Anywhere But Here

Starring:Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Hart Bochner, Eileen Ryan, Ray Baker, John Diehl, Shawn Hatosy, Bonnie Bedelia, Faran Tahir, Shishir Kurup, Samantha Goldstein, Scott Burkholder, Yvonna Kopacz, Eva Amurri, Kieren Van Den Blink, Jennifer Castle, Caroline Aaron, Bebe Drake, Paul Guilfoyle (II), Allison Sie
Director: Wayne Wang
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
In Wayne Wang's star-driven adaptation of Mona Simpson's tragicomic bestseller about a mismatched mother and daughter, fortysomething Adele August (Susan Sarandon) is every adolescent's nightmare: over- (or under-) dressed, always and loudly "on," forgetful of mundane matters such as bills, more colorful kid than reliable mum. In contrast, 14-year-old Ann (Natalie Portman) yearns for stability, roots, understated hues. Transplanted from Wisconsin small town and extended family to a Beverly Hills, California, address of choice for American Dreamers like Adele, Ann comes painfully of age--sometimes blighted but also enriched by the fictions of a charismatic parent afraid to be alone in the dark.

Amazon.com

In Wayne Wang's star-driven adaptation of Mona Simpson's tragicomic bestseller about a mismatched mother and daughter, fortysomething Adele August (Susan Sarandon) is every adolescent's nightmare: over- (or under-) dressed, always and loudly "on," forgetful of mundane matters such as bills, more colorful kid than reliable mum. In contrast, 14-year-old Ann (Natalie Portman) yearns for stability, roots, understated hues. Transplanted from Wisconsin small town and extended family to a Beverly Hills, California, address of choice for American Dreamers like Adele, Ann comes painfully of age--sometimes blighted but also enriched by the fictions of a charismatic parent afraid to be alone in the dark.

Wang has always shown a sure, caring hand when it comes to cross-generational angst (see Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, The Joy Luck Club, Smoke). Here, he encourages Sarandon in a remarkably brave, exposed performance as an aging adventuress whose imagination continually outstrips her ability to make dreams come true, whose charm is both her ticket to ride and a dead end. Portman's pout of strained adolescent distaste soon wears thin, but when The Phantom Menace's kabuki princess momentarily thaws, she projects a lost child's terrible shock and confusion. Hollywood-sized and scripted by the numbers, Anywhere but Here lost ground to Tumbleweeds, a similarly themed but more nuanced indie (with Oscar-nominated Janet McTeer), and it can't hold a candle to Barbara Stanwyck's Stella Dallas (1937), top of the line in this particular genre. But for any daughter who's looked into her mother's face and--yikes!--seen a possible future, this trip's definitely worth taking. --Kathleen Murphy

Description

Adele is flashy, flirtatious dreamer. Her daughter Ann is a quiet, no-nonsense realist. On the surface, they're like oil and water, but deep down there are two of a kind. "Susan Sarandon is show-stopping" (The New York Times) and "Natalie Portman soars" (NY-1) in this funny and touching story about a mother who knows best and a daughter who knows better!

Customer Reviews:

Whole Less than Sum of Stars.......2006-11-20

Part of my wife's birthday celebration involved watching old "bad" movies on DVD. We bought this one in WalMart for less than $6. It was my favorite of the two as I've always liked Susan Sarandon, and have adopted Natalie Portman as a new favorite after seeing Garden State. The two play a typical mismatched mother-daughter pair--Susan ostentatious and Natalie reserved, as they live and learn in California after Susan decides that their small-town life in Michigan just won't be enough. Both actresses do a nice job, but the story's a little too pat for this to be a good movie.

Single mothers & their daughters - "The intelligent girls are inside".......2006-07-20

This is a movie about the competitive & conflicting relationships of mothers and daughters, and their rough journey to learn how to better communicate and understand each other. Ann, played by Natalie Portman, is the daughter of Adele, played by Susan Sarandon. Adele is domineering, excessively well-intentioned, and charismatic to a fault, believing often in appearances over substance.

Ann hates the level of invasive direction that she receives from her mother. She says to a police officer who is giving her mother a ticket: "You don't even understand. I'm going to leave her one of these days."
Officer: "I'm sure you will. But not today."
Ann: "Why not today?"
Officer: "Well you should leave her when you're calm. When you're rational. You leave her when you're ready not to come back. You understand?"

The same officer plays a pivotal role, once early in the film, and once near the end. The timing of his appearances in the screenplay are not incidental. The officer is ultimately setting up a social test for the daughter to consider, a test he hopes will deter the daughter from leaving unwarrantedly and not before she exhausts every option she can discover. And he speaks with conviction and earnest, probably because he has personally seen what harm can come from people leaving each other or talking to each other when they are not calm or rational.

