Because I Said So (2007) User Reviews

Like reading "Cosmo"

[postmanwhoalwaysringstwice · 6/10 · 2 October 2007]

"Because I Said So" is one of those types of movies. Yes, one of THOSE types. They keep being made because it seems that the genre of woman-centered dramedies that often blend into one another make for great date movies. Supposedly. Or at least because they continue to say so in all the woman's magazines at the grocery store check-out line.

This one stars Diane Keaton, who has been in one too many of these over the years, Lauren Graham, who has seen better writing on her series "Gilmore Girls", Piper Perabo, whose career tends to float under the radar, and Mandy Moore, whose range is limited but whose charm seems endless. The latter three star as sisters with a ridiculously over-involved mother (Keaton), who go through ups and downs, weddings, and such, while mom pokes her nose too deeply into Moore's love life. It sometimes feels like the confession section of "Cosmo" magazine crossed with the advice column. The answer (read, the ending) is visible from the get-go, and getting there leads to frequent rolling of one's eyes.

This is silly, light and fluffy comedy with little on its mind but the predictable happy ending. It's an okay way to pass the time, but expect to feel guilty in the morning.

Entertaining romantic comedy, nothing special

[jonathms · 6/10 · 19 January 2007]

At a pre-screening and Q&A with Director Michael Lehmann and writer Karen Leigh Hopkins hosted by critic Leonard Maltin, the soon to be released film opened with mixed reactions before the 365 member audience of USC film students. The narrative gets off to a slow start with on opening sequence that fails to arouse much interest or laughter. Only until a joke is shared between Millie (Moore) and her mother (Keaton) about a man's uncircumcised entity does the audience begin laughing. This is fairly representative of the movie's humor. It is consistently funny, but only through cheap and superficial jokes and scenarios. At times it even verges on slapstick. However, credit must be given to both Moore and Keaton who put out stellar performances. Moore proves her ability to be an actress following initial debut in Saved and will hopefully be able to move past her image as teenie-bopper musician. Keaton convincingly portrays an over the top single mother who cannot keep her nose out of her daughters' business. The film will have wide appeal for female audiences as it is about the mother-daughter relationship. But men will also find humor throughout and should not be discouraged to accompany their wives and girlfriends. (Note: Guys, this is a good chance to compromise on seeing a romantic comedy that will not bore or disgust.) The film sticks to genre conventions but the comedy aspect of the film veers from typical. The set design and editing are both noteworthy. The film will provide a fun evening for couples, old and young, at the theater and home.

Because it's not THAT bad ...

[laterbrian · 6/10 · 19 February 2007]

The bad thing about this movie is that it's nothing the audience hasn't seen before. Lots of directors choose a generic montage of old-fashioned family pictures set to a mellow thematically-charged song for the opening credits. Lots of romantic comedies include generous dosages of overbearing parents, predictable twists-and-turns, and decor that looks like it came out of the Ikia catalog.

Nonetheless, 'Because I Said So' is, for lack of a better word, cute. It's predictable in a way that one expects the characters in slasher movies to die, corny in a way that only overbearing mothers meddling in the affairs of their offspring can be. And yet, isn't that the reason this genre continues to be popular, BECAUSE of the comfort of knowing what's going to happen rather than in spite of it? Nobody went to see "Bridget Jones' Diary" expecting her NOT to end up with somebody, after all.

Predictability aside, the music was fitting, the scenery was attractive - one wonders if somebody on the set was a gifted cake decorator before the film's inception, or even because of it - and the main/supporting cast were all passable-to-energized. Diane Keaton in all of her poof skirts and unnecessarily large heels, is just enough playful and neurotic to make the role work - I particularly enjoyed her speech about motherhood being the most difficult form of love. I've enjoyed Mandy Moore's rise to indie film infamy since "Saved!", more than I did her semi-generic pop starlet days, and I thought she did a nice job here. And though this is largely considered a "chick flick", I do want to point out that any boyfriends, brothers, husbands, etc. who get roped into seeing it may well enjoy the antics of Keaton's character's dog, who provides slap-sticky yet appreciated comic relief.

