-deprecating wine lover who passes up every opportunity for romance because he's still hung up on his ex-wife. These two guys represent opposite ends of the spectrum of middle-aged male behavior: On one extreme, we have the sex-starved free spirit who indulges his basest instincts, while on the other, there stands the neurotic, insecure guy who sabotages his chances for fear of where a new relationship may lead. On the surface, 'Sideways' is the story of what happens when Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes Jack (Thomas Haden Church) on a bachelor-party road trip through California wine country. But at a deeper level, it serves as a revealing examination of life, wine, fidelity and the bizarre workings of men's minds. 'Sideways' spins the bottle, if you will, on the guys and doesn't let 'em off so easily. Directed by 'Election''s Alexander Payne, the movie reflects the same charitable spirit and humor that marked his last picture, 'About Schmidt,' and gives his cast (including wife Sandra Oh) a chance to shine.

Inside the DVD Church and Giamatti offer "sidebars of hilarity and poignance" on the commentary, which is unusually entertaining if you can get past the actors' unspoken game of big-word one-upsmanship. The DVD also includes several deleted scenes preceded by Payne's reasons for cutting them. His descriptions are so loaded with interesting trivia, you'll wish he'd recorded a commentary track of his own.
Unforgettable Scene Miles sits with fellow wine lover Maya (Virginia Madsen), describing what it is about the pinot grape that fascinates him so. The words of a wine connoisseur may not mean much to the uninitiated, but it's clear that these two characters are speaking the same language.
Source Material Based on the novel by Rex Pickett, who also wrote the 2000 Best Live Action Short Film Oscar for 'My Mother Dreams the Satan's Disciples in New York.'
Why You Should See It It's something of a cliché to remark how life, relationships and all that -- like wine -- get better with age, but it's never seemed more true than in this intimate, satisfying and unexpectedly enriching road movie.