Main Cast: Susan Sarandon, Natalie Portman, Eileen Ryan, Ray Baker, John Diehl
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 114 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
As with his earlier film The Joy Luck Club (1993), Chinese director Wayne Wang tackles mother-daughter relationships in this coming of age comedy-drama. Susan Sarandon stars as Adele August, a Bay City, Wisconsin, mother who longs for a more exciting and glamorous life in Beverly Hills, California. So she leaves her husband (Ray Baker) and packs her reluctant daughter Ann (Natalie Portman) into a gold Mercedes Benz, heading for L.A. When they arrive and move into an apartment they can't really afford, it becomes clear that Ann is the mature half of the duo, while Adele, a dreamer, is not firmly grounded in reality. Her plans include Ann's future career as an actress (a profession in which the girl has no interest) and landing a rich and handsome husband for herself, such as a dentist (Hart Bochner) who never calls Adele again after a one-night stand. When a family tragedy provokes a crisis between mother and daughter, the irresponsible Adele is forced to become a traditional mom for once. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Kevin Constant - Art Director, Petra Alexandria - Associate Producer, Victoria Thomas - Casting, Betsy Heimann - Costume Designer, Betsy Magruder - First Assistant Director, Wayne Wang - Director, Nicholas C. Smith - Editor, Ginny Nugent - Executive Producer, Danny Elfman - Composer (Music Score), Donald Graham Burt - Production Designer, Roger Deakins - Cinematographer, Laurence Mark - Producer, Barbara Munch - Set Designer, Joseph Geisinger - Sound/Sound Designer, Alvin Sargent - Screenwriter, Mona Simpson - Book Author
The story, by Mona Simpson, bears some similarities to Simpson's own youth, as a young Wisconsin girl who moves west to California with her divorcee mother, Joanne, although Simpson denies any literal ties.
Filming began in late June 1998 and it debuted at the Toronto Film Festival on September 17 in 1999, before being released on November 12.
Adele August (Susan Sarandon) is an eccentric woman who leaves a small Wisconsin town and goes to Beverly Hills to realize her dreams, even though she may not know what those dreams are herself. Adele is confused and always tries to deal with matters the easy way out. She buys things she can't afford and her daughter is upset when she does this. She takes her reluctant daughter, Ann (Natalie Portman), with her. When living in Beverly Hills, Adele improvises from day to day, often being unable to pay the bills. She wants her daughter to become an actress, but Ann is much more interested in going away to Brown University. After Adele fails in many respects, she accepts her daughter's plans and decides to help her.
A soundtrack to the film was released on November 2, 1999, ten days before the release of the film into theatres. The soundtrack was distributed by Atlantic and Wea.
