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Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Eileen Ryan, Ray Baker, John Diehl ... see more see more... , Shawn Hatosy , Bonnie Bedelia , Caroline Aaron , Hart Bochner

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 Cit... read more read more...y, 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

Flixster Users

52% liked it

38,756 ratings

Critics

64% liked it

88 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 54 min.

Directed by: Wayne Wang

Release Date: June 1, 2000

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DVD Release Date: May 2, 2000

Stats: 805 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (805)

  • TomBowler
    September 17, 2011
    TomBowler
    Overlong, underdone and unfocussed despite the fantastic central performances. Full review later.
  • blkbomb
    August 20, 2011
    blkbomb
    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... read more 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.
  • aliceinpunderland
    March 20, 2009
    aliceinpunderland
    A bitter and complicated mother-daughter movie. I love the moments of power each feels in making the other miserable. Natalie Portman is delightful.
  • gatorgirl13
    August 6, 2007
    gatorgirl13
    Loved it.
  • newvogueravyn
    April 2, 2007
    newvogueravyn
    Portman is good but the plot is the usual hokey family/chick flick stuff.
  • dreamfaeries
    November 7, 2006
    dreamfaeries
    Great acting on both their parts.
  • crazydannielle16
    January 27, 2008
    crazydannielle16
    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!
  • alush1
    July 6, 2010
    alush1
    A pretty good movie - particularly showcasing Nathalie Portman's acting potential. Susan Sarandon is as usual flawless.
  • shanehaley41
    April 21, 2009
    shanehaley41
    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 ... read moreto 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.
  • SunilJawahir
    February 27, 2009
    SunilJawahir
    An awesome pairing. Natalie Portman's character feels very genuine.

View All Anywhere But Here Reviews

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy
January 2, 2006
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 Ho... Full Review

Jeff Strickler
November 6, 2002
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. Full Review

Rick Groen
March 19, 2002
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. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 11, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

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

Robert Horton
January 1, 2000
Robert Horton, Film.com

Portman's terrific performance in Anywhere But Here is replete with razor's-edge emotions, a watchful stillness, and an exact physical sense of how a teenager struggles to fit into her own body.

Kevin Maynard
January 1, 2000
Kevin Maynard, Mr. Showbiz

It's a relief to see Portman giving a realistic, moving performance.

Peter Rainer
January 1, 2000
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. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Wang affirms that he is one of a few male directors capable of bringing a film to the screen that focuses on credible, intelligent female characters. Full Review

Philip Wuntch
January 1, 2000
Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News

It provides a rich, sometimes even jolting emotional ride. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, At the Movies

Sarandon bravely makes Adele into a person who is borderline insufferable. This isn't Auntie Mame, but someone with deep conflicts and inappropriate ways of addressing them. And Ann is complex, too. Full Review

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Anywhere But Here Trivia

  • Which movie was Keira Knightley Not In  Answer »
  • name the actress that connects the following movies? alaska hocus pocus american beauty ghost world anywhere but here monkey trouble  Answer »
  • What movie stars Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman?  Answer »
  • In the 1999 movie "Anywhere But Here", Ann (Natalie Portman) invites Peter (Corbin Allred) to her apartment where she convinces him to perform a, rather awkward, striptease for her. What is on Peter's boxers that Ann can't help but notice?  Answer »
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