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Poster for Anywhere but Here

Anywhere but Here

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

1999 · 1h 54m · PG-13 Comedy, Drama, Romance
Directed by Wayne Wang

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Overview

Single mother Adele August is bad with money, and even worse when it comes to making decisions. Her straight-laced daughter, Ann, is a successful high school student with Ivy League aspirations. When Adele decides to pack up and move the two of them from the Midwest to Beverly Hills, Calif., to pursue her dreams of Hollywood success, Ann grows frustrated with her mother's irresponsible and impulsive ways.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
64%
Tomatometer
Fresh

Portman is excellent, balancing wisdom and petulance, loyalty and imposition...

Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Rotten

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.

Emanuel Levy, Variety
Rotten

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.

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Rotten

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.

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Rotten

You start wishing you were anywhere but here -- preferably at last year's far funnier Slums of Beverly Hills.

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

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