Sometimes when I hear daughters complaining about the faults of their mothers, I think, "That is very bad. But it's probably not as bad as what your mother had to endure with her mother." We live in a "story rich" world, where we are exposed to thousands of novels, TV, and movies that can give us relationship examples of how to better relate with each other. Our parent's parent's generation had far less social education and diverse social modeling to examine and compare. They had few parenting guides, no internet, and few social examples beyond their own family.

Adele discovers that Ann wants to live on the other side of the country. Ann comes home to find her mother has opened her mail and says, "You opened it?" Adele replies, "Well, how else am I going to know how you're planning your life? I mean after all I'm only your mother. Why would you confide in me? Thank you very much. Go ahead, open it. I'm sure you'll be very happy. PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND? Could you have gotten any farther away from me?"

Adele is admittedly selfish, irresponsible, and "the lights go out sometimes." And in the final scene with the officer, she says, "Did she tell you any of the good things that I did? Because I did a lot of good things. She's always had a warm home, food and clothing. And I got her into the Beverly Hills school system. Did she tell you that? You know, she could have been an actress, but instead she's going away to college. Doesn't she know that I would do anything for her? I mean, I love her. She is the reason that I was born. Doesn't she understand that I would do anything for her?" The officer replies, "Then, you know what to do." And Adele does IT. She sells her prized car that brought them to LA and facilitates Ann going away from her and to the other side of the country, so Ann can pursue her own, separate dreams. Adele lets go. Adele doesn't lose her level of love for her daughter. She doesn't diminish her level of attachment to her daughter. But she let's go.

The officer can see the conflicts of the mother & daughter and he tries to lead by example. He starts by exampling forgiveness. "I'll tell you what. This is what I'm going to do for you. I'm going to let you go . . . Watch the signs PLEASE." This is a beautiful movie and I recommend it to any person who wants to improve fractured relations with family members.

Mother and Daughter re-define their relationship as they grow.......2006-05-08

Susan Sarandon is a perfect choice for this quirky, yet very human portrayal of a single-mom who lives in her own theatrical reality. Her daughter is the more mature of the two, played by a very green yet forceful Natlie Portman, and she has the unfortunate task of trying to find her own identity while keeping the pieces of her mother intact while they pursue her mother's quest for a life of glamour-even if said glamour is not exactly the usual definition of the word. This movie is all about self-exploration and being able to find yourself without losing the relationships already present in your life.

TEETERS ON THE BRINK OF WARM-FUZZ BUT HAS ITS MOMENTS.......2005-08-23

Call me a sucker for soft squishy comedies but I had a good time watching this mom-daughter relationship yarn. It's every bit a chick-flick, simmering with pretty much every emotional relish that makes movies like it so dreary -- tears, hugs, generation-gap misunderstandings, emotional quibbles, boyfriends that never were but mom suspected, plus that very inevitable radio scene where the big chick/small chick croon along on a triumphant life-affirming note.

All this comes with one little twist though. The "We didn't come to Beverly Hills to struggle" mommie dearest here is the starry-eyed one. She hitches their wagon to LA and thrusts audition advertisements in the "Why can't we just be normal" daughter's face. The idea is to make the daughter a star, while the poor little one is perplexed with her mom's type-A complex.

Thankfully, most of it is handled with grace and just the right dash of fun moments to make it eminently watchable. The leads are great, especially Natalie Portman in her understated role, certainly a pleasant surprise when I think of her recent 'Closer' jig. Sarandon carries just the right kind of quirks to be a cheery if somewhat absurd mom.

Decent rental.

THE PROVERBIAL MOTHER/DAUGHTER LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP.......2005-02-05

This film deals with a theme with which almost all mothers of teenage daughters are familiar. This is a coming of age story which sees Natalie Thompson play the teenage daughter of a loud, flighty, impractical dreamer, wonderfully portrayed by Susan Sarandon.

Sarandon is on her second marriage, living in Wisconsin with her teenage daughter. She is bored by her nice, dull, skating instructor, second husband. She is tired of living among her complacent, middle class relatives. She dreams of riches, stardom for her daughter, and a more exciting life. She has dreams, big ones, but really lacks the wherewithal to make them happen.

Her daughter is a bit of a mouse, who likes all that Sarandon seems to abhor. She likes Wisconsin, her family, and what she views as relative normalcy. Unlike her mother, she does not feel called upon to explore new horizons. Naturally, given the divergence of their dreams, they inevitably clash, and the daughter, given her youth, must go where her mother decides to wander. Here, it turns out to be Beverly Hills, the land of milk and honey, or so Sarandon thinks.