All in all, it's not something I'd probably buy on DVD, but as a fun and easy way to spend two hours, 'Because I Said So' is worth wading through the clichés.

The chickiest flick I have ever seen in my life

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 1/10 · 19 January 2008]

Oh, my God, I swear I nearly killed myself while my friend and I were watching this movie. I'm not a chick flick girl and this movie is the reason why. Now I actually do love a few chick flicks that are fun, clever, and just harmless. This movie is extremely harmful to anyone who watches it, after watching this movie I felt like shoe shopping, listening to Sarah McLaughlin, bonding with my mother, moving my furniture, talking about boys, and baking cookies. This is the ultimate stereotype for women and makes us just look oh so bad. But it looked cute from the cover and I like Diane Keaton and Mandy Moore, so I wanted to give this movie a chance, but instead it just wasted my time and made me throw up a little in my mouth. I know that sounds bad since I'm a girl, but how in the heck was I supposed to like these characters? They were awful.

Daphne is a protective, manipulative, and pesky little mother who just loves her daughters more than most mothers should. She's especially obsessed with her baby daughter, Milly, who is having a hard time in the love department. Daphne takes out an ad on the internet as a mom looking for her daughter's life partner. She meets Jason, a promising guy who is stable, and a guy, Johnny, a musician with a psychotic son that she's convinced is a heart breaker. Milly meets them both looking "like chance" and she has to decide between stable, rich Jason or sensitive, loving Johnny. You can figure it out from here.

Seriously, these characters were horrible, just first off Daphne just comes off as a possessive and psychotic mom who needs a life so badly, because she's living it through her daughter's. Then Milly, she's dating and sleeping with these two guys at once and then when she gets busted, she's crying and we're supposed to feel bad for her? Why wasn't she just honest with the guys in the first place? The ending was horribly cliché'd as a chick flick film and was incredibly disturbing in some moments. This is an awful movie, I wouldn't recommend it unless you are the ultimate chick flick fan.

1/10

Undeniably charming even if it is chaotic

[rivertam26 · 7/10 · 23 February 2020]

It's easy to understand why this movie is badly reviewed by critics and so well received by audiences. Diane Keaton starts in her most Keaton of all as the single mother of three daughters. Two of which are taken and one of which is single. She's of course constantly meddling in their lives and trying to set up her single daughter whose a chef played by a ridiculously charming Mandy Moore. She posts a single ad for her unknowing daughter which draws two suitors for different reasons and complicates things. Piper Perabo, Lauren Graham, a hunky Gabriel Macht and sexy Tom Everett Scott also star. The movie is chaotic and definitely resembles it's manic, overbearing lead character. But the relationship feels genuine and the movie is heartfelt and engaging. There's no doubt that it's a bit unfocused but it's also undeniably charming and relatable to most of us.

Oh My GOD - this was awful.

[jrizzo40 · 1/10 · 15 February 2007]

I LOVE Diane Keaton - Baby Boom is one of my favorite movies of all time. Something's Gotta Give is so great, I've seen it twice. That's what I thought I was plunking down my $10.50 for when I went to see this horror of a film.

I don't know who to blame more, the writers (Karen Leigh Hopkins & Jessie Nelson) or the director, Michael Lehmann. The actors are pretty blameless here in that they have proved themselves in other films and are basically following the vision of the director and saying the words of the writers. The script is repetitious and all over the place. Mom says the same thing over and over again in many scenes, as do the daughters.

I only laughed twice in the entire film. Which is crazy considering that I am usually a hyena at these movies. One laugh was at ONE of her physical comedy moves (which I usually love) and I can't even remember where the other laugh came from.

First of all, it is filled with illogic. People do and say things that make no sense. There is even a scene in which Mandy pushes Diane Keaton out her back door, which just happens to be wide open. Who leaves a back door WIDE OPEN? I can understand unlocked if you are in a ridiculously safe neighborhood - but, huh??? She takes so long to answer the door any self-respecting guy (or girl) would have gone home, cooked dinner for himself and eaten it during that time span.

I LOVE sex talk, I write about sex talk, my films are sexy, but what the hell was the deal with these women just bursting out in "orgasm chat" any old time? And with your damn mother? I don't think so. Even if she was hip. Which Diane Keaton was not supposed to be in this film.

