Because I Said So

Play trailer

Because I Said So

PG-13

Released Feb 2, 2007

1h 49m

Romance

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

3%

Tomatometer

155 Reviews

65%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) is the proud mother of three women: Milly (Mandy Moore), Maggie (Lauren Graham) and Mae (Piper Perabo), and her love for her offspring knows no bounds. Because her youngest, always chooses the wrong man, she decides to take action to prevent Milly from repeating the mistakes of the past. Dating disaster ensues when Daphne tries to achieve her goal by placing an online personal ad for Milly.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Overly reliant on caricatures and lacking any human insight, Because I Said So is an unfunny, cliche-ridden mess.

Read Critics Reviews

Nell Minow

Beliefnet

This movie manages to be offensive and yet dull and predictable, as phony as a Kate Spade sidewalk knock-off bag and as unoriginal as the ready-for VH1 soundtrack.

Rated: F

Dec 9, 2014

Full Review

George Palathingal

Sydney Morning Herald

It's a lame duck of a film.

Rated: 1.5/5

May 4, 2007

Full Review

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

I hated this movie. I think it's the worst performance of Diane Keaton's career.

Feb 20, 2007

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Never met a cliché it didn't love or a situation too hackneyed to be inserted into the mix.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 31, 2021

Full Review

Micheal Compton

Bowling Green Daily News

I really wanted to like Because I Said So, but ultimately I just felt pity for it.

Nov 21, 2019

Full Review

Megan Basham

WORLD

In the end, while the mixture looks sweet, it goes down decidedly sour.

Oct 16, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

Jess P

I don't care about the reviews from nobody's! Watch the movie for yourself and decide if you like it or not. I loved it. If you like rom coms give it a go. No, it's not the best movie you will ever see but it's better than the pathetic people who reviewed it. Judge for yourself.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/06/25

Full Review

Elisha I

Sweet, funny, and heartfelt. It’s the kind of comfort movie you can rewatch anytime and still get all the warm, feel-good vibes.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/30/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

Full Review

M L

At times funny, frustrating, annoying and romantic. Gabriel Macht and Mandy Moore are cute. Diane Keaton is annoying. An entertaining movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

Full Review

C M

It’s fun but nothing special. Some cheesy jokes that are hard to watch and some relatable characters.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

06/05/25

Full Review

W. W

This one was a mixed bag for me — a little chaotic, a little sweet, and honestly, kind of fun if you go in not taking it too seriously. Diane Keaton is, of course, doing the most (in the best way), and the mother-daughter dynamic is messy but entertaining. There were definitely moments where the script tried too hard, and some of the plot points felt a bit over-the-top. But at the same time, it had charm. Mandy Moore brought warmth to the role, and despite all the drama, there were a few moments that genuinely landed — emotionally and comedically. It’s not perfect, and you kind of have to embrace the absurdity of it all. But if you’re in the mood for a light, slightly chaotic rom-com with heart underneath, this is worth a watch. Not a must-see, but not a waste either.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/25/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Michael Lehmann

Director

Diane Keaton

Daphne Wilder

Mandy Moore

Milly

Lauren Graham

Maggie

Piper Perabo

Mae

Gabriel Macht

Johnny

Life as We Know It

29%

61%

Life as We Know It

Watchlist

The Wedding Date

12%

67%

The Wedding Date

Watchlist

Over Her Dead Body

14%

42%

Over Her Dead Body

Watchlist

The Break-Up

34%

46%

The Break-Up

Watchlist

Head Over Heels

10%

56%

Head Over Heels

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Daphne Wilder (Diane Keaton) is the proud mother of three women: Milly (Mandy Moore), Maggie (Lauren Graham) and Mae (Piper Perabo), and her love for her offspring knows no bounds. Because her youngest, always chooses the wrong man, she decides to take action to prevent Milly from repeating the mistakes of the past. Dating disaster ensues when Daphne tries to achieve her goal by placing an online personal ad for Milly.

Director: Michael Lehmann
Producer: Jessie Nelson, Paul Brooks, Michael Newstat
Screenwriter: Karen Leigh Hopkins, Jessie Nelson
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Gold Circle Films, Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Partial Nudity|Dialogue|Sexual Content|Some Mature Thematic Material)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 2, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 15, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $42.6M
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now