Because I Said So

I love Diane Keaton, but this was mostly painful. I can only point a finger at the writing because as predictable as this movie is, there are some absolute gems of BRILLIANT acting from both Keaton and Moore. I'm not sure why anyone is in this movie other than Mandy Moore and Diane Keaton because no use is made of them. I sat for the first half hour wondering what any of these actors saw in the script, but I will admit to laughing out loud several times at the painful "family" moments I think people will recognize from their own lives. Diane Keaton deserves a better script for her talents. And when TV actors are trying to transition to film, they should raise the level of their work.

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.

Michael Lehmann's 'Because I Said So' is a half-baked contrived clichéd romantic comedy wannabe. It focuses on the relationship between a mother (Diane Keaton) and a daughter (Mandy Moore) and how the mother influences her daughter to choose between two guys. Diane Keaton's Daphne Wilder is a caricature. She delivers lines that are textbook formula and pretty much acts out all the clichés of an eccentric manipulative mother. Why on earth did she agree to do such a film? Mandy Moore is surprisingly alright. Tom Everett Scott is miscast and Gabriel Macht too suffers from bad writing and is limited to smiling and crying. Lauren Graham is in 'Gilmore Girl's' Lorelai mode except that here she's a psychologist. I did enjoy her scene with Tony Hale and she does look bewitching. Piper Perabo has no role that can be described in words except that Lehmann probably cast her to show off her body in a bikini. 'Because I Said So' has nothing new to offer and no substance. It does look polished and the sets are quite nice but why waste an hour and a half on that?

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.

"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.