Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon stars in this funny and touching story directed by Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club) as Adele, a flashy, flirtatious mother travelling to LA with her 14-year-old daughter; quiet, no-nonsense Ann (Natalie Portman), beginning a journey of discovery of new possibilities, of their respective dreams and of each other. Nominated for a Golden Globe it is the story of a mother who knows best... and a daughter who knows better. Against her will, Ann is being moved to Beverly Hills where Adele, stifled by small-town life in Wisconsin, hopes to make her colourful dreams come true. Ann is furious at having to leave the life she loves. Over the next two years, Ann and Adele adjust to the reality of life in Los Angeles. Their relationship is close, but always volatile. Adele remains on the outside looking in, always wanting more. Ann is the realist, seeing things for what they are, and at times more the mother than the daughter. Trivia: Wang always wanted Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman. He felt that the combination would be dynamite; filmed on locations in Los Angeles, mostly on the city's west side, including Beverly Hills High School, the Beverly Hills Hotel, and several of that community's homes and streets.