And speaking of sex ... that's the kind of sex you see on AdultFriendFinders? People making out, professionally lit & shot?

Um, the dresses? Didn't they have a costume designer? We all know D has her own campy style, but someone should have stopped her. Those dresses just look plain bad on her. She's a great looking woman with a slim, fashion-friendly body and yet, she looked like a fool in those crinoline-crazed shirtwaists that spun out so wide she looked like a whirling dervish. She would have been better off in a tux.

And then she forces that ugly polka dot dress on her daughter. And, it turns out, the guy LOVES polka dots. What kinda guy loves polka dots? Is it a fetish or something?

The hyperactive kid is obnoxious as hell and there's the one scene where he tells the stupid bus driver joke to Diane, who listens very carefully and plays along as he tells the same joke over and over. Then, moments later, when the daughter arrives he yells out something like, "I like her. She's the only one who listens to my jokes!"

Oh, and the tasteless scene with the senior citizens in front of whom the musician boyfriend chooses to spout the obligatory "you complete me" speech. In the middle of it, one senior lady says "Can you hurry up, I have to go to the bathroom." Um, why doesn't she just go to the bathroom?

And the two senior ladies playing tonsil hockey was unfortunate and out of place. The gag comes out of left field and makes that whole thing seem totally gross, which is a disservice to all the older lesbian couples in the world. The audience just groaned. Not something you hope to hear in the middle of a love scene.

And this was really weird, at some point she picks up a photo of herself holding her daughter as a baby. That's the SAME PHOTO used so importantly in The Family Stone (another Keaton film that's REALLY good). What's up with that? Are they that cheap?

But the worse crime of all is the director Lehmann's handling of Keaton's performance. She is a wonderful dramatic and comedic actress, but this was like putting her into overdrive. It was like somebody doing an overdone impression of Diane Keaton in a satirical comedy sketch. It's a damn shame to take an actor's natural comedic talents and force her to imitate herself.

I felt similarly of Meg Ryan (who was amazing in Jane Campion's "In the Cut") in her last couple of films with Nora Ephron. These directors fall in love with these actor's eccentricities (as we all do) and instead of letting them just happen, which makes it so charming, they direct the actors into doing these charming things, bigger and bigger, more and more until they lose their charm completely.

Diane, please go back to Nancy Meyers who wrote and directed Baby Boom & Something's Gotta Give. She's got your number and the comedic chops to pull it all off.

Do yourself a favor, don't go see this movie. Why? Because I said so.

Underrated

[meghertel · 7/10 · 2 September 2020]

This is a great feel good movie with an awesome cast. It's seriously underrated

sitcom-level romantic comedy

[Buddy-51 · 3/10 · 28 May 2007]

If you can swallow the beautiful and sexy Mandy Moore as an uncoordinated doofus with low self-esteem who can't find a decent guy to go out with her, then you may be able to get into the spirit of "Because I said So." However, you'll also have to put up with Diane Keaton in a truly grating performance as a neurotic control freak of a mother who spends most of her time obsessing over the romantic travails of her youngest daughter, going so far as to post an ad on an internet dating site seeking out prospective husbands for the unsuspecting girl.

The actions of this modern-day Yenta the Matchmaker set into motion a whole host of sitcom-level complications and romantic comedy hijinks that are somehow supposed to be funny but wind up being merely irritating. The screenplay by Karen Leigh Hopkins and Jessie Nelson comes replete with a bevy of mother/daughter relationship clichés, with some really lame slapstick routines - Keaton getting stuck on an internet porn site, Keaton getting run over by a skater in a park, Keaton getting a cake in her face etc. - thrown in for bad measure.

Beyond Keaton and Moore, Gabriel Macht, Tom Everett Scott and Lauren Graham are just some of the other unfortunate actors trapped inside this "chick flick" fiasco.

Horror not Comedy!

