Bottle Shock poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, Bill Pullman, Rachael Taylor, Freddy Rodriguez ... see more see more... , Dennis Farina , Bradley Whitford , Miguel Sandoval , Eliza Dushku , Hal B. Klein , Kirk Baily , Philippe Bergeron , Louis Giambalvo , Greg Collins , Luis Saguar , James Hiser , Geoff Callan , Marcia Firesten , Matthew Kimbrough , Laurie O'Brien , Kathy McGraw , Joe Regalbuto , Al Liner , Deborah O'Brien , Brian Leonard , Karl-Heinz Teuber , Maximilienne Ewalt , Frank Avila , Richard Gross , Mary Pat Gleason , Valerie Long , James Carraway , Marian Filali , Phillipe Simon , Andre Tardieu , Jody Savin , Mark Famiglietti , Randall Miller , Roy Jimenez , Jean-Michel Richaud

Brought together by a curious twist of fate on a dusty California road, a wandering vintner and a struggling winemaker find both their lives, and their careers, forever transformed at a blind Parisian... read more read more... wine tasting that introduced the world to the extraordinary wines of Napa Valley. The year is 1976, and Napa Valley has yet to gain the reputation as one of world's best-known wine regions. Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) has sacrificed everything in life to realize his dream of creating the perfect Chateau Montelena. Yet despite the fact that Jim's Napa Valley vineyard has great potential, his son, Bo (Chris Pine), doesn't seem to have much interest in the family business. Most days, Jim and Bo can be found trading blows in their backyard boxing ring -- their attempts to knock a bit of sense into one another usually amounting to naught. Meanwhile, in Paris, British expatriate Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) finds necessity dictating that he educate Parisians on the latest wines to come out of California. Steven owns the Académie du Vin, and is eager to travel to the United States in order to ensure that he has conducted his research properly. Little did Steven and Jim realize that they were both on course for a chance meeting that would revolutionize the wine industry while opening up a whole new world of possibilities for wine lovers everywhere. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

60% liked it

17,741 ratings

Critics

49% liked it

117 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: Randall Miller

Release Date: January 18, 2008

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: February 3, 2009

Get It:

Stats: 1,373 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Bottle Shock Bottle Shock rickman Bottle Shock Bottle Shock Bottle Shock Bottle Shock
Upload a Photo | View All Bottle Shock Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (1,373)

  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 2, 2011
    TheDudeLebowski65
    Bottleshock is the story of the 1976 Paris Wine tasting and how a group of Winters from the Napa Valley in California outclassed the French Wines at the tasting. One of these wines is the now famous Chateau Montelena, the wine that beat the French. This film follows the story of ... read moreChateau Montelena as a British wine expert by the name of Steven Spurrier selects the best wines of the Napa Valley to compete against the best of the French. In his search, he is surprised at the quality of the wines and selects the Chateau Montelena along with a few other to compete. the Cheateau owner, Jim Barrett doesn't want to participate as he thinks it's a ploy to humiliate the Napa Valley vinters. However his son, Bo sends the bottles and ultimately is one of the wines selected to participate in the blind taste test. Bottle Shockj is a terrific film that blends comedy and drama, IU believe that this film has gotten a lot of unfair flack. Some people don't seem to realize how good this film really is. Sure, it's not flawless, but it's a well acted film about a very interesting, historical subject. Because after all the 1976 Paris Wine Tasting was a historical event, that changed the wine industry forever. The film has been said thats its less good than Sideways, well honestly, Sideways was overrated to the max and was a boring film that was a waste of a good cast. In my opinion, Bottle Shock is a superior film that shouldn't be dismissed so easily. A surprisingly good film.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    April 19, 2010
    FiLmCrAzY
    i kinda liked it! i guess its not realy my cup of tea because of the story being entirely based on wine and about making or finding the perfect wine!!
    i loved alan rickman he was the best bit of the film for me to be honest he was funny and entertaining to watch!!
    Apart from al... read morean rckman being funny this movie shouldnt be called a comedy because it just isnt that funny!!
    A mediocre movie thats bound to entertain someone!!
  • paulsandberg
    December 25, 2009
    paulsandberg
    Mayhaps you had to be there to fully appreciate this film taking place in 1976. Having grown up in the Bay Area and spending a fair amount of time in Sonoma County, it was enough for me to simply revel in the period feel of this film. But there is more here than that - a certai... read moren intimacy, in spite of some of the contrivance, and a very heartfelt "if one wins, we all win" attitude, that was certainly prescient considering that by winning against the French wines, Napa became the wine mecca that it is today.

