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This movie is a pleasant surprise. It tells
the story of a mother (Susan Sarandon) who packs up and leaves
her small home town and heads for the bright lights of Calfornia.
Her 14 year old daughter (Natalie Portman) is her reluctant
travel companion.
A mother-daughter generation gap clash story
is not something I would normally find interesting and this
movie does not shed any new light on this age old story. What
director Wayne Wang does provide is a showcase for two excellent
acting performances. We all expect Susan Sarandon to bring a
measure of class to a movie and she doesn't disappoint in her
portrayal of the mother who means well but has a slightly warped
view of the world. But it is Natalie Portman who impresses the
most, as the mostly level headed daughter trying to make sense
of her relationship with her mother. This role is all the more
challenging as during the course of the movie she must age convincingly
from 14 to 17. If this performance is anything to go by, then
she should not fear for her acting future after Star Wars.
Overall, the movie also does a good job of not
falling into too many cliches which would have been understandable
given the familiarity of the subject matter.
An OK movie, made good by Sarandon and Portman.
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