Anywhere but Here (2000)
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AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: The strong chemistry between Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman as a mother and daughter trying to make a fresh start in L.A. helps to elevate Anywhere But Here above its occasional forays into melodrama.
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Cast
as Adele August
as Ann August
as Carol
as Benny
as Josh Spritzer
as Gail Letterfine
as Peter
as Jimmy
as George Franklin
as Jack Irwin
as Lillian
as Ellen
as Sarah
as Ted
as Girl on TV
as Janice
as Hisham
as 4-Year-Old Ann
as Man with Mercedes
as Assistant Hotel Manager
as Girl On TV
as Girl on TV
as Mrs. Rush
as Teacher
as Real Estate Agent
as Homeowner
as Rachel
as Waitress
as Janice's Mother
as Cop
as Bernie
as Josh's Wife
as Waiter
as Mourner
as Reverend
as Sylvia
as Hal
as Casting Assistant
as Casting Executive
as Jack's Mother
as Woman Buying Car
as Man with Luggage
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
as Choir Member
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Critic Reviews for Anywhere but Here
All Critics (89) | Top Critics (26) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (32) | DVD (4)
Portman is excellent, balancing wisdom and petulance, loyalty and imposition...
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.
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.
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.
You start wishing you were anywhere but here -- preferably at last year's far funnier Slums of Beverly Hills.
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.
Audience Reviews for Anywhere but Here
Whiny drama about a selfish foolish woman and her conflicted annoying daughter.
Super Reviewer
Overlong, underdone and unfocussed despite the fantastic central performances. Full review later.
Super Reviewer
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.
Super Reviewer
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