It doesn't exactly come off as boxed wine to the top-shelf sensibilities of Sideways, but there's not enough story or heart for it to capture the same lightning in a bottle.
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08/14/09
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Bottle Shock (2008)
47
%
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Reviews Counted:114
Fresh:54
Rotten:60
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: Bottle Shock fails to properly utilize the inspiring true tale at its core, settling instead for an ordinary, plodding account.
Theatrical Release:Aug 8, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $3,939,185
Synopsis: Looking for a way to boost his failing Parisian wine shop, a snobbish Brit named Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) heads to California's Napa Valley, preparing for a tasting contest he has set up,... [More]
Starring: Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, Rachael Taylor
Director: Randall Miller
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Reviews for Bottle Shock
As a rather strenuous attempt at a feel-good movie, Bottle Shock falls a long way short of the mark.
04/10/09
It's not in the same league as Sideways but it has a fragrant sense of the beauty of wine and winemaking, not just the drinking.
04/03/09
Bottle Shock is one of those cockle-warming, feel-good underdog films in the tradition of Strictly Ballroom. Only in this case Scott and Fran are, respectively, a Chardonnay with tangerine undertones, and a Cabernet Merlot blend.
03/28/09
Predictable in its moves, it's engaging enough, though it has nowhere near the characterisation, say, of Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church in Sideways.
03/27/09
Predictable, corny, schmaltzy, inane, unfunny, flat, sentimental and utterly fatuous. Most of the acting is bad, and none of the characters are interesting. Watching it is about as culturally rewarding as actually getting drunk, and less fun.
03/27/09
In the same way Good Night And Good Luck sends you hurtling for whisky and a Malboro, and Sideways prompts a pining for pinot noir, Bottle Shock will have you craving a chilled glass of Californian chardonnay.
03/27/09
Rickman is priceless as the self-parodying wine snob, stealing every scene he is in by continually pulling the rug from under himself.
03/27/09
It’s a triumph of the underdog film, but what it does have is a simply delicious performance by Alan Rickman, who does resigned disdain like no one else on screen.
03/27/09
It's easy to take, enjoyable and escapist, and while it celebrates Californian wine making, it doesn't disparage the French.
03/20/09
. Like the chardonnay at the heart of the story, Bottle Shock is light with good body and plenty of flavour. It's also uplifting and amusing. In short, it makes you feel good.
03/20/09
Alan Rickman plays the British wine expert who sponsors the test and is at his most comically feline. It's a great film about passion, eccentricity, families and... wine
03/19/09
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03/19/09
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03/19/09
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02/27/09
Alan Rickman is one of my favorite actors, and I wanted to see Bottle Shock if only for his performance. Rickman's performance is great as usual, and Bottle Shock, despite some contrivance, is a very entertaining movie.
02/01/09
What this film needed was a whole lot more scenes with the good actors and lot less scenes of those Ken and Barbie Doll types.
01/31/09
You can enjoy the mild bouquet of Bottle Shock as pleasantly sparkling, but it could have been plummier. Rickman sends up a full-bodied sneering British snob.
11/10/08
In light of all its swooping and swishing helicopter shots of the sun-dappled Napa Valley, [it] might as well have been photographed from the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
10/22/08
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10/18/08
Latest News for Bottle Shock
October 30, 2008:
DIY Distribution Comes of Age 
Once strictly the realm of the truly hard to watch, DIY film distribution is on the upswing among filmmakers disenchanted with the studio system. More...
July 30, 2008:
Indie Filmmakers Redefining "D.I.Y."
With distribution deals not as plentiful as they've been in recent years, a growing number of indie filmmakers are bypassing the studio system entirely and opting to release... More...
June 15, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review
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January 24, 2008:
Chris Pine Discusses Life as Captain Kirk
Chris Pine went to Sundance to promote his new movie Bottle Shock -- but when you're the new Captain Kirk, that's really all anyone wants to talk about. Fortunately, Pine has... More...
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