VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

bh_tafe3 Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon play off each other beautifully in this easy going mother/ daughter drama that pulls a switcheroo on the traditional roles.Sarandon stars as Adele, a fairly wild, out of control dreamer, who decides to leave Bay City, Wisconsin with her daughter Anne, a grounded realist, in order to try and get a teaching job in Beverly Hills.If one was to summarize the script to this film in one word, it would be under developed. I mean, it's all there, a mother-daughter relationship with a role reversal, a love interest for both, a struggle between the two with a resolution, but this film just seems to happen and then end.You'll find yourself wondering what any of the side characters are doing in this story apart from making up numbers. The big strength is the performances from Sarandon and Portman and the way they relate to each other. The two play off each other beautifully, with Sarandon giving a fearless performance as an irresponsible, out of control, immature mother that allows Portman to make the most of her role as a responsible, careful young woman growing up and maturing with considerable dignity. This film earned Portman her first Golden Globe nomination, and is an interesting watch for any of her fans. The highlight in the film of the two together is the scene where Portman has to comfort her mother after a painful break-up with the realization written all over her face that this is an absurd reversal of the natural order.Most of the supporting cast are wasted, with Hart Bochner a particularly grievous waste. So big is Sarandon's performance and so arresting is Portman these characters would have dissolved into the background anyway, but it is frustrating that the script doesn't put the time into developing the side characters. While the film explores sex, death and small town boredom, we don't really know any of the characters these issues are effecting.Anywhere but Here is worth watching for the excellent performances from the leads, and its easy going tone. Probably not one to go out of your way to track down, but certainly worth watching on cable.

SnoopyStyle Adele August (Susan Sarandon) is the flighty mother to exasperated 14 year old Ann (Natalie Portman). Ann actually like her stepfather Ted but Adele leaves her boring husband in Wisconsin for the bright sunshine of Beverly Hills. Adele gets a job at a rundown school and spends their money frivolously. Ann can't wait to leave her mother. There's also a cop who has two pivotal scenes where he comes in with just the right advice.Sarandon is playing a manic mother character. Portman is lovely and a frustrated teenager. These are good building blocks for some family drama. However the movie doesn't really build anything compelling with these amazing pieces. The plot, it there is one, is a random series of aimless snippets. Their story goes nowhere for a long stretches of this movie. It's the same situation over and over again. Nevertheless, there are those two beautiful building blocks at the end of the day. It probably needs a third and some dramatic construction.

michaelsibley416 "Anywhere But Here" is a movie that could have worked a lot better if the mother and daughter had stopped fighting with another earlier and developed more of friendship to give it a better lead up to the end.I must say the acting in "Anywhere But Here" was good from Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman. After all, they couldn't help that the writer skipped a few important steps while writing the screenplay.I'm glad to have been witness to a movie that had a believable plot, which surrounded the struggles a mother and daughter go through. I think this was unique because it has been awhile since I've seen this type of plot on screen as long as I have gone to the movies.I would be hesitant to recommend this movie based on anything other than plot.

vvanpo When I happened upon this film, I couldn't help but compare Natalie Portman's character here with her character in "Heat". Both are struggling with the vagaries of life. The fathers for both are jerks. The mothers pose challenges from the opposite ends of the spectrum. In "Heat", Mom is on her last nerve and not there for the daughter. In "Anywhere But Here", Mom (Susan Sarandon) is all nerves and constantly there for the daughter, much to the daughter's annoyance. Mom leaves small town Bay City Wisconsin for the bright lights of L.A. to pursue the dream of Daughter's acting career of which Daughter wants no part.The big difference between the two roles in the daughter's level of maturity. Natalie was but a girl in "Heat" while she is a young lady in "Anywhere But Here", more mature than her mother. Ms. Portman does a fine job of portraying a character undergoing changes as she takes on more responsibility.One surprise for me was this movie came out after Ms. Portman portrayed Padme in the "Star Wars" episode. "Anywhere But Here" seemed that much of a segue for the evolution of Natalie Portman's characters' battle with life.