Wayne Wang’s Anywhere But Here (1999) is one of those movies that feels like a time capsule you forgot you buried in the backyard. Honestly, it’s a bit of a miracle it even got made the way it did, considering it’s a quiet, character-driven drama about a mother and daughter driving a Mercedes across the country. No explosions. No high-concept hook. Just Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman trapped in a car, annoying the absolute hell out of each other.
It’s messy.
If you haven't seen it in a while, or if you only know it as "that movie where Natalie Portman was a teenager," you're missing the weird, sharp edges that make it stay with you. Based on Mona Simpson’s 1986 novel, the film captures a very specific brand of late-90s restlessness. It’s about Adele August (Sarandon), a woman who is essentially allergic to her own life in Bay City, Wisconsin, and her daughter Ann (Portman), who just wants to be left alone to grow up normally. Adele decides they're moving to Beverly Hills. Why? Because she says so. Because she wants "more."
The Dynamic That Everyone Gets Wrong
People usually describe this movie as a "coming-of-age" story. That’s only half true. While Ann is definitely coming of age—trying to navigate her first boyfriend and the realization that her mother is deeply unreliable—the movie is actually a "refusing-to-age" story for Adele.
Adele isn't your typical movie mom. She’s flighty. She’s impulsive. She spends money they don't have on a car they can't afford. There’s a scene early on where they’re eating ice cream for dinner because Adele doesn’t feel like cooking or, frankly, being an adult. Sarandon plays her with this manic, desperate charm that makes you understand why Ann is so incredibly grumpy all the time. Imagine being fifteen and having to be the parent because your mom wants to be a starlet in California. It's exhausting just to watch.
The brilliance of Anywhere But Here 1999 lies in the friction. It’s not a "Gilmore Girls" vibe where they're best friends who talk fast. It’s a war of attrition. Ann looks at her mother with a mix of pity and absolute rage. Portman was only about 17 or 18 when this filmed, and she holds her own against Sarandon, which is no small feat. You can see the internal gears grinding as she realizes her mother’s dreams are built on sand.
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Why Beverly Hills Was the Perfect (and Worst) Setting
When they finally get to Los Angeles, the movie shifts. It stops being a road trip and becomes a survival story in the land of the shallow.
Adele thinks Beverly Hills will solve everything. She thinks being near celebrities and living in a cramped apartment they can’t afford will somehow rub off on them. It’s a classic American delusion. The film uses the backdrop of 1990s Los Angeles—all sun-drenched streets and palm trees—to highlight how lonely the two of them actually are. They are surrounded by wealth but have zero safety net.
One of the most grounding performances comes from Bonnie Bedelia, who plays Adele’s sister, Carol. She represents the life they left behind in Wisconsin. Every time Carol pops up or is mentioned, she acts as a tether to reality. She’s the voice of every person who ever told a dreamer to "just be sensible." In any other movie, she’d be the villain. Here? She’s the one who actually knows how to pay a mortgage.
Production Facts and Trivia Most People Miss
The making of the film had its own drama. Did you know Natalie Portman almost turned down the role?
Originally, the script called for a nude scene. Portman, who was already very protective of her image and career path after Léon: The Professional, said no. She actually walked away from the project. It was only after Susan Sarandon stepped in and told the producers she wouldn't do the movie without Portman that they revised the script to remove the scene. That’s real-life loyalty reflecting the bond (however fractured) on screen.
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- Director: Wayne Wang (who also did The Joy Luck Club).
- Screenwriter: Alvin Sargent (who later wrote the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies).
- Music: A very 90s-heavy soundtrack featuring Sarah McLachlan and k.d. lang.
- Budget: Roughly $23 million.
- Box Office: It didn't set the world on fire, grossing about $18 million domestically.
But box office numbers don’t tell the whole story. The film found its real life on VHS and cable TV. It became a staple for teenage girls and their mothers to watch together—usually while arguing.
The Realistic Ending (Spoilers, sort of)
Most Hollywood movies about road trips end with a big hug and a realization that "we're the same, you and I."
Anywhere But Here 1999 doesn't really do that.
It stays true to the idea that some people never change. Adele is always going to be Adele. She’s always going to be looking for the next big thing, the next husband, the next reinvention. The ending is bittersweet because Ann realizes that to save herself, she has to leave. She has to go to college. She has to step out of her mother’s chaotic orbit.
It’s an incredibly mature take on the parent-child relationship. Loving someone doesn’t mean you have to drown with them.
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Does it hold up in 2026?
Actually, yeah.
In a world where everyone is trying to curate a "perfect" life on social media, Adele August feels like a proto-influencer. She’s obsessed with the image of success. She wants the Mercedes, the California address, and the talented daughter because she thinks those things define her worth. If Adele were around today, she’d be filming TikToks in a rented mansion.
The struggle Ann faces—trying to find an identity that isn't just a reaction to her mother's craziness—is universal. It’s timeless.
How to Revisit the Film Today
If you’re looking to dive back into this 90s gem, don't expect a fast-paced thriller. It’s a slow burn.
- Watch it for the performances. Forget the plot for a second and just watch the way Sarandon and Portman use their body language. The way they sit in that car says more than the dialogue ever could.
- Listen to the soundtrack. It’s a masterclass in Lilith Fair-era mood setting. It’s nostalgic in the best way.
- Read the book. Mona Simpson’s novel is even darker and more complex than the film. It gives you a deeper look into Adele’s psyche and why she is so fundamentally broken.
- Look for the supporting cast. A young Hart Bochner and Ray Baker put in solid work, and seeing a pre-megastardom Portman navigate these heavy emotional beats is fascinating.
Ultimately, Anywhere But Here 1999 is a movie about the cost of dreams. It asks if it's worth sacrificing your stability (and your kid's sanity) for the chance at something extraordinary. It doesn't give you an easy answer, and that's exactly why it's still worth talking about twenty-seven years later. It’s honest. It’s painful. And it’s probably the best thing Wayne Wang ever directed.
Actionable Insight for Movie Buffs:
If you enjoyed the mother-daughter tension here, pair your rewatch with Lady Bird (2017) or Postcards from the Edge (1990). Seeing how different eras handle the "difficult mother" trope provides a fascinating look at how our cultural expectations of women and parenting have shifted—or stayed exactly the same.