ANYWHERE BUT HERE
Tired of a life that is going nowhere in the small town of Bay City,
Wisconsin, Adele August (Sarandon) decides to pull up stakes, leave her
husband, and move to the bright lights of Beverly Hills. Despite the fact
that 14-year-old Ann (Portman) does not want to leave her cousin (Shawn
Hatosy), her stepfather (Ray Baker), or anyone else in Bay City, she is
forced to go along, mainly because Adele's dreams of fame and fortune rest
primarily on the assumption that Ann will become a child star. Of course,
Ann has no desire or intention to act, but in Adele's mind this is nothing
but a minor obstacle to the plan.
Truthfully, the plot of this film is not extremely intricate. Adele and
Ann suffer numerous setbacks, tempered by the occasional success; they have
trouble paying the bills and fitting in among the rich and famous. Ann is
forced to endure her mother's embarrassing lifestyle, and she openly wishes
and plans to "escape." The story is told in part through voiceovers
by Portman, explaining in detail the depth and breadth of her hatred for
her insufferable control-freak mother. But we see that Adele really loves
her daughter, and even though their tastes do not always mesh perfectly,
there are times when the mutual love and respect show through. Like I said,
not a terribly complex story line.
But the plot is really not the issue here; it is secondary to the complex
range of emotions played out as we travel through the ever-changing relationship
of mother and daughter. There is a lot of crying in this film, something
that usually turns me off, but the feelings are so real that it isn't pushy
or melodramatic. Director Wang is able to mine the considerable talent of
his two leads and produce a story of astounding depth. On occasion there
is a scene which seems intended only to produce waterworks, but mostly it
is a subtle, sensitive treatise on the good and bad aspects of familial
love, and on the pain and necessity of finally saying goodbye.
Natalie Portman is my new hero. It'll be interesing to see her in Star Wars: Episode II (2002), and find out if George Lucas can get her to put forth this calibre of performance, even through all that goop. ****½