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Year:    1999
Studio:  20th Century Fox
Feature: 2/5
DVD:     1/5

Feature

"Anywhere But Here" is a movie about a mother and her teenage daughter. Adele August (Susan Sarandon) is an almost manic-depressive mom who drags her daughter from Minnesota to Beverly Hills to realize her dream of having a movie-star daughter. Ann (Natalie Portman) on the other hand, hates leaving home and has no interest in acting and hates the way her mother is.

It's a slow moving movie that explores both characters and their relationship to each other. One of those movies where the kid is almost more mature than the parent. Although they love each other they also really annoy each other and that's the way it is in some families. I thought it was an interesting movie but definitely not exciting.

Actors

I don't even remember the first time I saw Susan Sarandon. Probably "Bull Durham" when I saw it not-in-the-theatre. Come to think of it, I haven't seen all that many of her movies. Apparently she's also Liberal to the point of being obnoxious, but since I have never actually read what she says I don't think of her badly.

Truth to tell, I watched this movie because of Natalie Portman. After watching "Where the Heart Is" I wanted to watch her in another drama. She's done very few movies, breaking in with "The Professional" in 1994, which was the movie that made Jean Reno somewhat well known in the US. After that it's Star Wars Episode 1 where she gets all her fame.

DVD

There is a five minute promotional featurette and the theatrical trailer.

Recommendations

Unless you love either of the actresses it's probably not a movie you'd want to watch. Maybe if you're also in a single mom - sole daughter relationship so you can relate to the story.
Copyright (c) 2003 Kevin C. Wong
Page Created: December 1, 2003 Page Last Updated: December 1, 2003