Anywhere But Here (1999)

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:

Single Mother | Hollywood | Father Daughter Estrangement | Friendship | Audition

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Jan. 9

11:00 AM

LIFE

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

Colour:

Colour

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:

Susan Sarandon informed the movie's producers that she would not be interested in the project if Natalie Portman was not cast as her daughter.

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:

Features A Christmas Carol (1971) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Ice Cream (Freedom Sessions Version)

A difficult, but great, film.

Wayne Wang's direction may be the ingredient which made this film much more impressive to me than "Slums of Beverly Hills", which covers remarkably similar ground. The interplay between Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman is riveting. Real chemistry there. This film succeeded in bringing me inside the dysfunctional life of these two women without dragging me down into depressed frustration. Susan Sarandon's character hammers at all the nerves which a narcissistic parent is capable of touching in an insecure adolescent. She amazingly manages to do this without coming across as floridly insane or intentionally sadistic. And, Natalie Portman deflects each attack on her character's ego with the resigned grace of an intelligent codependent child, untainted by the smug cynicism of the Natasha Lyonne character in "Slums of Beverly Hills". Portman's character is an adolescent with dignity under stress, an unusual creature in modern films. The film reaches a very satisfying resolution without trying too hard. I highly recommend this film to the viewer who wants to be challenged and entertained.