[mayagowaily · 23 November 2007]

Waw! I have not seen such a bad film in a really long time...more like never actually. this is truly appalling. Lets start with the Small tragedy, the actors. Dian Keaton, normally an amazing actress somehow managed to do a really bad job with this one. Her acting was way over the top and more like hysterical really. It was like she was lending her voice to an animated film! Mandy Moore was actually better than her if u can believe it. But still quite bad. And as for the rest of the cast well there were none! we can say they were put there so that Dian Keaton and Mandy Moore can create dialog with someone other than themselves.

Now for the major tragedy, the script. A horror story put together to make the audience quiver with every uttered line! and the lines just keep getting worse and worse until we reach the climactic scene where we cave in and can no longer hold the vomit! Horrible predictable and very illogical plot. Corny is an understatement for the lines of this dialog. No depth or substance to characters. It's such a disappointment.

good and bad...

[canbrooke · 7/10 · 17 February 2007]

I thought this movie was... good... because of the psychology of their relationship, and the acting, and the gorgeous guy, Gabriel Macht.... but through the entire movie I just wanted to rip my hair out. It was definitely entertaining, but I wanted to slap the mother over and over again. And Milly... I liked her, but I didn't understand why she was sleeping with both guys anyway. I know her mom was pushing her on Jason and she wanted to make her mom happy, but after the way he treated her and how fake he was, I didn't buy that as being reason enough to keep seeing him, especially when she's got this GREAT guy, John, falling for her already! He was the only character I loved throughout the entire movie. him and his dad. I also thought that there needed to be a lot more explanation about the relationship between Johns dad and Daphnee. There needed to be more chemistry with the two of them. Overall, it was a good movie. It made a GREAT point about "helicopter parents", and I thought it was really funny. I just wanted to shoot the mother and Milly from time to time, and since those are the two main characters, that is definitely not a good thing. The music and the costumes were INCREDIBLY well done! I was extremely impressed with those two aspects. plus, it was just refreshingly original, as far as plot. I'd absolutely see it again.

Hysterically bad.

[mrinehart7 · 1/10 · 6 February 2007]

I got dragged in seeing this movie and knew it was going to be bad, but no where did I expect it to be THIS bad. You have the typical, over-dramatic and over-bearing mother, who's part might have been semi-humorous if it wasn't overdone. Anyway, there was a huge monologue where the mother was just ranting about how hard it is being a single mother, blah blah blah, with 3 kids...and I guess it was supposed to be a serious scene for the movie, but I literally started laughing hysterically with tears in my eyes. It was just sooo tacky and corny that this movie is hard to take seriously at all. And Mandy Moore, she gets these two guys attracted to her for God knows what reason...She's a one-dimensional character with no depth to her personality and it really makes you wonder why these guys have a thing for her. Anyway, she gets caught seeing both of them...expected cliché...she chooses the struggling musician over the successful architect...blah blah. Same ol' same ol'. Definitely an original storyline there.

Also, if they could have had one more scene with them trying to find the cell phone in her crowded purse or in the oven, or wherever...it might have been funny! K...maybe not.

Anyhow, I'd give this a 0 if it was an option.

Just wow....

[SaarahN · 10/10 · 13 August 2016]

A charming film, charming characters and an excellent story. It was great, superb for a better word. So so great. And if you've seen the film, you'll understand just what I did there. And if you haven't- what are you waiting for? This film is about a meddling, hovering helicopter of a mother to three beautiful, independent daughters. Trouble is, one of the said daughters- Milly- can't seem to catch a good guy. She's had her fair share of the jerks, the workaholics, the 'unavailable' ones, the psychopaths...you name it. And her mother can't have any of them for a son in law- Oh God no. So of course, she she interviews a bunch of prospective men, and women, for her daughter. One man catches her eye, and she has him meet her daughter. They hit it off, but Milly has another man she's stringing along. She can't seem to decide between them.

I've never been able to tolerate cheating, so I wouldn't say Milly's 'temporary solution' was the wisest. But, I feel the story was engaging, and laugh out loud funny. Not a kiddish sort of film though, but definitely a good choice to keep a bunch of adults amused. Mandy Moore, who plays the 'spinster' daughter, was wonderful in this film. The passion and enthusiasm was definitely there, reminding me of her acting in a Walk to Remember. You just can't go wrong with Moore.

