So it's no surprise that the subdued coming-of-age drama Anywhere but Here isn't getting much attention from viewers or critics. Its storyline isn't amenable to a capsule summary--in fact, a one-sentence plot synopsis will make it sound like the most boring movie imaginable. Teenage girl (Natalie Portman) has love-hate relationship with flaky single mother (Susan Sarandon) as they try to make it in Los Angeles. Where's the prom, for God's sake?

But Alvin Singer's script, from Mona Simpson's novel, keeps the big moments to an absolute minimum and instead lets two sensitive women shine. Portman's luminous fragility is exactly right for Ann, a smart, friendly girl who succumbs to the paralyzing fears of teenagers thrust into situations that call for brains and an outgoing nature. And Sarandon, as her romantic, impractical mother, strikes the perfect balance between outward eccentricity and deep-seated anxiety. The two dance from giggly togetherness to stoic rebellion to resigned solidarity with nary a missed step.

Wayne Wang, who became known in the '80s for his Chinese-American films Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart and Eat a Bowl of Tea, achieved cult status recently for his improvisational Blue in the Face and Smoke. Anywhere but Here could hardly be more different. It's tightly structured without being restrictive--everything plays out in natural time without predictable moves, but the framework has a classic elegance. The realism of Portman's and Sarandon's relationship is worlds away from the artifice of Smoke's setup. Even if their life stories aren't typical--moving every few months ahead of the rent collectors, stealing furniture from alleyways, going to fine restaurants flat broke to raise their spirits--the emotions elicited are never outsized, always true.