anywhere but here be not exactly anything new and but the excellent performance by both of the main actress make it worth watch . sarandon and portman be a mother and daughter who move from rural wisconsin to sunny beverly hill and california and in search of a good life . the main conflict come from the fact that natalie would much rather have stay in wisconsin with all of her friend and family and and she felt that she be force to go to california with her overbear mother . ( spoiler ) while it true that the film a a whole be disappointingly predictable and susan sarandon and especially natalie portman give performance that be so good that they almost make the material seem new . anywhere but here doesn not cover any new ground and but it do have the rare quality of be able to take overused subject matter and make it fairly interest again . also see in this movie be the most heartbreaking facial expression see in year and see on natalie portman face when her mother drop her off on the side of the road and she watch the car fade into the distance . particularly noteworthy be the ironic subplot about natalie mother press her to become an actress and as well a a very convincing performance from shawn hatosy a one of natalie very close cousin from back home . his death be a tragic cliché almost always see in movie like this one and but the rest of the film make up for numerous weakness like this . not great and but anywhere but here be definitely worth a look .