While living on the fringes in Beverly Hills, Sarandon sees that her daughter attends a good school. Yet, they live like vagabonds, moving from apartment to apartment as the rent becomes due and cannot be paid, and the lights are turned off for non-payment of bills. The mother, a holly-go-lightly, wants to live well and meet the exciting man of her dreams who will enable her to live out her fantasy life. She is, at times, desperately pathetic, looking for love in all the wrong places. Her daughter, while responsible and a good student, can be an insufferable little prig who, when the chips are down, however, remains loyal to her errant mother.

Their differences in style cause them to clash and misunderstand each other with resultant angst over the years. As time goes on, their life does seem to stabilize. It is not until the daughter is ready for college, however, that Sarandon fully realizes that her dreams are not necessarily those of her daughter. It is then, that they both realize just how much each loves the other, as Sarandon finally steps up to home plate. This is an enjoyable mother/daughter flick.

Average customer rating:

Anywhere But Here / Stealing Beauty
Starring: Carlo Cecchi , Sinéad Cusack , Joseph Fiennes , Jason Flemyng , and Anna-Maria Gherardi
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci , and Wayne Wang
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

She's the One / Simply Irresistible
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The Dreamers (Original Uncut NC-17 Version)
Head in the Clouds
Poison Ivy / Poison Ivy 2 - Lily / Poison Ivy - The New Seduction

ASIN: B000KGGIVO
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Amazon.com

Anywhere but Here: In Wayne Wang's star-driven adaptation of Mona Simpson's tragicomic bestseller about a mismatched mother and daughter, fortysomething Adele August (Susan Sarandon) is every adolescent's nightmare: over-(or under-)dressed, always and loudly "on," forgetful of mundane matters such as bills, more colorful kid than reliable mum. In contrast, 14-year-old Ann (Natalie Portman) yearns for stability, roots, understated hues. Transplanted from Wisconsin small town and extended family to a Beverly Hills, California, address of choice for American Dreamers like Adele, Ann comes painfully of age--sometimes blighted but also enriched by the fictions of a charismatic parent afraid to be alone in the dark.

Stealing Beauty: Critics were decidedly mixed about this 1996 drama from Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, and the movie enjoyed only a brief theatrical release. Now it's best known for its early appearance by Liv Tyler as a 19-year-old beauty named Lucy who summers at a villa in Tuscany with a variety of artistic types who immediately respond to her inspirational innocence. An amateur poet who has decided it's time to lose her virginity, Lucy has come to Italy after the death of her mother, who visited this artist's refuge 20 years earlier. Several young Italian men find Lucy quite heavenly (she is, after all, Liv Tyler), and she's not immune to their attentions, but she'd rather spend time with a playwright (Jeremy Irons) who is dying of AIDS and therefore has something other than sex on his mind. The movie's plot is about as substantial as Tyler's character (she's sexy, all right, but hardly an intellectual muse), but Stealing Beauty creates a serene mood that's so soothing you'll want to book a flight to Tuscany immediately, just to soak up the setting's idyllic atmosphere. If you're in the right frame of mind, this movie is like a balm for the soul, and Tyler and Bertolucci can share the credit for making this two-hour vacation so charmingly relaxing. --Jeff Shannon

Natalie Portman Celebrity Pack (Anywhere But Here, Garden State, Where the Heart Is)

Average customer rating:

Its just awsome.
Natalie Portman Fantasy!
Mommy's Little Girl, Jersey Girl, Walmart Baby !
3 GREAT MOVIES FROM A VERY HOT ACTRESS!!!

Natalie Portman Celebrity Pack (Anywhere But Here, Garden State, Where the Heart Is)
Starring: Natalie Portman
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Closer (Superbit Edition)
Drew Barrymore Celebtiry Pack (Never Been Kissed / Fever Pitch / Ever After)
Cameron Diaz Celebrity Pack (In Her Shoes / There's Something About Mary / A Life Less Ordinary)
Jennifer Aniston Celebrity Pack (She's the One / The Object of My Affection / Picture Perfect)
Leon - The Professional (Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: B000FC2FQU
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Product Description

Where The Heart Is
Ashley Judd and Natalie Portman shine in this offbeat, delicious slice of life about a down-on-her-luck Southern teen. After gaining 15 minutes of fame for giving birth to "The Wal-Mart Baby", Novalee Nation (Portman) begins to put her life together with the help of the kind, quirky strangers who become her surrogate family. It's an inspiring celebration of love, friendship and self-worth that delivers "quality, emotionally satisfying entertainment" (ReelViews).

Anywhere But Here
Adele is flashy, flirtatious dreamer. Her daughter Ann is a quiet, no-nonsense realist. On the surface, they're like oil and water, but deep down there are two of a kind. "Susan Sarandon is show-stopping" (The New York Times) and "Natalie Portman soars" (NY-1) in this funny and touching story about a mother who knows best and a daughter who knows better!

