Formulaic fun in ‘Because I Said So’
By Julie Brown-Micko

What could be sweeter than a young girl’s dreams of romance? Perhaps those of a woman approaching midlife. Or, better yet, those of her almost 60-year-old mother. Michael Lehmann offers a double-shot of love, neurosis and mother-daughter drama in the utterly predictable and entirely sentimental Because I Said So.

The singular Diane Keaton plays the role she relishes: An intelligent, overbearing but endearing mother who loves her children to distraction. Her two eldest daughters, Maggie (Lauren Graham) and Mae (Piper Perabo) are happily matched, but Milly (Mandy Moore), like her mother, thrashes about in the dating scene, looking for love with all the wrong men. Of course, mother knows best, so Daphne (Keaton) goes on line to find possible mates for her daughter. Two men with potential rise above the rest: the dashing, successful businessman Jason (Tom Everett Scott) and the charming musician Johnny (Gabriel Macht). But mother’s plans go awry to great comic effect.

Humorous scenes are balanced, and often enhanced, by luscious baked goods. Consummate chefs both, Daphne specializes in wedding cakes, while Milly’s chocolate soufflés demonstrate her perfect timing. Weddings, of course, offer the perfect setting for romantic foibles. The Wilder women often dish about love, sex and romance while sneaking a finger full of frosting from one of Daphne’s masterpieces. And more than one of Daphne’s towering cakes ends up pushed in her face, flat on the sidewalk or flying towards destinations unknown for a few yuks.

Keaton has great comic timing and is clearly the star of the show. Mandy Moore isn’t too shabby either, projecting a sexy-but-wholesome image while mirroring Daphne’s eccentric behaviors. Some of the best comic bits come while Daphne interviews the young men from the personals. Playing a bit of word association, Daphne asks one young “man” (clearly a transvestite), “I say marriage, you say...” His response? “Vera Wang.”

Because I Said So is formulaic, but then again, so is a good boiled frosting. There is no doubt as to the happily ever after for both Daphne and daughter. While the saccharine sweetness of this confection may nauseate some, it will be just the thing for viewers craving romance and comedy.