Because I Said So (2007)

O An excellent must-see
X Good video rental
O Mediocre
O Rent something else

Review by Jason Pyles / May 8, 2007

“Because I Said So” is vibrant and delightful. It possesses all of the elements for a successful romantic comedy, such as weddings, misunderstandings, endearing foibles and so forth. If that’s your genre, then I highly recommend this movie.

Daphne (Diane Keaton) is the meddling, controlling, busybody mother of three daughters. Daphne’s marriage didn’t work out favorably. Consequently, she has spent years obsessing over her daughters’ lives, trying to ensure that they don’t make the same mistakes she made — especially when it comes to love.

Two of the daughters, Maggie (Lauren Graham, “Gilmore Girls”) and Mae (Piper Perabo), have successfully found their mates. But one daughter, Milly (Mandy Moore), has had considerable difficulty.

To help Milly along, Daphne places a dating ad for her daughter. Daphne plans to hold prescreening interviews with each applicant. This process yields two contenders.

“Because I Said So” is cute and colorful. Its charm is a result of having multiple love stories within the same movie. There’s even a singing opportunity for Mandy Moore, naturally.

Diane Keaton’s character wears thin, but she’s supposed to be annoying. Even so, I felt so fortunate to have such a great mother-in-law. Movies like this reinforce my gratitude.

Directed by Michael Lehmann
Diane Keaton / Mandy Moore / Gabriel Macht
102 min. Romance / Comedy
(Original MPAA rating: PG-13)
Edited version age recommendation: 10 and up

DVD release date: May 8, 2007
Copyright 2007.
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