In Wayne Wang's star-driven adaptation of Mona Simpson's tragicomic bestseller about a mismatched mother and daughter, fortysomething Adele August (Susan Sarandon) is every adolescent's nightmare: over- (or under-) dressed, always and loudly "on," forgetful of mundane matters such as bills, more colorful kid than reliable mum. In contrast, 14-year-old Ann (Natalie Portman) yearns for stability, roots, understated hues. Transplanted from Wisconsin small town and extended family to a Beverly Hills, California, address of choice for American Dreamers like Adele, Ann comes painfully of age--sometimes blighted but also enriched by the fictions of a charismatic parent afraid to be alone in the dark.
Wang has always shown a sure, caring hand when it comes to cross-generational angst (see Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, The Joy Luck Club, Smoke). Here, he encourages Sarandon in a remarkably brave, exposed performance as an aging adventuress whose imagination continually outstrips her ability to make dreams come true, whose charm is both her ticket to ride and a dead end. Portman's pout of strained adolescent distaste soon wears thin, but when The Phantom Menace's kabuki princess momentarily thaws, she projects a lost child's terrible shock and confusion. Hollywood-sized and scripted by the numbers, Anywhere but Here lost ground to Tumbleweeds, a similarly themed but more nuanced indie (with Oscar-nominated Janet McTeer), and it can't hold a candle to Barbara Stanwyck's Stella Dallas (1937), top of the line in this particular genre. But for any daughter who's looked into her mother's face and--yikes!--seen a possible future, this trip's definitely worth taking. --Kathleen Murphy
(15 votes)
2.
It is mid-summer 1995 as a 1978 Mercedes zooms down the highway, heading west. Inside sit 14-year-old Ann August (Natalie Portman) and her mother Adele (Susan Sarandon). Against her will, Ann is being moved to Beverly Hills where Adele, stifled by small-town life in Bay City, Wisconsin, hopes to make her colorful dreams come true. Ann is furious at having to leave the life she loves. Adele is tired of defending herself against her daughter's longings for home and family, and feels that she's taking Ann away from a lifeless future and offering her an exciting new world.
Their first stop in Los Angeles is the Beverly Hills Hotel, the symbol of Adele's quest; they then head off to a Travelodge motel and what will become their real life - meals at diners and a very ordinary one-bedroom apartment in the flats of Beverly Hills.
Over the next two years, Ann and Adele adjust to the reality of life in Los Angeles. Their relationship is close, but always volatile. Adele remains on the outside looking in, always wanting more. Ann is the realist, seeing things for what they are, sometimes more the mother than the daughter.
Together, mother and daughter are on a journey of discovery - of new possibilities, of their respective dreams and of each other.
(15 votes)
3.
"Funny and poignant. Sarandon and Portman sparkle!" -Jami Bernard, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Adele is a flashy, flirtatious dreamer. Her daughter Ann is a quiet, no-nonsense realist. On the surface, they're like oil and water, but deep down, they're two of a kind. "Susan Sarandon makes magic" (Chicago Tribune) and "Natalie Portman soars" (NY-1) in this funny and touching story about a mother who knows best…and a daughter who knows better!
(15 votes)
Mooviees.com is not the official site for this film.
All editorial views and opinions expressed here are for entertainment purposes only.
<>
Movie Database
In Theaters
