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"'Here',
There, and Everywhere"
by Scott Mantz
"Anywhere But Here"
Susan Sarandon,
Natalie Portman
Directed by Wayne Wang
Between the
glitz of Beverly Hills, the glamour of Hollywood, and the glisten
of Malibu, it makes perfect sense that so many people flock to Los
Angeles every year to embrace the "California Myth". However, it
takes a certain kind of person to pick up midway through life, move
across the country, and start all over again. Maybe that's why LA
is filled with so many neurotic people like Adele and her unsuspecting
daughter Anne. While "Anywhere But Here" doesn't offer anything
new in terms of mother-daughter relationship vehicles, it does bolster
embracing performances from Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman.
Vibrant and
just a little too carefree, Adele (Susan Sarandon) is bouncing off
the walls in her boring hometown of Bay City, Wisconsin. Her only
concerns are for her Mercedes Benz and her wise-beyond-her-years
daughter Anne (Natalie Portman)--and probably in that order. Fed
up with her menial existence, she packs up and moves to LA with
nothing more than a school teaching job interview waiting for her.
Anne doesn't want to go, especially when she finds out Adele has
plans for her to be a burgeoning actress. Upon their arrival in
LA, they realize their problems are just beginning. Living paycheck
to paycheck in their dingy apartment is nothing compared to the
obstacles they must overcome in their strained relationship.
Strong female
roles in film are hard to come by these days, but "Anywhere But
Here" showcases two good ones. Susan Sarandon balances Adele with
enough liberating playfulness to keep her sympathetic and enough
naive carelessness to make you wonder just who the parent is. Sarandon
is engaging in her childlike--or should I say childish--demeanor
to her daughter. She means well, but no matter how hard she tries,
she soon realizes that expensive dinners and shopping sprees are
pretty weak bandages for the gaping wounds that she and Portman
suffer from. By moving to LA, she learns the hard way that you can
run, but you cannot hide.
If mother Adele
needs to grow up, then daughter Anne needs to lighten up. Natalie
Portman has always looked too mature for her own good, but this
time it serves her well. She's forced to grow up fast and in trying
circumstances. She deeply loves her mother, even though she drives
her crazy. Portman displays all the angst of an adolescent on the
brink of sociological and sexual self-discovery while constantly
being dragged down by Sarandon's irresponsible behavior, proving
herself to be one of the finest actresses of her generation.
While this role
reversal has been done before with varying degrees of effectiveness
in film ("Postcards from the Edge", "Terms of Endearment") and in
television (British TV's "Absolutely Fabulous"), it's the performances
that keep you glued to the screen. And what do we learn this time
around? Well, we all know you can't pick your family, but it's the
differences you have that gives you so much to share. Parental conflict
can be rough, but it makes you a stronger person. Before you know
it, you're branching out on your own, taking that newfound strength
with you here, there, and everywhere.
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