Equally, insanely charismatic was Gabriel Macht who played one of the men vying, unknowingly, for Milly's heart. As a fan of his acting in the TV show drama Suits, I enjoyed his performance. There's something about his characters, always an air of mystery but the ever present, alluring charm. A lot of the humour, however, can be attributed to Diane Keaton who plays the controlling mother. Her smile is infectious and her antics, frustrating but genuine. A mother worried for her children.

I will recommend this film for a mother's day film- but only if you're really close to your mother, else it'd be little awkward. For mom and you, both.

Even though, I can't stop watching this movie...

[aimsramirez · 7/10 · 30 January 2016]

Diane Keaton plays an extraordinarily crazy mother. Every time I watch this film, I get so bothered at how insane (the mother) and easily manipulated (the other 30-something characters) everyone was.

I definitely would've like to see Mandy Moore take a different approach to her character, as at times her acting can get whiny. Then again, hoping their character's traits have been greatly exaggerated, maybe that's what the director was going for.

Really appreciated Lauren Graham's change of acting performance.

Overall, it's a movie that you can't stop watching. You finish it absolutely hating the mother, but then two months later, you'll get the urge to watch it again.

Boring, boring boring

[tgregg-2 · 1/10 · 4 February 2007]

I can't write a spoiler because there is nothing to spoil. I would rather sit through teen slasher movies, the acting and dialog would be more interesting. Diane Keaton used to be a very good actress, but I guess she was just trying to get her bills paid. This was a total waste of someones money and time to produce. Twenty minutes into this awful, boring, and predictable movie and I was ready to get up and leave. I have been to bad movies, but this was about as bad as it gets. I am supposed to be writing 10 lines of text but there is not much more that I can say to warn you not to spend your hard earned money on such drivel.

I hated it

[blanche-2 · 4/10 · 17 July 2009]

Diane Keaton wants her daughters to do things "Because I Said So" in this 2007 movie.

Keaton is a neurotic mother who is constantly poking her nose into her daughters' lives. She is desperate for her youngest (Mandy Moore) to find a man to spend the rest of her life with, so she puts an ad on a dating site and interviews potential men. Yeah, that certainly is a way to find a life partner for your daughter - advertise and then screen them for her.

One of the problems for me in this movie was Diane Keaton's performance. Here is an excellent, wonderful actress, capable of so much, playing the most annoying woman in history. If she were my mother, she'd have been dead long before her "big birthday" - 60. I don't know what the director was thinking having her go so over the top like that.

Not to mention, this film had Lifetime written all over it. How the producers got movie people to participate in this is to their credit, though it's done all the time - a TV script put on the big screen because someone with clout gets a movie star to agree to it. We saw it in "Before and After," "Six Days and Seven Nights," "What Lies Beneath," that movie with Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd that I saw in the theater and blocked out of my mind - all TV fare turned into bad movies and starring big people.

I guess you can tell I didn't like it. I very rarely hate anything. If you've read some of my other reviews and find you agree with me on a lot of films, when you see this one is coming on TV, run; if you are tempted to put it on your Netflix list, don't do it.

Warm feel good movie

[cazmir · 10 March 2014]

You will love the mother and the baking that goes on. The girls are lovely. My favorite part of the movie is when the girl is in Johnny's place and the bowl breaks. He says it's just an off day, there will be other better days. I love how the movie ends and I think there is value in seeing how the two men differ and who she chooses in the end.

The mother has her own issues that get ironed out during the film. There is also a boy in the picture with one of the men making it a harder choice for her. And the other guy Has money. I like how tight the family is and how she finally chooses the right guy. You will feel good at the end.

For every chick flick fan

[kissmesteph · 6/10 · 3 February 2007]

Despite getting bad reviews, this movie was truly enjoyable and laugh out loud funny. Of course the critics didn't like it, but that's only because it was formulaic of its genre and caters to mainly a female crowd. I would totally recommend this film to mothers and daughters who like cheesy romance flicks. The humor will have you in stitches and you'll find it was worth the price of a ticket.

