ANYWHERE BUT HERE ***1/2 (out of five stars) A review by Jamey Hughton
Starring-Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Shawn Hatosy and Hart Bochner Director-Wayne Wang Rated PG 20th Century Fox
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Is there a lot brewing within `Anywhere but Here', or does it just seem that way? There is little depth or inner context to this story of a feuding mother and daughter, but the actors submit a tremendous amount of heart and realism. In turn, the emotional impact is multiplied. And if you don't get misty-eyed during `Anywhere but Here', I'm afraid your retinas may have detached.
What could have been `just another movie' is given remarkable elevation by director Wayne Wang (`The Joy Luck Club') and the screen duo of Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman. The majority of the film is heavily reliant on the believability of their relationship, especially when considering the supporting cast is used sparsely, and even then the actors are merely background strokes to paint a more attractive portrait of the central conflict. Both Sarandon and Portman perform wonderfully, and their emotions never ring hollow. Much like the recent underrated romance `The Story of Us', the trials and tribulations of this mother and daughter strike a powerful chord with the audience.
Moving out of Wisconsin and headed to Beverly Hills, Adele August (Sarandon) and her daughter Ann (Natalie Portman) have already began a feisty bout of feuding. Ann's occasional narration informs us of the family background: her father left when she was young, Adele married for a second time, and now the twosome are traveling to the palm tree-infested locales of Beverly Hills to try and start over. But Ann despises her mother in every sense of the word, and is eagerly awaiting her chance to slip away to college back east and escape the domineering matriarch who, naturally, only wants the best for her daughter. But even with her tender care, she doesn't let Ann voice her opinion. It soon becomes apparent that it is Adele's way... or the highway.
There was a sense of immense gratification as the credits began to roll after `American Beauty'. What generated this rare sensation was the realization that we had just experienced the lives of three perfectly realized characters. The two female leads in `Anywhere but Here' are hardly the polished characters that one would describe as `perfect', but they're more than sufficient given the demands of the screenplay. There's a hefty dose of realism present at virtually all times, and this effect is improved a notch or two by the impeccable lead performances. It's a touching and funny tale for anyone who's been in a situation resembling the emotional challenge that Ann and Adele are facing.
I found myself thinking afterward that perhaps Wang was too generous with the screen time of the central mother-to-daughter conflict. Once in a while, a supporting character is given the floor, but mainly all secondary performers are given the dramatic sidebar in this endless Sarandon-Portman buffet of emotions. I wanted a far meatier role for Hart Bochner, who plays a Beverly Hills orthodontist that Adele gets involved with. It's hard to believe, but Bochner was that snotty, bearded jerk who cowardly attempted to give Bruce Willis away to the terrorists in `Die Hard' (yes - he has muscled up since then). Shawn Hatosy (`Outside Providence') is effective but used sparingly as Ann's cousin Benny. Corbin Alldred is flat-out charming as a likable doofus pining for Ann's affection, and Michael Milhoan registers nicely as an earnest cop who offers some wise to both of the ladies. Both, however, could have been relied upon more often.
Sarandon is so good at this sort of thing. With her eagerness to bite right into the role of Adele, there's absolutely no worries from minute one. But I was pleasantly surprised with Natalie Portman. The young actress was impressive as Queen Amidala in `The Phantom Menace', but the role was too stale to warrant any real dramatics. Portman is surprisingly strong alongside Sarandon, though, shedding tears without the slightest whiff of inexperience. After her appearance in `Episode 1', Portman could provide the biggest audience attraction for `Anywhere but Here'.
I would recommend this film to anyone who thinks female characters have been unfairly dismissed and underwritten as of late. `Anywhere but Here' is anything but the case, adding believable emotions and sure-fire direction to an otherwise tired formula. Bring with you only two things: a loved one, and some Kleenex.
(C) 1999, Jamey Hughton
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