    Amazing to recall that I was able to cruise around the valley in 1981 (5 years after the shock) and still find a very bohemian and homey atmosphere at so many of the fine local vintnors (including Stag's Leap, which had the winning red). This was a bygone time, as by the late 80's the corporations had taken over and wine production exploded. So it is with a certain wistful bias that I give this film a high mark, being unable to resist the very apparant joy that accompanies some stellar scenery.

    Of course, having Alan Rickman achoring the cast doesn't hurt either, and he doesn't dissapoint, being alternately droll and self effacing - to which Dennis Farina (who is also wonderfully natural, like putting on a comfy coat) comments that a left handed compliment has no translation into Brittish, as it is the natural state of things.

    Kudos as well to Sandoval who inspires honesty and emotion whenever on screen, making you wish he was there more often; and Freddy Rodriguez whose natural timing makes some of the other acting seem forced.
  • deano
    August 23, 2009
    deano
    Really interesting drama based on the true story of when Californian wineries of the Napa Valley took on the French at the 1976 "Judgment of Paris" blind tasting. Alan Rickman, turning on the usual but pleasing grumpy condescension, is great as the British wine merchant who tries... read more to save his Parisian business by staging the competition and venturing into the Napa region to find new plonk. Chris Pine is also great and dons a wig and tires to channel the Almost Famous vibe as owner of a winery's no-account but well-meaning hippie son. Freddy Rodriguez gives a better performance as his offsider.
  • aliceinpunderland
    April 5, 2009
    aliceinpunderland
    TERRIBLE. Just terrible. I'm going to compare this movie to Sideways but not because they're both about wine. For one, Sideways isn't a movie about WINE. It's a movie about two grown-up boys and their coming-of-middle-age. Wine is an ambient motif. The movi... read moree isn't pretentious; Miles' wino-literati snobbiness makes the character pretentious. Bottle Shock is a movie about WINE - all the underdeveloped human life stories are tangential to the 1976 Paris Tasting plotline. The characters aren't pretentious; they're portrayed as down-to-earth lost souls, yet they rattle off references to Hemingway and Maria Callas and Galileo. THAT'S the movie being pretentious. Sideways is a movie about people. Bottle Shock tries to be a movie about people, but ultimately is just a movie that tries to make people "appreciate" wine.
  • dunmyer
    August 7, 2008
    dunmyer
    [size=3]What in the world are top-notch actors like [b]Alan Rickman[/b] and [b]Bill Pullman[/b] doing in an abysmal film like "Bottle Shock"? They must have trusted the director. But when a director has a long history of working in television, as [b]Randall Miller[/b] has, what c... read morean you honestly hope from a feature film that is put in his hands? Miller here displays the artistic depth of an 11-year-old Valley Girl.[/size]

    [img]http://media.metronews.ca/images/5f/8e/c737826c4d0d94b454d39dd03a87.jpeg[/img]

    [size=3]Whatever freshness there was in the screenplay, it is crushed by Miller's colossally shallow vision. He should return to (mediocre) television where he belongs. "Bottle Shock" is so superficial and such a sloppy mess that it's an insult to American audiences. The only redeeming elements are the precious few scenes where Alan Rickman shows what a consummate showman he is. His character, a British oenophile, is not explored to any degree in the ridiculously shallow screenplay, but Rickman's showmanship is unsurpassed.[/size]

