Von Frau zu Frau (Because I Said So)
U.S.A. 2007

Opening 2 Aug 2007

Directed by: Michael Lehmann
Writing credits: Karen Leigh Hopkins, Jessie Nelson
Principal actors: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Gabriel Macht, Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham

Karen Leigh Hopkins and Jessie Nelson are two of Hollywood’s seasoned female screenwriters, who teamed up with director Michael Lehmann in Because I Said So. They address the age-old topic of the emotional strain a mother-daughter relationship encounters when authority and control dictate inappropriate actions in the name of love.

Daphne Wilders (Diane Keaton) has single-handedly raised three very cool daughters – beautiful, too. The Wilder foursome is dearly devoted to one another other, even though Daphne’s two eldest daughters, Maggie (Lauren Graham) and Mae (Piper Perabo), are happily married. Milly (Mandy Moore), the youngest Wilder, desires to wed, but her relationships end in shambles. Milly is discouraged that she is not marriage material but concedes that she too can end up like mom (single and alone) and be perfectly happy. Ouch! Daphne, the wise and loving mother that she is, bites her tongue and refuses to openly admit that her lifestyle is not exactly what she would wish for her beloved daughter. Daphne, a true romantic, longs for Milly to find the man of her dreams and secretly takes matters into her own hands by placing an internet Want Ad: Mother Seeking Lifetime Partner for Daughter. Before any of her daughters have time to become mortified with her secret project, she spends one whole day in the local upscale bar, interviewing potential suitors. As fate would have it, the last candidate, Jason (Tom Everett Scott), is Daphne’s ideal choice. He is given Milly’s business card and his job begins. Johnny (Gabriel Macht), the musician playing in the bar, observes Daphne’s interview process. He is impressed with her savvy, which spikes his own curiosity to meet her daughter. He applies for the job, but Daphne shuts him down, admitting that a starving artist is not her ideal match for Milly. He responds by asking if she is willing to allow her daughter to make her own decision. Daphne ignores his confrontation because as her mother, she knows what is best. Johnny sees Milly’s business card lying on the table and nonchalantly lifts it into his hand while politely telling Daphne goodbye, hoping it is not his last encounter with her. The choices Daphne and Milly make regarding love and honor come back to the reason Daphne’s girls adhere to her words: Because I Said So. A delightful comedy with food for thought! (Karen Pecota)