I went to see the movie Sideways last night mostly for Thomas Haden Church. I liked him as Lowell in Wings, and I absolutely loved him as Ned in Ned & Stacey. I thought the movie was just excellent. All of the actors were tremendous and the script created characters that felt more like fully realized people to me. I can imagine these characters inhabiting the real life beauty of California's wine country.

However, I do have one major beef with the film. Alexander Payne (who also made the wonderful satire Election), couldn't resist taking a shot at President Bush. During a particularly obscene sex scene, Payne's cameras pan to a television. Who should be on it but President Bush and Donald Rumsfield. Payne is obviously making two statements here:

1. President Bush and Secretary Rumsfield are just as obscene and dirty as this sex.

2. See everyone, I'm a liberal too. Can I be part of the cool crowd now?

This scene had nothing to do with the plot or characters in the movie and everything to do with Payne wanting to make a "me too" statement to the rest of the Hollywood liberals. Obviously, Payne has every right to make political statements, but, as an audience member, it's just plain annoying to have the fillmaker's politics suddenly plopped down in the middle of a character-driven film.

Too many folks in Hollywood can't leave well enough alone. I'm getting ready to make the over/under on dumb political statements that'll be uttered at the Oscars. Any suggestions?