The relationship we have with our parents is something that is inherently built on a foundation of mutual love and affection (at least in the ideal scenarios – sadly we cannot speak for everyone, as individual domestic situations tend to differ quite notable), but like any other relationship, it requires constant work and maintenance, from both parties. It can sometimes be quite difficult to uphold these bonds, especially when it is composed of two people who are seemingly diametrically opposed and share very few interests. However, the process of working on these relationships can sometimes reveal that we have more in common than you may have anticipated, which is where we find the core foundation of Anywhere but Here building its main ideas. The film, which is directed by Wayne Wang and written by legendary screenwriter Alvin Sargent, follows the trials and tribulations of Adele August and her daughter Ann – the former is a free-spirited, easygoing woman who does not give a second thought to the fact that she’s on the other side of middle age, while the latter is an anxious, introverted teenager trying desperately to juggle the process of choosing her future while also handling a mother who is slightly too liberal in her worldview. When they decide to relocate from their home in small-town Wisconsin and set out for the sprawling utopia that is Beverley Hills, mother and daughter are forced to confront not only their personal demons, but attempt to find common ground, which becomes a much more intense ordeal than any of them were willing to address. A wonderfully endearing and very simply-crafted film in which Wang, who was behind some of the greatest examinations of society and family of the era, explores this dynamic in a way that is earnest, compelling and incredibly moving.

The themes nestled at the heart of Anywhere but Here are wonderfully simple and easy to recognise, and Sargent’s status as one of the pioneers of the New Hollywood movement are exceptionally clear – the film plays like a traditional tale of a thorny relationship between a freewheeling mother and her overly dour daughter, which is not a rare concept, but one that is certainly very much a part of why this film works, particularly when it comes to supporting its core ideas, which are a lot more complex in practice than we would expect. A simple narrative that becomes increasingly more poignant as it progresses is certainly not untrodden ground, but it does allow for some unique insights into the subject matter. As far as the plot mechanics go, Anywhere but Here is equally as straightforward – its the typical coming-of-age comedy in which the dynamic between a parent and their child is inverted, with the juvenile, fun-loving mother and more serious, down-to-earth daughter being a common trope, albeit one that is still worth our time and effort, especially in how it quietly and methodically unpacks their dynamic.  Added onto this is another very common plot device: the road trip. These stories tend to be very engaging based on the act of movement – these are characters whose lives are perpetually in motion, and not only does the viewer get the benefit of seeing some of the most fascinating regions of the United States, but we form a much stronger relationship with the people at the heart of the story, whose vulnerabilities and insecurities become a lot more pronounced through the structure of the story. As a whole, Anywhere but Here has many tremendous ideas, none of which are overly complex, but still nonetheless leave a profound impression as we journey throughout the narrative.

The pairing of Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman was quite an ingenious move on the part of the casting director, since both are exceptional actors who are amongst the very best of their generation, and are equally adept at handling comedy and drama in equal measure, which is precisely the quality this film needed to leave an impression. They are not the typical mother-daughter duo that we would expect, but they’re both nonetheless wonderful and bring so much energy to a film that is built almost entirely on their natural charisma. Sarandon was officially in her period of playing these more fun, eccentric women who have allowed all inhibitions to evaporate, leaving behind only a spectre of concern for how the world perceives her, and simply living on her own terms. Conversely, Portman was finally starting to be taken seriously as an actor, not solely being viewed as a precocious child performer, but rather someone who had the mettle to make it in the industry – and considering how she has ascended to become one of our most interesting performers, I’d say that she was extremely successful in building her career, with Anywhere but Here being one of the key components of her early career that set her on the path to stardom. The chemistry between the two leads is excellent and makes a big difference in how the film handles some of its more complex emotions – they play off each other well, and are able to walk that very narrow boundary between being different and oppositional, and where the distinction between the two is razor-thin and easy to overlook. Ultimately, Anywhere but Here is a film constructed around their dynamic, and both of them are wonderful and engaging in a way that is truly exceptional and is the root of every ounce of success that this film received.

However, a film like Anywhere but Here is only going to be truly effective if it makes use of the proper and most appropriate emotions, which is something that Wang needed to carefully observe through shepherding Sargeant’s screenplay to the screen. A story like this could have very easily become an overly intense, heavy-handed affair without any leniency given to the viewer, who is instead forced to feel the same emotions as everyone else. The brilliance of this film is that it tells a very simple, evocative story, and allows the viewer to insert our own unique interpretation of its themes – it refuses to label any of its characters in particularly definitive terms, and the scenarios are not always given the resolution we may expect, allowing some flexibility in terms of how we perceive certain decisions. There is always going to be some degree of sentimentality present in this film, but it never veers in the direction of explicit melodrama – there is very little (if any) value in such a scenario, and we occasionally find that there are ideas that are extremely important to the narrative that quietly and serenely make their way to the forefront, being quiet whispers of subtle, nuanced emotions rather than broad explosions in which we are told what to feel. It’s not a particularly quiet film, but the balance of tones allows it to be taken somewhat seriously and not just reduced to a by-the-numbers comedic drama, which has prevented it from ageing too poorly and being anything less than an invigorating, daring experience that knows exactly how to keep the audience engaged and invested, even at its most seemingly simplistic.

Anywhere but Here is a film that boldly states that the journey is more important than the destination, a theme that is built into the narrative and forms its foundation, while also being heavily important to the emotional content of the film. There are many avenues in which we are able to explore this film and what it represents – its a poignant exploration of the human condition, as seen through the eyes of a pair of characters who are constantly searching for something that they know they may never acquire, but yet they continue to seek it out, hoping that luck will be on their side, and in instances where it isn’t, they develop the necessary improvisational skills needed to make the best of any scenario. Wang is a woefully neglected director, and while this film may not reach the incredible heights of films like The Joy Luck Club and Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart in terms of being subtle, nuanced examinations of the human condition, it is nonetheless a wonderfully engaging, wholeheartedly charming film with many terrific ideas and a good sense of humour, which is only made stronger by the committed work being done by the two leads (as well as a solid supporting cast, which contains many familiar faces), who manage to find the perfect balance between tones, leading to a wonderfully engaging, well-crafted coming-of-age comedy that knows how to draw our attention to certain topics, while allowing others to remain relatively simple and nuanced in practice, which is exactly what was needed to make Anywhere but Here such a poetic, lovable gem of a film, and one that has never been more compelling than it is today, where we all need to realise the value of simply stopping and taking note of the world that surrounds us, and the wonderful, varied people who reside within.