About this episode
Laci and Matt discuss the film Sideways, exploring its themes of friendship and the impact it had on the wine industry.
Laci and Matt take a trip to Santa Barbara County, California, for a glass (or 12!) of wine with their favorite pinot-slurping pals: Miles (Paul Giamatti), Jack (Thomas Haden Church), Maya (Virginia Madsen), Stephanie (Sandra Oh), and a friendly flock of ostriches. That's right, people, we spent the week with Sideways (2004), Alexander Payne's hilarious look at two codependent losers who have one of cinema's all-time great friendships. Next week (April 3, 2026): 1-Week Rental's official SEX MONTH begins with a podcast about Fifty Shades Of Grey (2015)! Time stamps: 00:08:45 — History segment: Author Rex Pickett (the real-life Miles) writes a book; it gets adapted by Alexander Payne; the wine industry will never be the same; the little-known Sideways Extended Universe 00:44:00 — Movie discussion 02:06:00 — Final thoughts & star ratings Sources: "Taste of Success" by Oliver Burkeman | The Guardian (2004) - https://bit.ly/4lNhSfY "A drink with… Rex Pickett" by Jonathan Cristaldi | Decanter (2024) - https://bit.ly/4rUAegu "The Hitching Post Toasts 20 Years of the Surprise Hit SIDEWAYS" by Bonnie Graves | Golden State (2024) - https://bit.ly/3NVTv3j "'The Sideways Effect': How A…
People in this episode
Host: Laci Roth
Topics covered
- Sideways
- wine
- friendship
- film analysis
Keywords
- Santa Barbara
- Alexander Payne
- pinot noir
- comedy
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Sideways, Fifty Shades Of Grey, Taste of Success, A drink with… Rex Pickett, The Hitching Post Toasts 20 Years of the Surprise Hit SIDEWAYS, The Sideways Effect': How A Wine-Obsessed Film Reshaped The Industry, The Full Giamatti, PodJob: A James Bond Podcast, The Joy of Averages, Winston-Salem
Places: Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara
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