    [img]http://www.variety.com/graphics/photos/_storypics/bottleshock_seattle.jpg[/img]

    [size=3]Pullman does what he can. But it's clear he had to find his way alone, given the vacuousness of the director. Pullman doesn't really succeed. His character emerges as a tiresome bore, and that clearly was not the intention. [/size]

    [size=3][b]Chris Pine[/b] (shown in photo below) clearly was hired for his looks, appearing like he just stepped off the set of "Gossip Girl." The incompetent costume designer and hair stylist for "Bottle Shock" decided to plop a ridiculous wig on Mr. Pine to make him look like a hippie. Despite the absurd rug and absurd good looks, Pine actually delivers a performance that isn't horrendous. [/size]

    [img]http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/7517/_1200736056.jpg[/img]

    [size=3]I suspect that in the right directorial hands Pine might be able to actually act. He comes close here. I'm told that he just completed filming on the new "Star Trek" film, where he plays no less than Captain Kirk! So we will all find out in 2009 if my suspicions are correct.[/size]

    [size=3][b]Rachael Taylor [/b]is awful as the pretty girl that the boys fight over. Taylor needs to rush back to television with Miller immediately.[/size]

    [size=3][b]Freddy Rodriguez[/b], of "Six Feet Under" fame, plays Mexican sidekick to the studly white hippie. He tries once or twice to bring a smidgen of inner depth to his character, but he's swimming upstream against a script with no meaningful dialogue. The dreadful stylists dressed Rodriguez up to look plain-looking in comparison to his studly friend. Every move of "Bottle Shock" is telegraphed like that, as if it were trying to communicate to 10-year-olds. If you're in third grade you might enjoy "Bottle Shock." It's pitched at your intellectual level.[/size]
  • gator681
    November 29, 2009
    gator681
    In "Bottle Shock," Steven Spurrier(Alan Rickman) is an English wine merchant, struggling in 1976 Paris until Maurice(Dennis Farina), an American friend, tells him he should broaden his palette from just his beloved French wines to include American wines, specifically those from C... read morealifornia. So, Spurrier arranges a blind taste test between French and California wines, and travels to Napa Valley to meet with Jim Barrett(Bill Pullman), who is mortgaged to the hilt three times over just to keep his winery in business. Barrett has a son, Bo(Chris Pine), who does not share his father's passion in wine nor much of anything else. Enter Sam(Rachael Taylor), a beautiful intern.

    Based on a true story, "Bottle Shock" is an awkward recollection that does not provide much information on wine which would have been helpful for the novice like myself.(Maybe a documentary would have been the better route.) On the other hand, it might simply not be possible to make a good movie about California wines. Rather, it desperately tries to be comic in its telling the story of an underdog overcoming great odds and cliched in its multigenerational family drama of the Barretts when the more interesting story is Gustavo(Freddy Rodriguez) and his father(Miguel Sandoval). In the end, the viewer has to ask, what has really changed? Sure, from a nationalistic viewpoint(pleasantly surprising, very little French bashing), California wines are now fashionable but wine drinkers still check the label first before deciding what they like.
  • fb1144932598
    February 23, 2009
    fb1144932598
    Interesting film based on true events. In 1976, a self-proclaimed wine snob, who owned a shop in Paris visited the Napa Valley and brought back several wines to compete in a blind tasting against the best French wines, and won! This event is credited as the turning point in world... read more wine production. The drama of this film revolved around one of the vintners, whose Chardonnay was included in the competition. On the brink of losing everything, including his son, Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman) was a hard-headed perfectionist who had given up a law career to pursue his dream. Steve Spurrier (Alan Rickman) was the Brit who conceived the competition at the instigation of his American friend, Maurice (Dennis Farina). Radiantly beautiful Rachel Taylor, as the intern, Sam, provided the romantic tension between Jim's son Bo (Chris Pine) and Gustavo (Freddy Rodriguez). Well done piece. Some tender moments, a few chuckles, and a satisfying amount of drama. The special features has interviews with some of the real protagonists that gives more background to the story.
  • michaelneumann
    February 22, 2009
    michaelneumann
    Lightning-quick last-minute Oscar predictions, since I forgot to do them. "Initial takes" to come later - in an accidental twist of after-the-fact commentary! Hey, way to keep things fresh for a dead journal! Kind of like a sprig of fresh parsley on a corpse. Or, a zombie! H... read moreugh Jackman, eat your brains out!

