But it's just that the whole country is making generally lousy films these days and has been for quite a while. That's the big problem that we all have to think about.

He also tends to set his films in Omaha. He maintains a passion for preservation. Payne attended Creighton Preparatory School high school and later Stanford University where he double majored in Spanish and History.

His films are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society. Alexander Payne (born Constantine Alexander Payne; February 10 1961) is an American film director and screenwriter known for the films Election (1999) About Schmidt (2002) Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011).