Anywhere But Here

Anywhere But Here (1999)

  • 64% of critics liked it
    (89 reviews)

  • 52% of users liked it
    (39,260 ratings)

As with his earlier film The Joy Luck Club (1993), Chinese director Wayne Wang tackles mother-daughter relationships in this coming of age comedy-drama. Susan Sarandon stars as Adele August, a Bay City, Wisconsin, mother who longs for a more exciting and glamorous life in Beverly Hills, California.… More

Play Trailer

PG-13,
Directed By
Written By
Alvin Sargent
Genres
Drama, Comedy
In Theaters
Jun 1, 2000 Wide
On DVD
May 2, 2000
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Geoff Andrew, Time Out

    Portman is excellent, balancing wisdom and petulance, loyalty and imposition...

  • Emanuel Levy, Variety

    As a depiction of a loving-turbulent relationship between a single mom (Susan Sarandon) and her rebellious teenage daughter (Natalie Portman), Wang's meller is nicely crafted but old-fashioned like Hollywood's weepies of yesteryear.

  • Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

    The movie drops in on a crucial part of their lives, follows it for a few minutes and then jettisons to another episode. It's like watching 10 short stories.

  • Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

    Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman put on an acting clinic that's a treat to watch, but, no matter how accomplished, a clinic is not a movie. They do a lot with a little, yet it's far from enough.

  • Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

    You start wishing you were anywhere but here -- preferably at last year's far funnier Slums of Beverly Hills.

Read all 21 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

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

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

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Thomas B


    Overlong, underdone and unfocussed despite the fantastic central performances. Full review later.

  • Melvin W


    Adele: Providence, Rhode Island? Couldn't you have gotten any farther away from me?  "A story of a mother who knows best... and a daughter who knows better." I like Susan Surandon and love Natalie Portman, yet I strongly dislike Anywhere But Here. It's melodrama… More

  • Alice S


    A bitter and complicated mother-daughter movie. I love the moments of power each feels in making the other miserable. Natalie Portman is delightful.

  • Rachel F


    Loved it.

  • Kylie B


    Portman is good but the plot is the usual hokey family/chick flick stuff.

Read all 11 featured audience ratings

Currently unavailable on Flixster

Also available on

UltraViolet Retailers

Other Retailers

Subscription Services

Not Available
Not Available

Cast

See more (9)

Trailers & Clips

More Like This