Because I Said So (film)
Encyclopedia
Because I Said So is a 2007 romantic comedy film
directed by Michael Lehmann
and starring Diane Keaton
, Mandy Moore
, Lauren Graham
, Piper Perabo
and Stephen Collins. It was released on February 2, 2007.
), the loving but over-bearing mother of three girls, and her daughters, in particular Milly (Mandy Moore
). Her other daughters Maggie (Lauren Graham
) and Mae (Piper Perabo
) are happily married but Milly has recently broken up with her boyfriend, and Daphne is concerned.
Daphne fears that her daughter cannot find a good man on her own so she secretly places a personal ad for her daughter. She finds a potential candidate, Jason (Tom Everett Scott
), and tries to orchestrate a chance meeting of the two. The plan seems flawless until Milly finds her own date, guitarist Johnny (Gabriel Macht
), who happens to be a candidate Daphne rejected before. Milly in unaware of her mother's scheming and begins relationships with both Jason and Johnny at the same time, with neither aware of the other.
Inevitably, this double-dating takes its toll and Milly becomes estranged from both Jason and Johnny. In Jason's case, it is because she discovers Daphne's scheming. Meanwhile, Daphne stumbles upon her own perfect match after being alone for many years and begins to challenge her search for the 'perfect' match for Milly. Milly also realizes she has a choice to be the daughter her mother wants her to be, or to be the woman she wants herself to be. Choosing the latter, which comes with a row with her mother, leads her to reconcile with Johnny, a relationship Daphne has realized is what she should never have tried to orchestrate in the first place.
. Rotten Tomatoes' Cream of the Crop gave it a 8% rating, where it eventually earned the "Moldy Tomato Award" - awarded to the worst-reviewed film of the year.
William Booth of the Washington Post rated it the worst movie of 2007.
Keaton's performance in the film earned her a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actress.
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
directed by Michael Lehmann
Michael Lehmann
Michael Stephen Lehmann is an American film and television director.Lehmann attended Columbia University. His first job in the film industry was answering phones at Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope film company. Later he supervised cameras on films that included 1983's The Outsiders...
and starring Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
, Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
, Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
, Piper Perabo
Piper Perabo
Piper Lisa Perabo is a Golden Globe Award nominated American stage, film and television actress.-Early life:Perabo was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, the daughter of Mary Charlotte , a physical therapist, and George William Perabo, a professor of poetry at Ocean...
and Stephen Collins. It was released on February 2, 2007.
Plot
The movie focuses on Daphne (Diane KeatonDiane Keaton
Diane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
), the loving but over-bearing mother of three girls, and her daughters, in particular Milly (Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
). Her other daughters Maggie (Lauren Graham
Lauren Graham
Lauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
) and Mae (Piper Perabo
Piper Perabo
Piper Lisa Perabo is a Golden Globe Award nominated American stage, film and television actress.-Early life:Perabo was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, the daughter of Mary Charlotte , a physical therapist, and George William Perabo, a professor of poetry at Ocean...
) are happily married but Milly has recently broken up with her boyfriend, and Daphne is concerned.
Daphne fears that her daughter cannot find a good man on her own so she secretly places a personal ad for her daughter. She finds a potential candidate, Jason (Tom Everett Scott
Tom Everett Scott
Thomas "Tom" Everett Scott is an American film, theatre and television actor. His film work includes a starring role as drummer Guy Patterson in the film That Thing You Do! .-Career:...
), and tries to orchestrate a chance meeting of the two. The plan seems flawless until Milly finds her own date, guitarist Johnny (Gabriel Macht
Gabriel Macht
Gabriel S. Macht is an American actor. Macht is known for playing The Spirit in the film of the same name, and lately for his role as Harvey Specter on the USA Network series Suits.-Personal life:...
), who happens to be a candidate Daphne rejected before. Milly in unaware of her mother's scheming and begins relationships with both Jason and Johnny at the same time, with neither aware of the other.
Inevitably, this double-dating takes its toll and Milly becomes estranged from both Jason and Johnny. In Jason's case, it is because she discovers Daphne's scheming. Meanwhile, Daphne stumbles upon her own perfect match after being alone for many years and begins to challenge her search for the 'perfect' match for Milly. Milly also realizes she has a choice to be the daughter her mother wants her to be, or to be the woman she wants herself to be. Choosing the latter, which comes with a row with her mother, leads her to reconcile with Johnny, a relationship Daphne has realized is what she should never have tried to orchestrate in the first place.
Cast
- Diane KeatonDiane KeatonDiane Keaton is an American film actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Keaton began her career on stage, and made her screen debut in 1970...
as Daphne Wilder - Mandy MooreMandy MooreAmanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
as Milly Wilder - Gabriel MachtGabriel MachtGabriel S. Macht is an American actor. Macht is known for playing The Spirit in the film of the same name, and lately for his role as Harvey Specter on the USA Network series Suits.-Personal life:...
as Johnny Dresden - Tom Everett ScottTom Everett ScottThomas "Tom" Everett Scott is an American film, theatre and television actor. His film work includes a starring role as drummer Guy Patterson in the film That Thing You Do! .-Career:...
as Jason Grant - Stephen Collins as Joe Dresden, Johnny's father.
- Ty PanitzTy PanitzTy Panitz is an American child actor. He debuted as Ethan Beardsley in the movie Yours, Mine and Ours . His other roles include Woody Forrester in How to Eat Fried Worms....
as Lionel Dresden, Johnny's son. - Lauren GrahamLauren GrahamLauren Helen Graham is an American actress and producer. She is best known for playing Lorelai Gilmore on the WB Network dramedy series Gilmore Girls and Sarah Braverman on Parenthood.-Early life:...
as Maggie Wilder-Decker - Colin FergusonColin Ferguson (actor)Colin Ferguson is a Canadian actor. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, and is a graduate of Appleby College in Oakville, Ontario and McGill University in Montreal....
as Derek Decker, Maggie's husband. - Piper PeraboPiper PeraboPiper Lisa Perabo is a Golden Globe Award nominated American stage, film and television actress.-Early life:Perabo was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, the daughter of Mary Charlotte , a physical therapist, and George William Perabo, a professor of poetry at Ocean...
as Mae Wilder - Matt Champagne as Eli, Mae's husband.
- Zachary GordonZachary GordonZachary Adam Gordon is an American film and television actor, best known for playing Greg Heffley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films which are based on Jeff Kinney's #1 New York Times best seller Diary of a Wimpy Kid....
as Little Arthur
Marketing
The film has a marketing tie-in allowing customers to buy panties with different sayings from the movie.Box office
In its first weekend of release, the film placed second in total box office receipts. For the weekend of February 2, 2007, the film earned $13,022,000. As of April 5, 2007, its domestic gross was $42,674,040. According to Box Office Guru, "men showed practically zero interest in the Universal release. Studio research showed that a whopping 82% of the audience was female. 55% of the turnout was 35 or older. 83% was Caucasian."Critical reception
The film received negative reviews, scoring 5% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. Rotten Tomatoes' Cream of the Crop gave it a 8% rating, where it eventually earned the "Moldy Tomato Award" - awarded to the worst-reviewed film of the year.
William Booth of the Washington Post rated it the worst movie of 2007.
Keaton's performance in the film earned her a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actress.