| | | Includes Both Fullscreen and Widescreen Versions of the Movie.
Features: DVD
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!
"...a triumph!" Rex Reed, The New York Observer
"...extraordinary performances!" Pat Collins, WWOR-TV
"...so closely observed, so funny and so true." Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
"Funny and poignant. Sarandon and Portman sparkle!" New York Daily News
Editor's Note
Director Wayne Wang, known for family dramas about Chinese Americans that focus on mother-daughter relationships (DIM SUM, THE JOY LUCK CLUB), here adapts Mona Simpson's ANYWHERE BUT HERE, a novel perfectly suited for his talents. Teenage Ann (Natalie Portman) wants a normal life, but her mother, Adele (Susan Sarandon), has a different idea of what is considered normal. When Adele grows tired of claustrophobic small-town life in Wisconsin, she takes the constantly complaining Ann across the country to Los Angeles, where she wants to start a new life. Ann, however, doesn't want to go, and her behavior wavers between typical adolescent annoyance to real insightfulness into her mother's character. Much of this comes from the voice-over provided by the adult Ann, who explains it all from her mature point of view. This sentimental story, long on feelings and more feelings, is nicely played, with Sarandon enthusiastic as the eccentric single mother that her daughter can't wait to get away from.
Plot Summary
Adele August is a free-spirit who becomes fed up with her boring life in Bay City, Wisconsin, and dreams of a better life in Beverly Hills. She's convinced that her 14-year-old daughter, Ann, has the makings of a true Hollywood superstar. Ann, however, doesn't want to hear it. Nonetheless, the pair heads for southern California. Adjusting to life in Beverly Hills proves difficult, straining Adele and Ann's already rocky relationship even further.
| Features | Theatrical Trailer | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Access | | Widescreen & Full Screen Versions | | Audio: English 5.0 Surround, French & Spanish Surround | | Subtitles: English, Spanish |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 1/11/2005 |
| Running Time: 114 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1999 | | Catalog ID: 2004699 | | UPC: 00024543046998 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: Elamite [CC], English, French Dubbed | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen/Standard 2.35:1/1.33:1 [4:3] |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Golden Globe (2000) | | | Natalie Portman, Nominee, Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture |
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| | Professional Reviews | Variety
"...Sumptuously crafted....Crowd pleasing and tear jerking moments..." 9/20-26/1999 p.81Rolling Stone
"...[Natalie Portman] is smart, funny, luminous and rigorously unsentimental..." 11/25/1999 p.112 New York Times
"...Mr. Wang again works splendidly with actresses....Ms. Portman does a terrific job..." 11/12/1999 p.E22 Box Office
"...Wang keeps a precise balance, necessary to blend a high-octane performance from Sarandon with an understated one from Portman....The film looks ravishing..." 12/01/1999 p.58 USA Today
"...It's terrific to see such well-matched actresses of opposing generations duke it out in this adaptation of Mona Simpson's best seller..." 11/12/1999 p.13E James Berardinelli's ReelViews 8 of 10
The strength of Anywhere But Here isn't the admittedly familiar plot, but the way in which Wang effectively captures the nuances of his characters and the minutiae of their environment--factors that too many filmmakers regard as inconsequential... What he shows here is that he understands the workings of the human heart and knows how to bring them to the screen with sensitivity and grace. Although men cannot have firsthand experience with the mother/daughter bond, they should not dismiss the movieÐwell-made pictures like this cross the boundaries between sexes.
Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
The movie's interest is not in the plot, which is episodic and "colorful," but in the performances. 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. - Roger Ebert
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