Anywhere But Here 1999

Roger Ebert, At the Movies: Sarandon bravely makes Adele into a person who is borderline insufferable. This isn't Auntie Mame, but someone with deep conflicts and inappropriate ways of addressing them. And Ann is complex, too. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: It provides a rich, sometimes even jolting emotional ride. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: This Wayne Wang-directed movie hands Sarandon one of the richest comic-dramatic opportunities of her career -- while also confirming Portman as one of her own generation's best and brightest. Read more

Janet Maslin, New York Times: Mr. Wang once again works splendidly with actresses, and boy, does he have a lot to work with this time. Read more

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Both Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman deserve to make the short list in February for breathing fresh air into an all-too-familiar mother-daughter act. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Some characters breathe better on the page, and that is the case here. Read more

Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle: Anywhere But Here brought me to tears often, but it was not that often when something sad happened. Read more

Entertainment Weekly: Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman put on an acting clinic that's a treat to watch, but, no matter how accomplished, a clinic is not a movie. They do a lot with a little, yet it's far from enough. Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: Adele and Ann don't really seem like mother and daughter; their conflicts are more a matter of theatrical convenience than something born in the blood. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Wang affirms that he is one of a few male directors capable of bringing a film to the screen that focuses on credible, intelligent female characters. Read more

Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon.com: Sarandon is good, but Portman is astonishing. Read more

Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle: Sarandon and Portman work beautifully -- together, negotiating a range of emotional keys that blend comedy and drama in the same moment. Read more

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: The movie drops in on a crucial part of their lives, follows it for a few minutes and then jettisons to another episode. It's like watching 10 short stories. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: Portman is excellent, balancing wisdom and petulance, loyalty and imposition... Read more

Emanuel Levy, Variety: As a depiction of a loving-turbulent relationship between a single mom (Susan Sarandon) and her rebellious teenage daughter (Natalie Portman), Wang's meller is nicely crafted but old-fashioned like Hollywood's weepies of yesteryear. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: There's a warmly harmonic convergence among scriptwriter Alvin Sargent, director Wayne Wang and cinematographer Roger Deakins. Read more