Diane Keaton is hilarious and not afraid to be a complete dork on screen. Critics had a lot of complaints about her performance, but throughout the whole thing, all I could think of was how much she reminded me of my own mother. Mandy Moore was sweet as always, painting a perfect picture of a 20-something looking for love. Lauren Graham's Maggie was an excellent "conscience" character for Keaton and Moore. Not sure why they had a 3rd sister, as Piper Perabo had few lines and didn't seem to contribute much to the film. Gabriel Macht was adorable and such an "every guy" that it didn't make the film over the top. Yes, his character's personality was too good to be true, but thankfully he is attractive more in the boy-next-door sense, than some magazine cover boy.

One note though - there is definitely a lot of sex talk, so unless you want to do some explaining later, leave the younger ones at home.

Predictable, clichéd, unfunny and just plain stupid.

[L_weezy · 1/10 · 3 March 2007]

For some odd reason, this movie is listed under the "comedy" genre. I find that strange because no one in the theater was laughing. It was more along the lines of offensive because it seemed as though the writers of this movie were having a field day insulting the audience's intelligence.

Take the scene when Diane Keaton's obnoxious character visits AdultFriendFinder, for example. A pornographic video appears on her screen and instead of being rational and closing the window like everyone else would have thought to do, she covers the screen with a blanket and calls the software hotline. Embarrassed to speak to the operator because of the sex noises blaring from her speakers, she raises her voice in a failed attempt to drown out the sounds. The dog, whose only purpose in the entire film is to execute this clichéd scene, pulls the blanket off of the computer and begins to feverishly hump an ottoman (because, of course, human sex is a turn-on for dogs).

Another mentionable scene: Diane Keaton's character is interviewing a laundry list of clichéd rejects in hopes of finding her daughter's true love. These rejects happen to be completely oblivious of their unattractive behavior. You have the geeky nerd with the permanent head cold who is unaware of his disgusting snot problem. Then there's the fat guy. Oh, and let's not forget the Indian guy.

Sadly, that isn't the end of it.

It's so embarrassing. Not for the characters, but for the viewers. Definitely a movie to see, but only if you're getting paid for it because that's the only way you'd ever get me to watch it again.

Mama Doesn't Know Best

[megwelchdendlercs · 7/10 · 31 January 2007]

Hyperactively controlling Daphne (Diane Keaton) decides to fix her youngest daughter Milly (Mandy Moore) by finding her the perfect man via an on-line dating service ad that Milly knows nothing about. Enter stage right Jason (Tom Everett Scott) as the dashing, rich architect that Mom feels will surely love and provide for Milly, but is really awfully cold and totally not her style. Enter stage left Johnny (Gabriel Macht) as the charming musician who Daphne thinks has heartbreak written all over him and tries to deter at every step, but who totally adores Milly—even at her most ridiculous.

There is not much new and surprising here, and it is pretty obvious how it is all going to work out from the beginning. But there are some fun moments and some touching moments that do make the movie worthwhile.

Some of Daphne's "mother moments" will be familiar to all of us. I have that dress hanging in my closet that my mom insisted was perfect for me and bought for me—and which my husband announced was a fat-lady-grandma-dress (my thoughts exactly) and I only wore once (sorry, Mom). However many small similarities we may find in passing, the whole Daphne/Milly love-hate relationship is really over the top. I would have moved to Alaska long ago if my mother rearranged my knick-knacks and furniture every time she came over. But how controlling Daphne can be is not really the point of the movie.

To me, this film was ultimately more about what it means to really love another person. Daphne calls her love for her daughters "impossible love" because it is so hard to let go and watch them head for the edge of a proverbial cliff and not to stop them. That's what she feels her meddling and messing is all about—protecting and nurturing them. But a love that does not respect the uniqueness of its object is missing out on something. As Daphne continues to push horribly inappropriate Jason at Milly, she seems to be ignoring her daughter's spirit. You have to wonder if she really knows her at all.

It can serve as a good lesson to mothers everywhere. Respect may be a more important gift to give our daughters—even than devoted love. Allowing them to stumble and find their own way is gut-wrenching, but as long as it is not really a life-and-death situation it may be best to let them fall and pick themselves back up again. It's as true of learning to ride a bike as of learning to navigate interpersonal relationships. Falling down is pretty much inevitable, but those who love you will be there to support you and help put you back on your feet.

