Match Cut Directors Consensus -- Alexander Payne

[Ezee E]

An easy week to tally!

[Boner M]

Election - 8.5
About Schmidt - 5.5
Sideways - 7
14th Arrondissement - 8 (his Paris je t'aime short, if we're counting it)

[Pop Trash]

Citizen Ruth-7
Election- 10
About Schmidt-10
Sideways- 9

One of the best working now! He is due for another film here too.

[Spinal]

Citizen Ruth - 9.5
Election - 8.5
Sideways - 9

[Winston*]

Citizen Ruth - 9.5

I liked the movie okay, but wow.

[Spinal]

I liked the movie okay, but wow.

Respect the Dern.

[Ezee E]

Election - 8
About Schmidt - 8
Sideways - 8

Consistent.

I'll see Citizen Ruth sometime this week.

[Silencio]

Election - 9
About Schmidt - 7
Sideways - 9
14th Arrondissement - 8

[Weeping_Guitar]

Election - 9
About Schmidt -8
Sideways - 8

[dreamdead]

Election - 8.5
About Schmidt - 5.5
Sideways - 5

The man knows his themes (disenfranchisement and alienation from society), but any sense of visual aesthetic or style is frequently missing. Good writer, though.

[The Mike]

Election - 10
About Schmidt - 5.5
Sideways - 8

[Derek]

Election - 8.0
About Schmidt - 5.0
Sideways - 7.0

[Raiders]

Citizen Ruth (1996) 7.5
Election (1999) 9.0
About Schmidt (2002) 5.0
Sideways (2004) 8.0

[thefourthwall]

Election -- 8.5
Sideways -- 8

[soitgoes...]

Election (1999) - 7.0
About Schmidt (2002) - 8.5
Sideways (2004) - 8.5

[transmogrifier]

As a director, he makes a very good screenwriter.

[NickGlass]

Election: 9.0
About Schmidt: 6.5
Sideways: 8.0

I've seen all more than once, and Election is the only one that improves. Nonetheless, he is, along with Charlie Kaufman, one of the more justifiably lauded screenwriters.

[Spinal]

What's with the lack of Citizen Ruth?

[Mysterious Dude]

Citizen Ruth - 8
Election - 8
About Schmidt - 8
Sideways - 7

When I was in eighth grade, I interviewed Alexander Payne by e-mail for a school assignment, before he got famous (after Citizen Ruth and before Election). I wish I knew where I put the copy.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

Election - 7.5
About Schmidt - 7
Sideways - 8.5
14th Arrondissement - 7

[Our Aurora]

Citizen Ruth - 9
Election - 8
About Schmidt - 7
Sideways - 9.5

[Yxklyx]

Citizen Ruth - 7
Election - 7
About Schmidt - 6
Sideways - 7

[Ezee E]

Didn't he have a writing credit for Chuck & Larry?

[Sycophant]

Didn't he have a writing credit for Chuck & Larry?

Per Wikipedia,

According to Alexander Payne, the writer of an initial draft of the movie, Sandler took many liberties with his screenplay, "sandlerizing" the movie, in his own words. At some point, he didn't want his name attached to the project.

He, Jim Taylor, and Barry Fanaro share screenwriting credit. His fingerprints on the movie aren't very clear.

[Ezee E]

I'd be curious as to what the original draft was then.

The movie isn't that horrible until you get to Ving Rhames' reveal.