    Best Picture

    [list][*]The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[*]Frost/Nixon[*]Milk[*]The Reader[*]Slumdog Millionaire[/list]My initial take: Meh. The Reader doesn't belong. Other movies are good to very good, but not particularly exciting collectively.

    My prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
    My preference: Milk

    My personal favorites from the year: Top 28 of 2008 list will reveal this, just like those invisible lists of year's past (ahem). Here's what I wrote last year:
    I promise my loyal citizens of the Kingdom of Neum that this will arrive most expeditiously.
    *glances over at the unfinished dusty rubble heap of Top movie lists, from 2004 to 2007*

    Ah, those were the days... last February. Yes, the days. The days when I wrote about fake promises and other silly things. *whistles*


    Best Actress
    [list][*]Anne Hathaway, 'Rachel Getting Married'[*]Angelina Jolie, 'Changeling'[*]Melissa Leo, 'Frozen River'[*]Meryl Streep, 'Doubt'[*]Kate Winslet, 'The Reader'[/list]My initial take: Actually a strong crop. Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky) is the popular omission, but the othe nominees really do earn their places. Upset picks for Hathaway and Melissa Leo. Jolie has no chance. It's either Winslet or Streep in terms of buzz. I think Kate will finally bring home the gold (though she should've been nominated for Revolutionary Road instead).

    My prediction: Kate Winslet
    My preference: Kate Winslet

    My personal favorites from the year:
    - (later)


    Best Actor
    [list][*]Richard Jenkins, 'The Visitor'[*]Frank Langella, 'Frost/Nixon'[*]Sean Penn, 'Milk'[*]Brad Pitt, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'[*]Mickey Rourke, 'The Wrestler'[/list]My initial take: Great mix. Both Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino) and Leo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road) were very good, but it's hard to chagrin this list. Maybe Brad Pitt, but he was very good in a subtle way, as well. Loved seeing Richard Jenkins included. Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke are my 2 favs, along with Jenkins, but the buzz stays with the former 2. Rourke had it early on, but Penn may be a mild surprise win.

    My prediction: Mickey Rourke
    My preference: Mickey Rourke

    My personal favorites from the year:
    - (later)


    Best Supporting Actress
    [list][*]Amy Adams, 'Doubt'[*]Peneleope Cruz, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'[*]Viola Davis, 'Doubt'[*]Taraji P. Henson, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'[*]Marisa Tomei, 'The Wrestler'[/list]My initial take: Really good lot here, too. My yawn nominee is Amy Adams, who basically played herself. I like her in general, but the other 4 noms are stronger. This is the hardest to predict, too. I think any of the other 4 could pull off the win, with conflicting buzz-o-meters for each. Least likely, after Adams, is Taraji P. Henson, who is definitely worthy. After that, Marisa Tomei is also really good but not getting the hype that both Viola Davis and Penelope Cruz are getting. I'm not hot on Viola's "scene-stealing" perf - a lot of expected histrionics, and snot running down her nose. It was crucial to the story, but felt more baitish than truly Oscar-worthy. I like Tomei, and Cruz's deliriously passionate, artsy-psycho lover in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

    My prediction: Viola Davis
    My preference: Penelope Cruz or Marisa Tomei

    My personal favorites from the year:
    - (later)


