Anywhere But Here (1999)

64% of critics liked it
(88 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(38,756 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 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. So she leaves her husband (Ray Baker) and packs her reluctant daughter Ann (Natalie Portman) into a gold Mercedes Benz, heading for L.A. When they arrive and move into an apartment they can't really afford, it becomes clear that Ann is the mature half of the duo, while Adele, a dreamer, is not firmly grounded in reality. Her plans include Ann's future career as an actress (a profession in which the girl has no interest) and landing a rich and handsome husband for herself, such as a dentist (Hart Bochner) who never calls Adele again after a one-night stand. When a family tragedy provokes a crisis between mother and daughter, the irresponsible Adele is forced to become a traditional mom for once. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 54 min.
Directed By: Wayne Wang
Written By: Alvin Sargent
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 1, 2000 Wide
On DVD: May 2, 2000
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

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.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
Adele and Ann don't really seem like mother and daughter; their conflicts are more a matter of theatrical convenience than something born in the blood.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
This Wayne Wang-directed movie hands Sarandon one of the richest comic-dramatic opportunities of her career -- while also confirming Portman as one of her own generation's best and brightest.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Solid story of independence for teens.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Portman is excellent, balancing wisdom and petulance, loyalty and imposition...
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
Director Wayne Wang has delivered a solid entertainment, particularly for women, with Anywhere But Here.
Louis B. Hobson, Jam! Movies
Adele and Ann are not easy screen characters to like, but they are easy to believe in -- especially in the skins of Sarandon and Portman.
Liz Braun, Jam! Movies
A subtle and unexpected pleasure, all nuanced performance and character detail.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
Natalie Portman is my new hero.
Brent Simon, Entertainment Today
The title might very well be an appropriate description of what more impatient filmgoers may be feeling after sitting through this frustratingly mediocre dramedy.
Charlotte O'Sullivan, Sight and Sound
In its eagerness to give voice to the overshadowed daughter, the film never allows the mother to live.
Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Inspired pairing of Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman as an outrageous mother and her more practical daughter.
Jason Clark, Matinee Magazine
The movie doesn't feel authentic, it's relationships are drawn in erratic, TV movie-like strokes.
Susan Green, Boxoffice Magazine
Wang keeps a precise balance, necessary to blend a high-octane performance from Sarandon with an understated one from Portman.
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix
The delicate, devastating pas de deux between Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman demonstrates that great actresses are still available, even if Hollywood doesn't want to use them.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A heartfelt drama about a mother and daughter having trouble connecting.
Stephen Farber, Movieline
Without a strong central narrative ... the film loses momentum and ends as one more tired treatise on family dysfunction.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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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
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 for 2 hours and it just gets annoying. The story is that of a mother, daughter relationship. They leave Bay City, Wisconsin for Beverly Hill, California; much to chagrin of Ann(Natalie Portman). Ann is annoyed by her mother(I don't blame her), but still loves her. Adele(Susan Surandon) really annoyed me. I hated her character a lot more then I hated the movie.This movie definitely has a target audience. That target audience is any female who will cry at the slightest dramatic moment as long as it has sad music. I guess I can come up with a few good things about this movie. Obviously it has a good cast. It also has Danny Elfman doing the score and Roger Deakins doing the cinematography. That's about the extent of what I can say I enjoyed about it. The story is nothing new. It's pretty much just a study of a mother-daughter relationship and not a very good one at that. It probably would have helped slightly if I was a mother or a daughter.
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.
Leigh R

Great acting on both their parts.
Dannielle A

It captured many emotions, made me feel many things. It was very well done. The characters and relationships were well-developed, and the acting was superb!
Audrey L

A pretty good movie - particularly showcasing Nathalie Portman's acting potential. Susan Sarandon is as usual flawless.
shane h

I caught this movie I think about halfway in on HBO so i'm not sure how it started but it ended great. Natalie Portman plays Anne who has been moved from a small town to California because her mother played by Susan Sarandon who has hopes of being famous. She pushes her daughter… More
I caught this movie I think about halfway in on HBO so i'm not sure how it started but it ended great. Natalie Portman plays Anne who has been moved from a small town to California because her mother played by Susan Sarandon who has hopes of being famous. She pushes her daughter to try out for acting roles but Anne doesn't wanna be an actress. Adele and Anne moved around alot because Adele could never find comfort in any location. This is a classic movie of the single mom trying to raise a daughter who is actually more grown up than her mother.
Sunil J

An awesome pairing. Natalie Portman's character feels very genuine.
Leo L

A favorite.