On the one hand, I liked the Sideways ending, on the other hand, of course, if left me wanting more. I mean, I enjoyed watching these characters on the screen and I really felt for Miles, so I would have liked to see how the story went on with him and Maya, so I was a bit upset they cut it there. Then again, at least they didn't end it with a typical clicheed "They meet each other, kiss and then the credits roll" ending, so I guess I should be happy.

If it doesn't win screenplay, I'll be quite upset.

I hope to see Finding Neverland next week, by the way.

After what Miles did (or Jack rather), I was just happy that Maya even called him.

Indeed, but then again, I expected it somehow.

As I said, I was somehow let down that Stephanie didn't show up anymore. Seemed kinda unresolved to me. But then again, it's reality and the movie is certainly reality-based.

When are you planning to see M$B?

I've been pretty critical of that screenplay. But then again, Paul Haggis' background is primarily in televison (Due South, Thirtysomething, Walker Texas) and he's won Emmys for his work.

But it does explain why it feels more like a Lifetime television movie instead of a theatrical film.

I am planning to see M$B as soon as I find a good DVD screener, hehe. I downloaded one, but that had sound, but no picture, argh.

The film is better seen and not heard. Unless you like dialogue lifted from a soap opera. The aesthetics though are pretty incredible.

it probably means u don't have the codec for it. http://www.divxmovies.com/codec/

Sideways
BFCA
Globe-Comedy
SAG
WGA
LAFC
NYFC

Aviator
Globe-Drama
PGA
BAFTA

Million Dollar Baby
DGA

I thought so too, but I checked and I actually have the codec for it :???: Still doesn't show...

EW's Lead Critics Favor Sideways

Lisa--
Best Picture: Sideways
Best Director: Clint Eastwood
Best Lead Actor: Jamie Foxx
Best Lead Actress: Imelda Staunton
Best Supporting Actor: Clive Owen
Best Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen
Best Adapted Screenplay: Sideways
Best Original Screenplay: The Incredibles

Owen--
Best Picture: Sideways
Best Director: Alexander Payne
Best Lead Actor: Jamie Foxx
Best Lead Actress: Kate Winslet
Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Haden Church
Best Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen
Best Adapted Screenplay: Sideways
Best Original Screenplay: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Even if It Loses at Oscar, 'Sideways' Wins Big

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=7701113&pageNumber=1

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When the clamor over the Oscars dies down, the biggest winner could be the film that wins the fewest Academy Awards, and that may be the comedy "Sideways."

"Sideways," about two middle-aged men looking for love on a drunken vacation in California's wine country, is nominated for five Oscars including best film but is considered likely to win just the screenwriting award.

But apart from its possible victories at Sunday's Oscars ceremony, the critical acclaim and box office prowess of "Sideways" has put director Alexander Payne and writer Jim Taylor in the vanguard of younger filmmakers more excited by human stories than dazzling special effects or action.

Taylor told Reuters the most gratifying feeling from this year's awards season comes from the attention that low-budget "Sideways" has received from critics and fans amid all the big budget films that usually win awards and top ticket sales charts.

It has been named 2004's best film by critics in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco, and won the Hollywood Foreign Press' Golden Globe award for best musical or comedy. Its ticket sales stand at a hefty $54 million.

"People are really taking about ... the humanism of the film and whether there is a new trend in filmmaking. That's exciting because those are the kind of movies we love," Taylor said.

The Oscars are the U.S. film industry's top honors and are given out each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. For winner of the best picture award this year, Oscar watchers instead of "Sideways" favor Clint Eastwood's "Million Dollar Baby," about an aging boxing trainer and his female protege, and Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator," a tale of billionaire Howard Hughes.

Payne is nominated for best director but overshadowed by Eastwood and Scorsese. "Sideways" stars Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen face tough competition for supporting actor and actress, respectively. Oscar watchers think the best chance for "Sideways" is a screenwriting award for Payne and Taylor.