We can't always be present for our children when sorrow hits—though in this movie Daphne makes one heck of an attempt to be—and it can be hard to watch them learn lessons we have already learned. By loving them honestly for their strengths and foibles we can be that port in the storm without also being one more roadblock and annoyance that needs to be overcome.

And what about those times when you can't be there at all? I'm just at the beginning of that journey with my own children. Personally, when life has knocked me down one way or another, I've consistently turned to an even bigger and more powerful parent than my mom or dad. I was raised to understand that my heritage is truly divine and that I can turn to the ultimate Father/Mother for support and comfort, even for direction, when I need it most. What's great about looking to divine Love for answers is that She always knows exactly what is best for me—no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

As my own daughters strike out on their own more and more, I know that I will be putting them in the care of our mutual Parent one step at a time and teaching them this same lesson. I'll do my best to love, respect, and support them, but God will always follow through with the best care and direction for us all.

And Daphne does finally reach a greater understanding of respect and genuine, not spirit-choking, love for Milly. It's not divine, but any means, but it's better. Getting a life of her own probably helps. In the end, everyone is happy and in love, just as you knew they would be 90 minutes earlier.

The word "hilarious" was repeated often by my fellow movie-goers as we left the theater. That may be a bit of an overstatement. I definitely had some good laughs, but Daphne ends up wearing one too many cakes. It was often a bit slapstick for my taste, though the audience loved it. One of the best parts of the movie was Gabriel Macht—as adorable as a Labrador puppy—and will make the movie worth the ticket price for many a young lady.

Taking into account that this movie well earns its PG-13 rating for sexual situations, conversations, and innuendo, it rates high on the chick-flick meter for a good night out with the girls.

I don't care if you said so or not; this movie is horrible!

[MoneybagsMcDibbs · 1/10 · 11 February 2007]

I went to this movie thinking "Hey, what the heck, Diane Keaton and a couple hotties, plus my girlfriend wanted to see a romantic comedy" Well I'll tell you, it was a comedy, but for the wrong reasons. But, not even the biggest bleeding heart drama-head case would be able to scrape the tiniest ounce of romance out of this movie.

The premise of the movie is really promising; seriously I could see an actual good romantic comedy made about an overbearing mother who can't let go of her children...nothing wrong with that. Well there is something wrong with this movie and its definitely the poor acting performances and an even worse script.

Diane Keaton gives one of her weakest performances to date. Mandy Moore is cute yet vapid. Lauren Graham is...well like she was just going through the rhythms but not trying to much; I don't watch Gilmour Girls so maybe she's always like that? Piper Perabo...maybe she was good, but her character was little more than an afterthought and has maybe 5 lines the entire movie. Surprisingly there are some decent performances, yet they come from the secondary and tertiary male characters; with Gabriel Macht delivering the strongest one.

This movie is complete cheese, only see it if its free or you hate yourself.

I liked it

[houglumeli · 7/10 · 30 April 2007]

I don't usually watch movies with Diane Keaton, or Mandy Moore - but I work part time at Blockbuster and for some reason this was the only reasonable "prestreet" to take home and watch this week. So I did... and I *liked* it. Moore has surprised me in the past as well ( I DID like SAVED! ) .. and she surprised me here too. I thought the Keaton did a wonderful job at portraying the mother - even though my mom isn't exactly like her, there were plenty of times in this movie where she reminded me of my mother - I liked that. I thought this was a warm and thoughtful movie about moms and daughters, sisters, and the choices we all have between lovers.

Overall, I liked that I could just put this movie in, and not think - just watch! Yes it was predictable, but that is FINE! It was cute, and if you have the choice you should definitely watch it! :)eli

A Bad Case of Static Cling

[ferguson-6 · 2/10 · 3 February 2007]

Greetings again from the darkness. It is now official. Diane Keaton has reached the parody of herself stage. She has become a caricature of her character. The loopy, over-the-top 60 yr old female who screams stereotype with each line. It was evident in "Something's Gotta Give" that she had made the turn, but "Because I Said So" time warps her into the level of folly ... similar to Leslie Nielsen (of "Naked Gun" fame) who once was also a respected actor. The difference being, Nielsen is at least funny, Keaton is purely grating and obnoxious. And enough with the turtle necks and ridiculous wardrobe. No one dresses like that ... especially in L.A.