Garden State
Writer/Director Zach Braff delivers an Oscar®-worthy performance (CBS-TV Chicago) opposite a wacky and endearing (Newsweek) Natalie Portman in this quirky, coming-of-age comedy. Twentysomething, emotionally detached Andrew Large Largeman (Braff) hasn t been home to New Jersey in nine years. Now, as Large attempts to re-connect with a variety of odd acquaintances including his father he decides to risk getting high on the most potent and unpredictable drug there is life! Co-starring Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm and Method Man, Garden State is marvelous fun (Rolling Stone).

System Requirements:
Running Time: 347 minutes

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Its just awsome........2007-03-30

This compilation is just great. Anywhere but here is my favorite of the 3, and it has one of the best Natalie Portman performances ever.

Natalie Portman Fantasy!.......2006-11-17

Natalie Portman is a famous actress from the Star Wars movies.

IF you like Natalie Portman then you should check out this DVD, My Virtual Cytherea. Hint: Cytherea has appeared on the Howard Stern Show and she is Natalie Portman's evil twin.

Mommy's Little Girl, Jersey Girl, Walmart Baby !.......2006-08-15

I love Natalie Portman she is so wonderful to watch, beauty and talent all the way. Garden State is such a gem by far the best picture in this collector's set. The other two films are very low-key chic flicks that I find to be very charming thankfully for its leading lady and its cast of characters.

3 GREAT MOVIES FROM A VERY HOT ACTRESS!!!.......2006-07-19

I picked up this set cause of my love for the very hot and very talented Natalie Portman and was very pleased with her performence from these great movies!!!!

this set contains 3 movies. 1.Anywhere but here, 2.garden state, 3.where the heart is.

so far i seen all of her films and she has not made 1 bad movie in my opiion!!!

so for fans of Natalie portman this is a must have!!!

Average customer rating:

Whole Less than Sum of Stars
Single mothers & their daughters - "The intelligent girls are inside"
Mother and Daughter re-define their relationship as they grow
TEETERS ON THE BRINK OF WARM-FUZZ BUT HAS ITS MOMENTS
THE PROVERBIAL MOTHER/DAUGHTER LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP

Anywhere But Here
Starring: Susan Sarandon , Natalie Portman , Hart Bochner , Eileen Ryan , and Ray Baker
Director: Wayne Wang
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Where the Heart Is
Tumbleweeds
Beautiful Girls
Closer (Superbit Edition)
Garden State

ASIN: B00003W8NN
Release Date: 2000-05-02

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Whole Less than Sum of Stars.......2006-11-20

Single mothers & their daughters - "The intelligent girls are inside".......2006-07-20

Mother and Daughter re-define their relationship as they grow.......2006-05-08

TEETERS ON THE BRINK OF WARM-FUZZ BUT HAS ITS MOMENTS.......2005-08-23

THE PROVERBIAL MOTHER/DAUGHTER LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP.......2005-02-05

Average customer rating:

Whole Less than Sum of Stars
Single mothers & their daughters - "The intelligent girls are inside"
Mother and Daughter re-define their relationship as they grow
TEETERS ON THE BRINK OF WARM-FUZZ BUT HAS ITS MOMENTS
THE PROVERBIAL MOTHER/DAUGHTER LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP

Anywhere But Here (Full Screen)
Starring: Susan Sarandon , Natalie Portman , Hart Bochner , Eileen Ryan , and Ray Baker
Director: Wayne Wang
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Where the Heart Is
Tumbleweeds
Beautiful Girls
Closer (Superbit Edition)
Garden State

ASIN: B00066FAZ8
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

Whole Less than Sum of Stars.......2006-11-20

Single mothers & their daughters - "The intelligent girls are inside".......2006-07-20

Mother and Daughter re-define their relationship as they grow.......2006-05-08

TEETERS ON THE BRINK OF WARM-FUZZ BUT HAS ITS MOMENTS.......2005-08-23

THE PROVERBIAL MOTHER/DAUGHTER LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP.......2005-02-05

Average customer rating:

Whole Less than Sum of Stars
Single mothers & their daughters - "The intelligent girls are inside"
Mother and Daughter re-define their relationship as they grow
TEETERS ON THE BRINK OF WARM-FUZZ BUT HAS ITS MOMENTS
THE PROVERBIAL MOTHER/DAUGHTER LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP

Anywhere But Here [Region 2]
Starring: Susan Sarandon , Natalie Portman , Eileen Ryan , Hart Bochner , and Ray Baker
Director: Wayne Wang
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video