“”Because I Said So”” may be pegged as a happy-go lucky romantic flick, but in truth, it’s anything but. It’s a horror movie – horror, in the sense that such an overbearing, horrendous mother could exist.

Daphne, played by Diane Keaton, is mother to Mandy Moore’s free-spirited character, Milly, who can’t cut a break when it comes to picking boyfriends. She’s had every different kind of bad-news boyfriend there is. Her mom decides to take matters into her own hands and puts out a personal ad for her daughter, feeling as if she can pick a better man.

Jason, a handsome architect, is the one dream date Daphne manages to find from a line of horrible losers who respond to the personal ad. Meanwhile, Milly has stumbled across a man on her own: Johnny, a budding musician with a young son. While she is attracted to both, each relationship increasingly becomes serious and she’s faced with a tough decision. Should she do what her mother wants and date the more responsible Jason, or go with her heart and pick the more carefree Johnny?

The subplot of the movie is how lonely Daphne

is after her former husband divorces/leaves her (it’s not explained clearly). However, her antics make it impossible to feel any sympathy for the character – you almost want to applaud the husband for escaping from Daphne’s craziness. She constantly harasses her daughter with multiple calls, daily, and guilt-trips her away from making her own decisions. The scriptwriters seem to have written themselves into a hole, as viewers want to cringe every time Daphne appears on-screen.

It is also difficult to relate to the character of the daughter. Milly is visibly frustrated by her mom barraging her with “”helpful”” advice, yet she never turns off her phone. She completely lets Daphne remain in her face – there’s a reason for caller ID. It seems unclear how the family ties could possibly be so strong.

Two other sisters are thrown in the mix for good measure, but since the main focus is on Daphne and Milly’s relationship, there is little screen time for them. It’s a pity because the movie’s only humorous scenes occur when other characters are included. Why Lauren Graham signed up to play one of the sisters is a mystery – she rarely gets any air time. It’s regrettable because just like on “”Gilmore Girls,”” her witty one-liners lighten up the overwhelming neuroticism that surrounds her. She’s goofy, humorous and natural on-screen – while Keaton, who may be a legend, comes off here as strained and shrill.

What might have been a cute chick flick is ruined by poorly thought-out plans. The characters seem rather one-dimensional; none are fleshed out particularly well. The screenwriters, rather than putting any work into the plot, apparently expect the romantic movie to be successful just because it hits theaters around Valentine’s Day.

Gentlemen, save your money and buy your boo some chocolate instead.