Of course, there is more to this movie than Diane Keaton ... wait, no there really isn't. The only semblance of a bright spot is the glimpse of potential flashed by Mandy Moore. She really has screen charisma and no longer just looks like a big kid. She has 3 films over the next 18 months, so we will see just how she is progressing. Other than that, all we get is "Gilmore Girls" Lauren Graham as the wisest of Keaton's three daughters and Piper Perabo as one of the most nondescript characters of all time. I guess she was cast because she looked decent in underwear for the massage scene.

As for the poor guys in this one ... no not us schmucks who actually paid to watch, I am talking about the actors. Tom Everett Scott is totally miscast as a workaholic architect. Gabriel Macht ("A Love Song for Bobby Long") has little to do but flash his smile and twinkle his eyes. And Stephen Collins is evidently the new Tom Skerritt. You know, the cute older guy in all the chick flicks??? The director of this horrid mess is Michael Lehmann, who in the past has delivered such gems as "Hudson Hawk", "Airheads" and the torturous "40 Days and 40 Nights". When will Hollywood stop giving this guy money to make this worthless fluff? I am sure this weak, no-content film will make money ... simply because real life mothers and daughters will think they should go see it and laugh that someone's relationship is worse than theirs. I say, SAVE YOUR MONEY and rent "Terms of Endearment", which may be the best movie ever about a mother and daughter's struggles to show their love for each other. Just stay away from this one!

It's just fun :)

[molkath17 · 9/10 · 3 February 2007]

I don't want to lie to you, I'm not a Diane Keaton fan, nor am I a Mandy Moore fan. Besides asking yourself why I even saw this movie, you should wonder how it managed to get a 9 from me despite my tastes.

Well, I went because my friends wanted to see it. And I gave it a 9 because I thought it was surprisingly good. It's not intense, it's not fast-paced, it's not a mind-bender. It's just a fun thing to watch. Diane Keaton is energetic and so much fun - and I promise you that by the end of the movie, she'll have (in some way or another) reminded you of your own mother. And Mandy Moore is very good as the quirky daughter who is, in reality, very much like her mother. It's just a sweet tale - most likely for women only - that reminds girls and their mothers that they're not alone in the battles. (Though viewers be warned - there's a little sexual content. And a little more conversation about sexual content...)

There's nothing terribly unique about it, but the writing is good and the plot is entertaining. There aren't going to be any surprises, it's just entertaining, lively, and very sweet.

The comedy is overblown, but pretty good as a romantic drama

[napierslogs · 6/10 · 26 September 2010]

In "Because I Said So" Diane Keaton plays an overprotective mother, Daphne, to Millie (Mandy Moore). The other daughters, Lauren Graham and Piper Perabo, are married so their lives are OK, but Millie doesn't have a man, so her life is empty, or so says Keaton. The main problem with this movie is that Keaton plays the overprotective mother very over the top, and it's just not that funny.

The sisters all have their own charm, although Perabo is underused. And the parade of men that come in and out of their lives are all very handsome. I particularly enjoyed the contrasts between the man Daphne chose for Millie (Jason, Tom Everett Scott) and the man that Millie chose for herself (Johnny, Gabriel Macht).

If they had chosen to follow more of a romantic drama route and explored all the different relationships, this film would have been significantly better. But as a comedy, "Because I Said So" is overblown and not funny.

Words fail me.

[ll_melman · 1/10 · 5 July 2013]

It's a waste of my time to write a review of this, and it's a waste of your time to read it. But IMDb requires 10 lines. Which is about 9 more than needed.

Characters: poorly written, and acted in the most grating, unlikable and unbelievable manner possible.

Relationships: completely unrealistic.

Dialogue: horrid.

Plot: Well, in one case the mother character gets (unexplained) laryngitis, which is the only time that the other characters get to speak more than two words around her without interruption. Yes, it's that bad.

This movie should have ended careers. Writers, producers, actors, studio execs, everyone.

Is that enough? Sorry for wasting your time.