Anywhere But Here (1999)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writers (WGA):

Mona Simpson (book)
Alvin Sargent (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A story of a mother who knows best... and a daughter who knows better.

Plot:

A mother and daughter search for success in Beverly Hills.

Plot Keywords:

Beverly Hills California | Hollywood | Dream | Coming Of Age | High School

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Susan Sarandon	...	Adele August
Natalie Portman	...	Ann August
Hart Bochner	...	Josh Spritzer
Eileen Ryan	...	Lillian
Ray Baker	...	Ted
John Diehl	...	Jimmy
Shawn Hatosy	...	Benny
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Carol
Faran Tahir	...	Hisham Badir
Shishir Kurup	...	Hisham Badir (voice)
Samantha Goldstein	...	4 Year Old Ann
Scott Burkholder	...	Man with Mercedes
Yvonna Kopacz Wright	...	Assistant Hotel Manager (as Yvonna Kopacz)
Eva Amurri	...	Girl on T.V.
Kieren van den Blink	...	Girl on T.V.

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sex-related material.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | Malaysia:U | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Iceland:L | Mexico:B | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #36651) | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills High School - 241 Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Fox 2000 Pictures

Trivia:

When Ann is auditioning for a movie role, the casting assistant calls for a "Karen Scarborough". Karen Scarborough is the payroll accountant for the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the movie, when saying goodbye at the airport, we can see a mother with her baby at the background who walks out the scene in the middle of the conversation between Adele and Ann. Some seconds later she is again in the same point. It occurs between 1:42 and 1:43 time of the film.

Quotes:

Ann: Are those initials on your underwear?
Peter: Yeah... My mom has it done. She's an initial freak.
Ann: Take them off and bring them to me.
Peter: I want to kiss you.
Ann: ...Okay.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Soundtrack:

I Will Remember You

Phony star-driven vehicle...

Talented screenwriter Alvin Sargent sadly cannot get any engaging ideas cooking in this artificial trifle about a wayward mother and her mature teenage daughter trying to make their lives work in Los Angeles despite mom's flighty behavior. Apart from several good sequences, I didn't quite buy Susan Sarandon as a flake (she's too intrinsically smart and focused to be passed off as this devil-may-care lady), and her naturally grounded personality is a bad fit for the role of an irresponsible parent. Natalie Portman fares much better as her kid, and yet there's a creepy aloofness to her work (and some of her scenes, such as the one where she asks a boy to strip, are misguided and uncomfortable to watch). Certainly not an incompetent piece, "Anywhere But Here" does have moments that work, but it isn't an embraceable film, nor has it proved to be an important one. ** from ****