Because I Said So is surging on streaming charts following Diane Keaton’s death. The legendary actress, known for her roles in The Godfather trilogy (1972–1990) and Annie Hall (1978), recently pᴀssed away from pneumonia on October 11 at the age of 79. One of her lesser-known roles, however, was the 2007 romantic comedy, Because I Said So.
Now, several days after her death, Because I Said So ranks second on Starz’ Top 10 movies in the United States for today, October 16, ranking behind only the John Wick spinoff Ballerina. Because I Said So finished above Survive, Pretty Thing, McVeigh, Flight Risk, This Is the End, Shadow Force, Stomp the Yard, and Imperium.
Directed by Michael Lehmann (Heathers), with a script written by Karen Leigh Hopkins and Jessie Nelson, Because I Said So stars Diane Keaton as a meddling mother who attempts to find the ideal man for her daughter, hoping to keep her from repeating her own romantic mistakes.
In addition to the four-time Oscar nominee Diane Keaton (Annie Hall, Reds, Marvin’s Room, Something’s Gotta Give), the cast also includes Emmy nominee Mandy Moore (This Is Us), Gabriel Macht (Suits), Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), Piper Perabo, Emmy nominee Stephen Collins, Colin Ferguson, and two-time Emmy winner Tony Hale (Veep).
Though Diane Keaton starred in several great movies throughout her life, Because I Said So certainly isn’t considered to be one of them. With a dismal 3% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the rom-com was panned by critics as a cliché-filled flop that fails to amuse, is packed with stereotypes, and is devoid of any real emotional depth. Diane Keaton’s performance even landed her a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress, ultimately losing to Lindsay Lohan for I Know Who Killed Me.
Because I Said So has fared slightly better with audiences. It posted a modest performance at the box office in 2007, making $69.5 million against its $39 million budget. It also has a 65% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes from 250,000+ ratings. Even though Because I Said So is widely considered to be one of Diane Keaton’s worst movies, audiences are watching it to honor the late great actress in the only way they know how, which is a good enough reason.