LUCKY ONES

Oscars aside, Taylor believes he and Payne already have been lucky in Hollywood because each of their four films have been well received by audiences. Critics say their success is less about luck and more about good writing and directing.

First came 1996's "Citizen Ruth," about a woman who becomes a reluctant participant in both sides of the abortion debate. Next was "Election," about the malicious behavior of students and a teacher in a high school campaign. The pair received an Oscar nomination for writing "Election."

Their third film, 2002's "About Schmidt," follows an elderly man looking back at a seemingly wasted life, and it earned Oscar nominations for Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates.

Los Angeles film writer Pete Hammond likened Payne's and Taylor's movies to those from Billy Wilder and writing partner I.A.L. Diamond that crisscrossed lines of drama and comedy, such as 1960 Oscar winner "The Apartment."

Veteran critic Emanuel Levy said the writing/directing team's focus on human foibles has a satirical edge that reminds him of legendary Preston Sturges. He compares Payne's and Taylor's work to the 1960s' French New Wave and the 1970s' renaissance of American movies.

TRENDSETTERS?

"There is almost a fearlessness about them when you first read them," said "Sideways" producer Michael London. "Their characters are like people you meet in life, not in movies."

Payne, 44, and Taylor, 42, lead a category of emerging voices in U.S. film including Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman, who collaborated on "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation," and Wes Anderson with "Rushmore," "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou."

Other often-mentioned filmmakers are Todd Haynes, whose 2002 feature "Far From Heaven" was nominated for four Oscars, and Sofia Coppola, daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, who won a screenwriting Oscar for last year for "Lost In Translation." The list goes on but is not long.

There is much talk in Hollywood right now of whether movie fans are tiring of special effects and action adventure flicks and becoming more excited by these low-budget, human stories.

The verdict is still out. Some experts see a rebirth of character-driven stories like those that defined the 1970s. Others say audiences don't change much, but that movies pumped out by the studios will if the studios see hefty profits.

"The Aviator" cost $110 million to make and with U.S. and Canadian ticket sales of $84 million, it is falling on box office charts.

"Sideways" cost $16 million and with $54 million in domestic ticket sales, is heading up the charts. And those are numbers that can make a big-budget Hollywood executive take notice.

I finally caught a few Oscar movies this week by watching Sideways, Million Dollar Baby, and Ray.

So far I like Sideways the best, but wasn't completely blown away. There were a few dry pointless moments, but it had some great performances and a good feel overall. Ray was a close second, but it was exactly what I expected and was essentially just a documentary of Ray Charles's life. I thought Million Dollar Baby was the worst of the three. It was decent until it drew out the ending for what seemed like 3 hours, and deadened any impact that it could have had. By the end I was about to help Clint with his task at hand so I could go home.

So, right now I'm rooting for Sideways, hence my post here. Sign me up for the fanclub, and send me a T-shirt and a button.

Welcome to the club, Tony!

Tomorrow, I am seeing Finding Neverland. Wondering if I'll like it even more than Sideways...

Another person falls to the dark side.

So we are.....3

There are more people who loved Sideways over the other films.

But they are all too chicken to pick it to win BP.

You can add me to the list, I have loved Sideways since it came out back in October and haven't looked back. I do enjoy the others, Aviator, M$B, Finding Neverland but Sideways I feel is the best. Can I have a button also??? \:D/

Church love from Oscarwatch

http://www.oscarwatch.com/Articles/supportingactor.html


Supporting Fever
by Dean Caivano

For winning the Globe, BAFTA, & New York Film Critic Award you would think that Clive Owen would be the favorite to win the Oscar for Best Supporting.

