Anywhere But HereAnywhere But Here

October 20 2022

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Anywhere But Here is a 1999 American coming-of-age comedy drama film based on the novel of the same name by Mona Simpson. It was directed by Wayne Wang from a screenplay by Alvin Sargent, and stars Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, and Shawn Hatosy.

Filming began in late June 1998. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 17, 1999, before being released in the United States on November 12.

Plot

Adele August (Susan Sarandon) and her reluctant teenage daughter, Ann (Natalie Portman), leave their small town in Wisconsin and move to Beverly Hills; Adele hopes Ann will become a Hollywood actress despite Ann s interest in going away to Brown University. They rent a run-down apartment and Adele becomes a teacher at the high school where Ann enrolls.

While at the beach one afternoon, Adele meets a handsome orthodontist, Josh; they date and have sex, leaving Adele to fall in love with him, but he later dumps her for a younger woman. Adele improvises from day to day, often unable to pay bills, and eventually quits her job. Adele and Ann spend their days hanging out together but over time, Ann grows tired of her mother s eccentric behaviour and dreams of running away.

Ann s cousin Benny arrives in Los Angeles for a visit. Upon his return home, Adele is notified that Benny has tragically died in a car accident, leaving Ann distraught. They attend his funeral in Bay City, and Adele argues with her intoxicated brother-in-law. Back home, Ann begins dating her crush, Peter, interested in experiencing sex for the first time after she turns seventeen. Her friends also help her reach out to her estranged father but he isn t pleased to hear from her.

Meanwhile, Adele gets a new job in a care home as a speech therapist, and gives makeup and style tips to its elderly residents. Ann works part-time in a supermarket and attends acting auditions, but continues to emphasise her desire to go to Brown. Adele rejects the idea, telling her they cannot afford the tuition. However soon after, Adele sells her expensive Mercedes and decides to help her, eventually accepting her dream.

Adele and Ann part ways at the airport as Ann goes off to college. They express their love for one another and Ann admits that, even though her mother drives her crazy, she cannot imagine life without her.

Cast

Susan Sarandon as Adele August
Natalie Portman as Ann August
Shawn Hatosy as Benny
Hart Bochner as Josh Spritzer
Eileen Ryan as Lillian
Ray Baker as Ted
John Diehl as Jimmy
Bonnie Bedelia as Carol
Faran Tahir as Hisham Badir
Caroline Aaron as Gail Letterfine
Corbin Allred as Peter
Michael Milhoan as Cop
John Carroll Lynch as Jack Irwin
Steve Berra as Hal
Eva Amurri, Susan Sarandon s Daughter, cameo appearance as a stude at Beverly Hills High School on Ann s first day.

Production

The film was primarily shot in Los Angeles locations, particularly sites like Beverly Hills High School, the Beverly Hills Hotel, LAX Airport, and Westwood Village.

Release

Box office

The film opened at #5 at the North American box office and made $5.6 million USD in its opening weekend.

Critical reception

The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a score of 64% based on reviews from 89 critics. The website s consensus reads: The strong chemistry between Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman as a mother and daughter trying to make a fresh start in L.A. helps to elevate Anywhere But Here above its occasional forays into melodrama.

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three stars and noted 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. Sarandon s role is trickier and more difficult, but Portman s will get the attention. In Anywhere But Here, she gets yanked along by her out of control mother, and her best scenes are when she fights back, not emotionally, but with incisive observations.

Accolades

Golden Globe Awards

Nominated – Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture – Natalie Portman

Young Artist Awards

Nominated – Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress – Natalie Portman

Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards

Nominated – Best Contemporary Hair Styling (Feature) – Paul LeBlanc

Soundtrack

Anywhere But Here: Music from the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by Various Artists
Released	November 2, 1999
Genre	Pop
Length	59:25
Label	Atlantic/Wea.
Producer	Danny Elfman, Steve Power, Lisa Loeb, Michael Beinhorn, Malcolm Burn, Marius de Vries, Joe Hardy, Jay Joyce, k.d. lang, Pierre Marchand, Rick Nowels, Carmen Rizzo, Glenn Rosenstein, Don Was, Wilbur C. Rimes, Ellen Segal, Pocket Size, Billy Harvey

Singles from Anywhere But Here: Music from the Motion Picture
Leaving s Not Leaving Released: September 28, 1999

A soundtrack to the film was released on November 2, 1999, ten days before the theatrical release. The soundtrack was distributed by Atlantic Records and Wea.

The soundtrack features original music by Lisa Loeb, Danny Elfman and k.d. lang. It also featured tracks by artists such as LeAnn Rimes, Sarah McLachlan, and Pocket Size, as well as other various artists. Rimes song, Leaving s Not Leaving , was released as a B-side track with her single, Big Deal , on September 28, 1999.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording artist(s)	Length
1.	Anywhere But Here		k.d. lang	3:45
2.	Walking		Pocket Size	4:14
3.	Scream and Shout		21st Century Girls	3:25
4.	Leaving s Not Leaving (feat. string arrangements by David Campbell)	Diane Warren	LeAnn Rimes	4:53
5.	I Wish		Lisa Loeb	2:27
6.	Free		Marie Wilson	3:56
7.	Amity		Carly Simon and Sally Taylor	3:17
8.	Ice Cream		Sarah McLachlan	2:43
9.	Furniture		Kacy Crowley	3:29
10.	Twisted Road		Patty Griffin	2:48
11.	Strange Wind		Poe	3:59
12.	Everything Around Me Is Changing		Sinéad Lohan	4:42
13.	Come Here		Lili Haydn, Rick Boston	4:22
14.	Chotee		Bif Naked	3:50
15.	Anywhere But Here Score Suite		Danny Elfman	7:35
Total length:				59:25