    Best Supporting Actor
    [list][*]Josh Brolin, 'Milk'[*]Robert Downey, Jr., 'Tropic Thunder'[*]Philip Seymour Hoffman, 'Doubt'[*]Heath Ledger, 'The Dark Knight'[*]Michael Shannon, 'Revolutionary Road'[/list]My initial take: Another year, another Philip Seymour Hoffman Oscar nom. Strong category, as per usual. Everybody's really good, but sorry, fellas... this one's Ledger's. If you asked me last summer if Ledger would've won the Oscar as The Joker, I might've cackled maniacally. Not that it was undeserving, but that it would actually stand a chance. I guess the last laugh is on me. Or is it??!?!

    My prediction: Heath Ledger
    My preference: Heath Ledger

    My personal favorites from the year:
    - (later)



    Animated: Bolt, Kung-Fu Panda, [b]WALL-E [/b](duh)
    Adapted: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, [b]Slumdog Millionaire[/b] (Just because it's popular)
    Original: Happy-Go-Lucky, Frozen River, In Bruges, Milk, [b]WALL-E [/b](It will be a WALL-E kinda year, too - though it should've been nominated for Best Picture. Milk's screenplay may take this award, too...)


    Okay, Oscar. It's your move.
  • fb20312798
    May 30, 2010
    fb20312798
    Everyone likes it when pretentious French snobs get whats coming to them, but does it warrant an entire film about it? Certainly was an interesting moment in history, and the movie really tries to sell it. Unfortunately its just pretty boring.

View All Bottle Shock Reviews

Critic Reviews

Andrea Gronvall
August 22, 2008
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader

Rickman adds a welcome astringency. Full Review

Roger Moore
August 15, 2008
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Bottle Shock is... utterly charming. Full Review

Rick Warner
August 15, 2008
Rick Warner, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Unfortunately, Miller can't decide whether he's doing a relationship movie or one about the intrigue of world-class winemaking. Mingling the two left me with a somewhat sour aftertaste. Full Review

Cathy Frisinger
August 15, 2008
Cathy Frisinger, Denver Post

Comedy and drama are nicely balanced in this mostly true tale. Full Review

Bill Ward
August 14, 2008
Bill Ward, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Its heart is so in the right place and its tableau so appealing that it's easy to come away from this sweet, scrappy film with a nice little buzz. Full Review

Randy Cordova
August 14, 2008
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic

The movie provides Pullman with a lead role, which is something you can raise a glass to. But as for the rest of it? Sorry, but I'll have a Diet Coke instead. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
August 11, 2008
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

The politics of making wine is a great subject for a movie, but this clunker doesn't do it justice; Bottle Shock is broad and coy where it needs to be smart. Full Review

John Anderson
August 8, 2008
John Anderson, Newsday

A winning cast and a magnum's worth of subplots make Bottle Shock extremely watchable, perhaps a bit fruity, with grace notes of leather, oak and no ham. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
August 8, 2008
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

More enthusiastic than genuinely entertaining. Full Review

Michael Phillips
August 7, 2008
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The film is based on fact, but its texture is such that even the true bits feel trumped-up, and the fictional components add only the phoniest sort of conflict. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Sideways
    Sideways (95%)
  • Under the Tuscan Sun
    Under the Tuscan Sun (78%)
  • A Good Year
    A Good Year (67%)
  • French Kiss
    French Kiss (50%)

More Movies like Bottle Shock

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Bottle Shock : Watch Free on TV

Bottle Shock Trivia

  • Who was a wine crop owner in Bottle Shock ?  Answer »
  • Where was Steven Purrier living in Bottle Shock ?  Answer »
  • Who plans to hols a blind taste test in Bottle Shock ?  Answer »
  • Who does Steven have a chance meeting with in Bottle Shock ?  Answer »
More Bottle Shock Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Bottle Shock. Want to create one?

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Bottle Shock Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Bottle Shock to favorites

Recent News

Submit a Story |

View Bottle Shock News

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?