With a powerful, intense performance, Clive Owen creates a power force on the screen, reminiscences of a young Richard Burton. Stealing the show from Hollywood A-Listers Jude Law and Julia Roberts and also being a Mike Nichols’ film, Clive Owen should be walking up to the podium on Sunday night. But one tiny factor is holding him back that will ultimately lead to Clive Owen losing on Oscar night. NO SAG NOMINATION. In the ten years that the SAG has been handing out awards, only once has the winner at the Oscar not received a SAG nom. That was Marcia Gay Harden in 2000 for her role in “Pollock”. Chances of Clive winning? Small. Which brings us to Morgan Freeman.

Morgan Freeman. “Street Smart” - “Driving Miss Daisy” - “The Shawshank Redemption.” Three times, the talented, Mr.Freeman has been nominated at the Oscars, and three times he has left empty handed. In all fairness, after Sunday, it should be four times. I'm not here to say that Morgan Freeman wasn't good in “Million Dollar Baby” but to give him an Oscar for a performance that he has played before, and will play again, is just wrong.
But why is Mr.Freeman a favorite to win? Because he is loved by the Academy?
If he was loved so much by them, he would already have an Oscar. Winning film critic awards? Oh wait, all the critic winners have gone to either:

Clive Owen, Thomas Haden Church, Jamie Foxx, or Phil Davis. Hilary Swank winning in the Best Actress race could hurt Morgan Freeman. How? To me it looks like “Million Dollar Baby” could win in just about every category, or it could lose in every category. But let’s say that Hilary Swank is going to win. Well, recently, that’s not to good for the film. Here are the last 5 Best Actress winners: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Halle Berry, Julia Roberts, and Hilary Swank. Besides the win for Best Actress, the film that the actress was in, won a whopping zero awards in any other category.

Film Noms/Wins
“Monster” 1/1
“The Hours” 9/1
“Monster’s Ball” 2/1
“Erin Brockovich” 5/1
“Boy’s Don’t Cry” 2/1

Okay, but Morgan Freeman won the SAG, so that’s good, right? Securing a nomination was critical, he did that. But winning at the SAG in the Supporting Actor category is not a done deal for the Oscar. In the ten years they have given out Best Supporting Actor at the SAG, only 5 times have they matched up with the winner at the Oscar. So that's a 50% chance of winning.
It’s also a 50% chance of losing. So who could possibly derail Mr.Freeman and be that other 50%? Three words: Thomas Haden Church.

I know that a lot of people may think this is wrapped up with Morgan Freeman winning, but I just can't except the fact that the performance of Thomas Haden Church will be forgotten. Mr.Church has won: National Board of Review, LA Film Critics, Boston Film Critics, NY Film Critics Online, San Francisco Film Critics, Chicago Film Critics, Southeastern Film Critics, Florida Film Critics, Phoenix Film Critics, Dallas Film Critics, and the Broadcast Film Critics award for Best Supporting Actor. That's a lot of hardware. Let's not forgot that you can add a Golden Globe nom, IFP Spirit Award nom, and a SAG nom.

For me I think the choice is clear:

A performance with 2 major Critic awards, a Globe win, a BAFTA win, but no SAG nom.

A performance with 0 major Critic awards, a Globe nom, and a SAG win.

A performance with 11 major Critic awards, a SAG & Globe Nom.

But maybe this is just wishful thinking because I'm a big fan of "Sideways."
Or maybe, just maybe, it's the way it will go come Oscar Night.

I still believe that The Aviator will win, but my gut feeling at least places Sideways ahead of Million Dollar Baby as of now.

No one can deny how powerful The Aviator is in this race. But in regards to M$B, for being such a "critics darling", it has had very little critic support compared to Sideways.

Sideways is the giant slayer, not M$B.

One thing I am absolutely certain of. If Sideways by any chance wins Best Picture, it definitely won't win Best Director.

As much as I like Payne, the Oscar is Marty's (Clint got his Oscar twice already).

If The Aviator wins, Eastwood will get Best Director
If Sideways wins, Scorcese will get Best Director
If Million Dollar Baby wins, Scorcese will get Best Director

So either way, a BP/BD split?